How to Price Your Handmade Quilts and Fiber Art

Brandon Wulff
See our interview with Brandon

Do you have a ‘formula’ for pricing your fiber art / art quilts / quilts for sale? If so, please share!

My pricing is really simple. It starts off just by the square inches- that’s my base price as I grew my business then I times that by a number so if it was a 40 x 50 inch quilt that would be $2000. The only thing that changed overtime is that the number that I times the square inches by. So at the beginning, I would charge times one unless I was doing a lot of hand work and then I would charge times two to double the price when I do more work.  

As my business grew. I increased that second number, so instead of times it by one, my base price would be times two and then hand work would be times three

Does pricing depend on the type of quilt or hours you put into the piece? 

I charge the same price for all of my quilts. For me it’s about how much work goes into it. For hand work, obviously, I charge more.

Where do you sell your quilts? 

I started building relationships with interior designers, decorators, doctors, and lawyers who are collectors- anyone that my friends knew. I rely on those resources. I even collaborated with other artists, interior designers, and decorators in order just to get out the word of mouth. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising but building relationships with other artists through collaboration is also one of the best ways to find out who might buy art.

How did you feel when you sold your first piece?

I sold my first piece for a very large amount of money. It was a king size quilt, hand pieced and hand quilted. It took two years to make, and I got a fair price for it. I was elated. I had to play a bit of a game because two people wanted it and I had to say that neither of them could have it because I wasn’t ready to sell it yet. People want what they can’t have, so being told that they can’t have it a couple years later they both came back to me and said are you ready to sell and I was in a position to ask for the price I wanted specifically.

Any additional thoughts about selling your quilts?

Selling quilts is about building relationships. Building relationships with other quilters who are struggling to sell their work too, doesn’t make sense to me. Collaborating and partnering with people who have a good set of clients, like interior designers and decorators who have lots of rich clients, teaches you new skills, new possibilities, and you get access to their client list.

Heidi Parkes
Read our interview with Heidi

Do you have a ‘formula’ for pricing your fiber art / art quilts / quilts for sale? If so, please share!

At first, I looked around online at the prices of quilters who I considered peers, and aspirational peers. I considered that they had to be willing to part with their work while giving 50% of that price to a gallery. From here, I carefully looked at my work with a mindset of, “If this, then that.” Now, most quilts that I make fit seamlessly into that system of pricing like with like. My small works start at $250, medium pieces are $3,000, and the high end lands at $6k, $8K, or $10k. It is essential to me that these prices make sense next to each other at heidiparkes.com/shop. Time and materials costs are relatively insignificant and it’s nice to not have to track them.

Does pricing depend on the type of quilt or hours you put into the piece? 

Pricing depends on the type of quilt. Dense handwork inherently takes more time, so that type of quilt costs more, but I don’t time myself. Scale matters a lot, and the series that the quilt is in.

Where do you sell your quilts? 

I sell my quilts at heidiparkes.com/shop, and in art galleries. Sometimes, folks who’ve seen my work in a museum email me about specific works that aren’t listed in my online shop. They might not be in my online shop if they’ve been submitted to a show or are scheduled for an exhibition. In all settings, the price is always the same.

How did you feel when you sold your first piece?

I was over the moon when I sold my first quilt in 2014! I’d sold lots of other art previously, mostly ceramics and paintings, but they took so much less time that the price was lower. Selling a quilt for four figures was a noticeable shift for me, and very exciting.

Any additional thoughts about selling your quilts?

I love the feeling when art finds its home- it’s like a kid going off to college. I love my quilts and enjoy having them near me, but when they’re living their best life, it means that they’re out there in the world. Taking great pictures before selling them is essential!

Wen Redmond
Read our interview with Wen

Do you have a ‘formula’ for pricing your fiber art / art quilts / quilts for sale? If so, please share!

I have several categories of artwork. Large pieces of various sizes, 12×12’s, 8×8, 8×10 and 6×6’s. Each category has a set price for consistency across all forms of selling. Having several price points seem to work well.

The larger works are priced based on work and time plus my personal feelings. I do not record my hours as that does not encompass the time I take for inspiration and formulation.

Where do you sell your quilts?

I enter lots of exhibits for exposure and possible sales. I juried into Artful Home online Art Gallery and a statewide crafts guild, League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, for sales opportunities. They have several galleries in NH as well as an annual craft show in the summer.

For many years I had a crafts booth and traveled several states to participate in craft shows such as Paradise City.

I occasionally submit to a variety of galleries for opportunities to sell with them.

I created an Etsy shop. And all links are shared on my website viva the shopping link- http://www.wenredmond.com/

I’ve joined several artist registries. I have written 2 books and several magazine articles that may inspire sales. Recently I was featured on the online TV show, The Quilt Show with Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson.

I suppose I’m saying, getting your name out ‘there’ may count for helping sales.

How did you feel when you sold your first piece?

Almost any sale thrills me still. I love the process of making and, for me, that’s what keeps me interested and passionate.

My first piece was purchased by Temple Israel back in the early 90’s. It was a proud moment for validating myself as an artist. But ultimately you must decide to call yourself an artist, no matter the medium!

