Replacing quilt for H

[schrodinger]

Are you looking to replicate his old quilt in terms of material, pattern, etc? Or are you just looking to get a size and style that's close?

Custom quilts can get very expensive. Generally speaking, materials can run ~$100-$150 for a lap-size quilt, and that doesn't include paying the quilter for their time (assume 20-25 hours as a starting point). Not trying to discourage you from going custom, just want to prepare you for the sticker shock!

If you post a picture of the quilt, I'm sure someone here can identify the block or pattern, which should help you get a more specific search.

[cmeon]

I agree, post a picture of the front (and back, if there's anything interesting going on there) and you can get some information about it that will help with the search. It is a very, very time intensive craft- I've only done mug rugs, pillows, bags- and my kids' rag quilts (which are nothing compared to a pieced quilt, time-wise).

It's possible quilt restoration might be a good option, depending on the wear/damage.

100% agree on separate blankets. My husband would wake up uncovered and cold every morning if we "shared" (ha).

[dragon's breath]

I'm part of a quilting group at a senior center (the only one there in my 30s, but hey, they're cool!) They often receive items with requests to repair/recreate. Different ladies have different areas of expertise, so they figure out who will fix it when one comes in.

Anyway, point is, see if your local senior center has a quilt group, or if one of the churches, quilt shops, etc has someone local who can do that for you. Good luck!

[dragon's breath]

The photo will help someone a lot! And, no shame on the condition, I am sure the creator of the quilt would be thrilled to know it got so much use (I hope that any quilts I make are used until they fall apart, but hopefully they last for many, many years.)

I don't know a whole lot, but, it's a "scrappy quilt". When you do find someone, measurements that will help are:

The width of one of the pieces of fabric.
The width of each section (so, how far from "straight line to straight line".
These two measurements should give them enough info to recreate the design.
Then the dimensions of the quilt and how many sections there are (helps verify size). Also, take a photo of the whole thing, visuals really help.

Total novice observation, but it looks like it may have used an old blanket as the batting. I don't know what kind of blanket it is, but I have one that looks very similar, just a different color. Warm and Natural batting will probably be pretty close. It's thin and pretty lightweight, so not a "poofy" quilt batting like some would give you.

While fairly simple looking, it's not a real "quick" pattern (like squares or triangles can be). Someone put a lot of time into that top, and I think that is where the most expense will come from for recreating it. Not that it can't be done, but it's not an easy one for using shortcuts.

One suggestion that would save some cost (but only if it's acceptable!) is to consider a V shape that doesn't have the overlap at the points (yours looks kind of like a braid). So, it would have a straight line where the two pieces of fabric meet.

Kind of like this (but sized closer to your pieces):



This change makes it a much faster quilt to put together, likely really cutting down on expense, but it's not the same.  I'd get a quote on each style, if you're willing to consider the faster one, and see if it's worth the price difference.

As far as terms go, there is enough of the quilt left that photos and measurements will be your best description.  Don't be embarrassed to share the photos with a quilter!  The best part about quilting is the feeling you get knowing that it is loved by the recipient. 

[maybebaby]

Hi- it looks like a french braid quilt, sometimes called friendship braid. I think a good bet would be to either call or visit a local quilt shop and see if they have recommendations. Having the measurements of the vertical columns as well as overall size of quilt will be helpful so they can give you accurate pricing. It's not too hard of a pattern, but like pp said it's a little more involved than simple squares/triangles. I think you'll definitely find someone to do it in the budget you mentioned, depending on what size quilt of course. That's very sweet to do this- our family is very attached to our quilts, and I learned to quilt initially to be able to restore one of my old quilts from my grandma.

[Michelle]

May 20, 2017 15:23:41 GMT -5 Laura Palmer said:

Thanks ladies! I wasprepared for $400 or so, based on some initial etsy searches. (Which I get based on the huge time cost, but I don't get why people spend that much on a blanket. NMS, but that's neither here nor there!)

His is totally shot. Like the fabric that was covering it is literally just falling apart. I'll try and sneak pics soon!

Quilts are not blankets.
Blankets are generally a few large panels of fabric sewn together. Or one really large piece of fabric finished on the edges. And they are usually made in an Asian or Mexican factory by people being paid slave wages.

Quilts are works of art, even if the art isn't your style.

Maybe this would put it in perspective for you. And that isn't even using premium fabrics that would last longer. 


\

[cmeon]

May 30, 2017 16:01:30 GMT -5 Laura Palmer said:

May 30, 2017 15:35:22 GMT -5 Michelle said:

I'll just see myself out, I don't see a productive way for me to respond to this without inciting more emotions unintentionally.

Oh my. That graphic is something.