Mirjam Pet-Jacobs
Read our interview with Mirjam

Do you have a ‘formula’ for pricing your fiber art / art quilts / quilts for sale? If so, please share!

I use formulas.

Large works, from a minimal of 80 cm on each side will be priced as HxWx(a price in EUR /m2) in Europe. This includes possible commissions. Oversees there will be more costs involved, so the total will be higher.

Smaller works will be priced as (H+W) x f (a factor based on my education, experience, and former sales). Small drawings will be less expensive.

All these without packing and shipping costs, customs etc.

3D work needs a different approach. There are more aspects to consider.

Does pricing depend on the type of quilt or hours you put into the piece? 

No, hours are uncountable. Education and experience play a role too. 

Where do you sell your quilts? 

At exhibitions, through my website and at studio visits.

How did you feel when you sold your first piece?

I was super thrilled, it was very early in my art quilt career, during my very first solo. A Canadian lady who was over in The Netherlands bought it as soon as she saw it. As it was, this work had been refused for a French competition a few months earlier. It shows how objective decisions can be. This thrill has never ceased. A sale is not a matter of fact.

Any additional thoughts about selling your quilts?

In Europe, it’s difficult to sell quilts. The general public is ignorant of their existence, or they consider it hobby handwork made by elderly women. 

Nevertheless, textiles as a whole are getting really hot in the European fine art world. There are plenty of professionally trained and acknowledged artists who started making appliquéd and pieced wall hangings, but they never ever use the words ‘quilt’ or ‘patchwork’ to describe them. These artists are able to show their work in good museums and high level art fairs.

For the rest, there are certainly interested buyers who recognise the beauty, craftsmanship, and strong messages art quilts can convey, and are willing to pay decent sums to acquire them.

Ana Buzzalino
Read our interview with Ana

Do you have a ‘formula’ for pricing your fiber art / art quilts / quilts for sale? If so, please share! Does pricing depend on the type of quilt or hours you put into the piece? 

I typically price my work by the square inch, but I sometimes adjust the price based on the type of work and the number of hours I’ve spent on it. Simpler pieces are priced lower than similarly sized ones that require more effort. I also maintain a detailed chart to track the hours spent on design, materials, and other aspects for more complex pieces.

Where do you sell your quilts? 

I currently have pieces for sale on my website, www.anabuzzalino.com, and have occasionally sold through galleries as well.

How did you feel when you sold your first piece?

I was elated! It’s always gratifying when someone appreciates your work enough to add it to their collection. It’s a wonderful validation that what you’re creating truly resonates with your audience.

Any additional thoughts about selling your quilts?

When pricing your work, start with a price that feels fair to you—one that reflects the time, skill, and materials invested. Avoid undervaluing your work; what you create has unique value. As you gain recognition and sell more pieces, your prices can and should increase. Over time, consistent sales and growing demand will naturally justify higher pricing.

Margaret Abramshe
Read our interview with Margaret

Do you have a ‘formula’ for pricing your fiber art / art quilts / quilts for sale? If so, please share! 

My formula generally is a dollar a square inch in a traditional gallery with a commission structure of 40% – 50%

If I am selling directly to a buyer, I will discount the price 25% since there is no commission.

When I am selling through a co-op or online broker with lower commission rates I discount 10% to 20%

Setting a price involves strategy. I look at what price point sells most often at that venue and make work that fits that price point. For example, when I sell at the co-op gallery, I know that most pieces sell at a price point below $200.  A rule of thumb is to price your work as reasonably as you think you can until you are selling consistently, then you can think about raising your prices.

Does pricing depend on the type of quilt or hours you put into the piece? 

No, I do not price based on hours or process. It is simply too hard for me to measure. It is also very difficult to explain this pricing structure to a potential collector. 

Where do you sell your quilts? 

Fine Art Gallery: Most Galleries have a contract that limits sales to a geographic area. The high commission is offset by the location’s foot traffic.

Co-Op: The Co-Op is outside of the geographic area limited by the fine art gallery. The commission rate is dependent on the number of volunteer hours. It also offers opportunities to promote sales through lectures and workshops.

Online Broker: I use a local online broker who promotes sales through Instagram. He handles transactions and maintains a website where I have a gallery. Because I was in his beta group, commissions are just 12%

Juried Exhibitions: I have sold at museums, galleries, and with art quilt shows. All of these are juried. Juried exhibitions within my State where my work is included as fine art has been the most productive. Commissions from these sales are 20% – 30% and support the institution sponsoring the show.  

How did you feel when you sold your first piece? 

The transaction is not my reward. I am rewarded when I connect with a buyer. One recent sale was made to someone who read my blog post on Substack about my piece “Walk on By”. It reminded her of her mother, who was a secretary. It was a direct sale from my website. We negotiated a reasonable price via email. It turns out we had more than a connection of just mothers who were secretaries. That for me, is the real payoff. 

Sarah Ann Smith
Read our interview with Sarah

Do you have a ‘formula’ for pricing your fiber art / art quilts / quilts for sale? If so, please share!