Anyway... you can do this for less than a bazillion dollars. Of course it won't be cheap, I didn't get the sense that you came here to trash quilters for overpricing.

Do you know if the original quilt was made from someone's clothing? It has that look to me (with all the plaid- ha)- which would help explain why it's just disintegrating (clothing fabrics are often much lighter weaves).

[Michelle]

May 30, 2017 18:48:15 GMT -5 cmeon said:

May 30, 2017 16:01:30 GMT -5 Laura Palmer said:

I'll just see myself out, I don't see a productive way for me to respond to this without inciting more emotions unintentionally.

Oh my. That graphic is something.

Anyway... you can do this for less than a bazillion dollars. Of course it won't be cheap, I didn't get the sense that you came here to trash quilters for overpricing.

Do you know if the original quilt was made from someone's clothing? It has that look to me (with all the plaid- ha)- which would help explain why it's just disintegrating (clothing fabrics are often much lighter weaves).

laura Palmer that may have come across more emotionally than I intended. I am a very direct speaker. Don't add any emphasis in tone - just read it flatly. :-)

cmeon - that has graphic has floated around quilting circles I'm involved in, mostly by association not because of my skill.  But if you are going to get good fabric that is going to last through a lot of washings, you are going to be paying more for it than even the graphic states. And if you are paying someone to do the job, and you pay them minimum wage, you are going to pay a lot. That's just a reflection of the amount of work that goes into them.

[cmeon]

May 30, 2017 19:14:40 GMT -5 Michelle said:

May 30, 2017 18:48:15 GMT -5 cmeon said:

Oh my. That graphic is something.

Anyway... you can do this for less than a bazillion dollars. Of course it won't be cheap, I didn't get the sense that you came here to trash quilters for overpricing.

Do you know if the original quilt was made from someone's clothing? It has that look to me (with all the plaid- ha)- which would help explain why it's just disintegrating (clothing fabrics are often much lighter weaves).

laura Palmer that may have come across more emotionally than I intended. I am a very direct speaker. Don't add any emphasis in tone - just read it flatly. :-)

cmeon - that has graphic has floated around quilting circles I'm involved in, mostly by association not because of my skill.  But if you are going to get good fabric that is going to last through a lot of washings, you are going to be paying more for it than even the graphic states. And if you are paying someone to do the job, and you pay them minimum wage, you are going to pay a lot. That's just a reflection of the amount of work that goes into them.

Look, I am not a "quilter"- I have never made a full, pieced quilt and I likely never will. I DO appreciate the value in craft, I certainly am a fabric buyer and consumer, and I DO appreciate that quality cotton has gotten more expensive over the years. But, there are still AN AWFUL LOT of good quality, not-going-to-fall-apart-with-a-lot-of-washings cottons out there that are not going to run $11/yd. Or $13 a yard- where are these women buying their Kona?! And why do they need 5 yards of it to make a 65" panel?!

Like most things handmade, people undervalue it. We don't need to mislead them into thinking you can't do it reasonably or affordably, though.

And "Quilts aren't blankets" is frankly, wrong. Quilts, at least the kind meant to be used- are quite literally blankets. Blankets can be knitted, or crocheted, or woven or felted- in addition to the various sewing techniques. I'm a little confused by the rant.

[Michelle]

May 30, 2017 19:58:08 GMT -5 cmeon said:

May 30, 2017 19:14:40 GMT -5 Michelle said:

laura Palmer that may have come across more emotionally than I intended. I am a very direct speaker. Don't add any emphasis in tone - just read it flatly. :-)

cmeon - that has graphic has floated around quilting circles I'm involved in, mostly by association not because of my skill.  But if you are going to get good fabric that is going to last through a lot of washings, you are going to be paying more for it than even the graphic states. And if you are paying someone to do the job, and you pay them minimum wage, you are going to pay a lot. That's just a reflection of the amount of work that goes into them.

Look, I am not a "quilter"- I have never made a full, pieced quilt and I likely never will. I DO appreciate the value in craft, I certainly am a fabric buyer and consumer, and I DO appreciate that quality cotton has gotten more expensive over the years. But, there are still AN AWFUL LOT of good quality, not-going-to-fall-apart-with-a-lot-of-washings cottons out there that are not going to run $11/yd. Or $13 a yard- where are these women buying their Kona?! And why do they need 5 yards of it to make a 65" panel?!

Like most things handmade, people undervalue it. We don't need to mislead them into thinking you can't do it reasonably or affordably, though.

And "Quilts aren't blankets" is frankly, wrong. Quilts, at least the kind meant to be used- are quite literally blankets. Blankets can be knitted, or crocheted, or woven or felted- in addition to the various sewing techniques. I'm a little confused by the rant.

I didn't realize 75 words was a rant.

Also, I used to think the same thing about blankets and quilts. Until I was schooled by quilters. :-) If one is going to approach a quilter to ask for their services, it really is best not to refer to the item they are producing as a quilt, not a blanket. That was my primary intention for my input, and to also help the OP understand the value behind the cost.

They are both bedspreads or coverlets, depending on the size. But by definition, blanket =/= quilt.

Blankets are single pieces of fabric, single layered
Quilts are two layers of fabric (with the top usually being intricatelypieced together from many varieties of fabrics) that are layered with batting sandwiched between and stitched together in patterns, sometimes more intricately than others.

www.quora.com/Whats-the-difference-between-a-quilt-and-blanket-duvet-and-comforter
www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1084803/list/coverlet-duvet-quilt-comforter-whats-the-difference

[Michelle]

May 30, 2017 20:30:10 GMT -5 Laura Palmer said:

I didn't mean to start a whole thing. I know there's a tremendous amount of effort that goes into the craftsmanship. I make hats and know people see them and think they're overpriced and buy a $15 one from them max that was made in China. I get it. That bugs me too. 

But I do see it as a blanket. It covers his body when he sleeps, like my duvet. Someone's cheapo hat from wherever covers their head like a custom one from a trained milliner.

Because it's nms I struggle with the cost - because of the purpose of use, not that I think I'm overpaying for the effort. I never intended to suggest that and apologize if I implied it in any manner.

I also believe the seller can quote their own price, and I'm free to engage or not. She is charging what I was budgeting and noted above. If she were to charge $800+ per your graphic, I might not have. Her call if she wants to reduce the cost somewhere (lesser fabric, quicker patterns, discount omg hourly rate, etc). I wouldn't haggle over this, because I know the labor value.

But please don't assume I buy stuff from sweat shops only because I don't want to spent $450 to cover my husbands sweaty body (though I am). Like I wouldn't judge if you preferred Hanes undershirts for yours over a zimmerli one.

You didn't, really. My directness came across as ranting. That was also not intended. Just don't go to a quilter and ask them to make you a blanket. ;-)

[cmeon]

May 30, 2017 21:03:47 GMT -5 Michelle said:

May 30, 2017 19:58:08 GMT -5 cmeon said:

Look, I am not a "quilter"- I have never made a full, pieced quilt and I likely never will. I DO appreciate the value in craft, I certainly am a fabric buyer and consumer, and I DO appreciate that quality cotton has gotten more expensive over the years. But, there are still AN AWFUL LOT of good quality, not-going-to-fall-apart-with-a-lot-of-washings cottons out there that are not going to run $11/yd. Or $13 a yard- where are these women buying their Kona?! And why do they need 5 yards of it to make a 65" panel?!

Like most things handmade, people undervalue it. We don't need to mislead them into thinking you can't do it reasonably or affordably, though.

And "Quilts aren't blankets" is frankly, wrong. Quilts, at least the kind meant to be used- are quite literally blankets. Blankets can be knitted, or crocheted, or woven or felted- in addition to the various sewing techniques. I'm a little confused by the rant.

I didn't realize 75 words was a rant.

Also, I used to think the same thing about blankets and quilts. Until I was schooled by quilters. :-) If one is going to approach a quilter to ask for their services, it really is best not to refer to the item they are producing as a quilt, not a blanket. That was my primary intention for my input, and to also help the OP understand the value behind the cost.

They are both bedspreads or coverlets, depending on the size. But by definition, blanket =/= quilt.

Blankets are single pieces of fabric, single layered
Quilts are two layers of fabric (with the top usually being intricatelypieced together from many varieties of fabrics) that are layered with batting sandwiched between and stitched together in patterns, sometimes more intricately than others.

www.quora.com/Whats-the-difference-between-a-quilt-and-blanket-duvet-and-comforter
www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1084803/list/coverlet-duvet-quilt-comforter-whats-the-difference

You know some really uptight quilters.

[Michelle]

May 30, 2017 21:09:13 GMT -5 cmeon said:

May 30, 2017 21:03:47 GMT -5 Michelle said:

I didn't realize 75 words was a rant.

Also, I used to think the same thing about blankets and quilts. Until I was schooled by quilters. :-) If one is going to approach a quilter to ask for their services, it really is best not to refer to the item they are producing as a quilt, not a blanket. That was my primary intention for my input, and to also help the OP understand the value behind the cost.

They are both bedspreads or coverlets, depending on the size. But by definition, blanket =/= quilt.

Blankets are single pieces of fabric, single layered
Quilts are two layers of fabric (with the top usually being intricatelypieced together from many varieties of fabrics) that are layered with batting sandwiched between and stitched together in patterns, sometimes more intricately than others.

www.quora.com/Whats-the-difference-between-a-quilt-and-blanket-duvet-and-comforter
www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1084803/list/coverlet-duvet-quilt-comforter-whats-the-difference

You know some really uptight quilters.