Yes… I start at $1 to $1.25 per square inch to reach wholesale price (half of full retail).  Since your price is your price is your price and your website price should not undercut the price the piece would be in a gallery or exhibit, I need to be comfortable with what I would get if the venue takes a 50 percent commission.  If I sell off the website, I often include shipping in the price since I would not be paying a commission.  I’ll look at the amount and see if it is appropriate.  

There are a number of factors I consider:

• Total amount of time
• Time to do the finishing — A greater percentage of the overall construction time on small pieces are on the slow finishing details (bindings/facings, hanging sleeve or mounting/framing/hanging, label, and so on).  
• How many processes are in the quilt?  Did I dye some, most or all of the fabric?  Is it painted?  Does it have hand calligraphy and lettering?  What about screen printing either fabrics (with paint or dye) before cutting up or on a whole cloth quilt?
• How much quilting is there?  Most of my quilts are free-motion quilted 1/8” across much of the surface using anywhere from 15-40 thread colors, meaning lots of time changing threads and burying thread tails. 
• What about hand stitching?  I don’t do much of that, but some folks do, and I’m starting to want to work more texturally by hand.
• Has the finished artwork been published or won prizes in shows or exhibits? 

Where do you sell your quilts? 

I’ve had great luck selling quilts at International Quilt Festival Houston and through SAQA exhibits, with a few smaller pieces selling from my website. There are, alas, no local galleries that accept fiber.

How did you feel when you sold your first piece?

ELATED—someone who didn’t know me spent $600 for a piece in a gallery! And I’m even more honored when someone buys multiples of my work (I actually have a collector…squee and thank you!) or a very expensive piece.  

Any additional thoughts about selling your quilts?

I make more than my sons will ever want or be able to keep.  There are some that I think of as “family” quilts, portraits of people, pets, or places that are important. Those will never be for sale—if they turn into dog beds after I’m gone (unlikely but still) it won’t matter—they’ll have been here as images of the best in my life.

This past summer, I was beyond thrilled when I mentioned to my son at my solo exhibit that if he wanted anything to speak up, and I’d remove them from the for sale list—and he wanted TWO and they now hang in his home!!!!!  I do miss a few of my sold quilts, but my walls are full, and I can, thankfully, make more.  I’m honored that people have parted with their well-earned money to appreciate my art quilts.  

Cecilia Koppmann
Read our interview with Cecilia

Do you have a ‘formula’ for pricing your fiber art / art quilts / quilts for sale? If so, please share!

My pricing approach starts with an intuitive assessment – I first consider what price would make me feel content to part with each piece. After doing this with several works, I calculate a price per square foot/meter. I often find similar results across pieces, which gives me a reliable baseline for pricing other works according to their size.

Does pricing depend on the type of quilt or hours you put into the piece? 

While many factors can influence pricing, I find that most of my pieces don’t vary drastically in terms of technical complexity in their construction.

Where do you sell your quilts? 

I sell my quilts through various channels: Quilt Festivals, Solo Shows, and to private clients.

How did you feel when you sold your first piece?

I clearly remember selling my first piece – it was actually a bit disappointing! In my eagerness to make the sale, I set the price relatively low. When I told the buyer the price, she immediately agreed and later mentioned she had expected it to cost ten times more!

Any additional thoughts about selling your quilts?

When it comes to selling quilts, I believe it’s crucial to find a price point that feels fair to everyone involved. The amount should not only adequately compensate the artist but also represent good value to the buyer – you want them to feel they’re making a worthwhile investment, not being overcharged.

Julie Sevilla Drake
Read our interview with Julie

Do you have a ‘formula’ for pricing your fiber art / art quilts / quilts for sale? If so, please share!

I don’t have a formula for pricing my quilts, but I do try to keep them in line with what a similar sized painting would sell for in my area.

Does pricing depend on the type of quilt or hours you put into the piece? 

I’ve shown in several art galleries, and they seem to prefer artworks to be priced consistently by size. That’s pretty tough to do, because a 36″ x 36″ quilt might have many, many more hours of piecing and quilting in it than a quilt of the same size. But, I guess, like when considering a painting, the buyer doesn’t think “Oh, that piece has so much more work in it or paint on it.” I think as more art galleries become accustomed to selling quilts, and especially explaining them to potential buyers, there will be more fluidity in pricing.

Where do you sell your quilts? 

I have sold my quilts at open studio tours, and through galleries, and group art shows, and juried fine craft shows. I have also sold them to people who’ve seen them somewhere, contacted me through my website, then visited my studio in person.

How did you feel when you sold your first piece?

I felt a big “wow” when I sold my first quilt. It was about 12″x18″ and made from commercial fabrics. Now I work much larger than that, and in cotton I’ve dyed myself. But wow, and cool!

Any additional thoughts about selling your quilts?

I’m always a little disappointed if the gallery doesn’t tell me who bought the quilt. Some people like a little mystery, but I’d prefer to know if it went to, say, an ornithologist in Illinois, or a sportswear designer at Nike.