I dunno - they sell their quilts for $5,000 - $10,000. They might know what they are talking about.


eta - sorry that was snippy. They are probably uptight because the ones who "schooled" me are NQA certified quilting judges. One is the managing editor of a national quilting magazine. They have won nationally and internationally for their quilting and are paid to judge quilting competitions around the country. I happened to meet them through a guild and my mom - I am still a novice at quilt top piecing, much less actually quilting the designs.

Of all the women I know in quilting guilds, none would piece together a quilt that would cover a queen size bed for $400 unless you bought the fabric, washed it, pressed it and cut it for them, or if it was for a loved one and it was a joint present - you pay all the materials and they do the labor. It is just too much work and wouldn't even make them minimum wage. If OP can find someone, more power to her!

[aprilsails]

This has become a more involved discussion than anticipated but I just want to say that michelle is correct. Quilts are often given a $0 value because the vast majority are given away as gifts by loved ones, or as part of church raffles, etc, etc. However, you need to have your eyes open when it comes to commissioning a quilt, where the maker will want to be paid for their work and the materials.

Those prices are not out of the ordinary in some parts of the country and are actually quite low for me, since I'm in Canada.

I make and design my own quilts as baby shower and wedding gifts. I have yet to get around to making a single one for myself, which I'm hoping to correct in the near future. I get asked on a regular basis if I can make one just the same for someone for $$$. Or get told I should quit my job and sell them. I laugh and laugh and laugh since their offers would be less than a quarter the value of the actual quilt if I paid myself minimum wage. My husband will readily explain to anyone that these are $2000+ wedding gifts. I made a $7000 quilt that is living in a box in my friend's Mom's basement for the past 5 years. To say that I am disappointed is an understatement.

There's a disconnect there and I am hoping that for every person I educate that it doesn't get perpetuated. That being said, I can understand the OPs confusion since quilts are given such a low comparative value, and it does go to show how much mass market reproduction of homegoods has skewed the perception of value.

[cmeon]

Laura Palmer
I'm glad you were able to get some help, and I am sorry that it got weird in here (I promise it's not usually suck a tsk tsk place). If you're up to it, I'd love it if you'd come back and share a pic when you get the replacement quilt!

[schrodinger]

May 31, 2017 8:11:04 GMT -5 Laura Palmer said:

Guys -- where did I say I had a low perception of value?

Correct me if I'm wrong. But he sleeps with it, right? I have a hard time wrapping my head around sleeping with something of such value (cost, effort, time, etc.). I get why they're costly.

It's never been about how much the quilt was. I never complained "she's charging X, that's out of control". I just said I wrestle spending that much on something one sleeps with.

Massive thanks to those who actually provided helpful responses. To those who were trying to "educate" me... thanks. JFC.

Thanks for posting the picture, I would love it if the quilts that I have given away end up as well-loved as your husband's quilt! I hope you're able to find someone to make you the perfect replacement.  When I first saw the picture, my thought was herringbone pattern, but PP's suggestion of friendship braid looks closer.  I would also love it if you would come back and post a picture of the final version.

[Michelle]

May 31, 2017 6:00:23 GMT -5 aprilsails said:

This has become a more involved discussion than anticipated but I just want to say that michelle is correct. Quilts are often given a $0 value because the vast majority are given away as gifts by loved ones, or as part of church raffles, etc, etc. However, you need to have your eyes open when it comes to commissioning a quilt, where the maker will want to be paid for their work and the materials.

Those prices are not out of the ordinary in some parts of the country and are actually quite low for me, since I'm in Canada.

I make and design my own quilts as baby shower and wedding gifts. I have yet to get around to making a single one for myself, which I'm hoping to correct in the near future. I get asked on a regular basis if I can make one just the same for someone for $$$. Or get told I should quit my job and sell them. I laugh and laugh and laugh since their offers would be less than a quarter the value of the actual quilt if I paid myself minimum wage. My husband will readily explain to anyone that these are $2000+ wedding gifts. I made a $7000 quilt that is living in a box in my friend's Mom's basement for the past 5 years. To say that I am disappointed is an understatement.

There's a disconnect there and I am hoping that for every person I educate that it doesn't get perpetuated. That being said, I can understand the OPs confusion since quilts are given such a low comparative value, and it does go to show how much mass market reproduction of homegoods has skewed the perception of value.

thank you.

I wasn't trying to be tsk tsk. I was trying to help her manage her expectations and also moderate her comments if commissioning a quilt because there is nothing like making someone feel devalued in your first conversation with them to start an expensive project off on the wrong foot... Oh well.