Why I Don’t Think You Should Sell Quilted Items

Quilted items, such as quilted tote bags, quilted boxy bags, quilted book sleeves, etc., are currently popular.

So this may be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think most handmade businesses should sell quilted products.

(My opinion on patchwork design is the same, which is often used in quilting and applied to other types of products, such as bags.)

>> Can selling quilted items work for a business? Yes.

>> Is it harder to build a profitable business? Yes.

Let me explain why, and how to make it work for your business if you want to sell quilted items.

 

Why I don’t recommend selling quilted goods

Time consuming

The quilted designs that are popular (e.g. vertical lines or crosshatch) require a lot of time to complete.

I’m not an experienced quilter, and I don’t have an industrial sewing machine that goes super fast, but for me to sew quilting lines on this bag that are 1” apart, and the pattern piece is approximately 20” x 12”, it took me about 15 minutes.

(It was after making a few of these quilted bags that I decided they’re not a great option for most businesses. However, it can work for some, as mentioned below, which is why I still offer the pattern.)

If I want to pay myself $20/hour, that’s an extra $5 in labour I must add to my price, before markup.

Not sure what markup is and why you need it, check out this article: Starting a Sewing Business; Pricing for Profit

But a simplified explanation is…markup helps cover the costs and wages outside of production that help you market and sell the product (e.g. time spent adding a listing to Etsy or selling at a craft show, cost to list on Etsy or sell at a craft show, time and money spent driving to the post office to ship an item, etc.)

So a very simplified formula (which I don’t recommend) is to multiply your production costs (time & materials to make an item) by 2 to get your wholesale price, then multiply that wholesale price by 2 to get your retail price.

So that $5 in labour becomes $20 (when using that formula, which isn’t very precise, I recommend this strategy instead).

That’s $20 just for the time to add quilting stitches. I must then account for the time it takes to construct the bag.

Extra materials

Depending on how lofty and fluffy you want the finished product to be, you’ll be adding at least one layer of batting, but maybe more. That extra material adds extra cost…which increases your prices.

Again, that might be another $2 to add to my price (before markup, so to simplify things, that’s an extra $8 added to the price).

Before we even account for the materials customers see (outer fabric, lining, zipper, etc.), and the time it takes to construct the bag, our (rough) price, for just the quilting, is $28.

Consumer perception

When you’re selling an item with batting, that’s used for protection, such as oven mitts, potholders, laptop cases, etc., consumers tend to understand that the higher price is related to that protection. They see the value in it.

There isn’t a fabric oven mitt option without batting for them to compare to.

However, when quilting is added for aesthetic reasons, many consumers have a harder time connecting the higher price to the extra labour required.

So when they look at a cosmetic bag that’s not quilted and they compare it to a quilted one, and the quilted bag is double the price, they’re probably going to wonder why the quilted bag is so expensive.

It’s likely you’re selling to people who don’t sew. And if someone has never sewn, they likely don’t understand how much time it takes to stitch dozens of lines on material, before you even begin constructing the bag.

Pricing Disparity

Unfortunately, big companies can jump on handmade trend bandwagons quickly. Which means non-handmade sellers can buy quilted bags on Temu or Alibaba for just a couple of dollars and resell them on Etsy.

Side note…why is Etsy allowing these sellers? They should, at the very least, be separating handmade from mass-produced. Anyway…

Although bigger companies that aren’t your “handmade” competition (e.g. Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel selling quilted blankets, etc.), consumers will still compare buying a quilted product from a handmade seller to one from a big box store.

These companies have computerized systems that automate the quilting process…rather than paying a person to sew each line. So they can get their costs MUCH lower.

This big price difference (e.g. $5 at a big box store vs. $45 on Etsy) causes confusing price disparity.

Many consumers won’t understand why a handmade quilted item costs so much more, which can make it harder to sell your goods.

Joy

This won’t apply to everyone…some people love the slow design of quilting. But when you’re sewing for money and you have deadlines to meet (e.g. fulfilling Etsy orders or getting ready for a craft show), being slowed down by quilting stitches can become a pain.

It’s something to keep in mind when you’re sewing to sell.

For a successful business, you typically need to sell the same pieces over and over (for profitability and reliability). And if you don’t enjoy what you do, it’s harder to sustain your business.

Difficulty

Quilting is a skill. It takes practice and extra tools to master and make your quilted lines precise.

Not to mention, you need a decent sewing machine to stitch through all the layers.

On seams and places where pattern pieces intersect (e.g. where straps connect to a bag), you might have 4+ layers of fabric and 2+ layers of batting.

My old, starter sewing machine struggled to get through that much material.

 

When it can work

Strong branding

As mentioned, quilting adds additional cost (materials and labour), so your prices need to incorporate those costs to have a sustainable business.

If you build a strong brand (and target the right market), then consumers will be willing to pay the higher prices that come with quilted items.

Industrial sewing machine

The faster you can sew, the less time it will take for you to quilt your material. An industrial, or computerized sewing machine can speed up the quilting process.

Advanced sewing skills

If you’re an advanced sewist, quilting may come easily to you, which can speed up the process and lower your costs.

Wholesale pricing

The cost of extra materials (batting and thread) will raise your prices (and potentially lower your profits). So if you want to sell quilted items, be sure to find suppliers who sell materials at wholesale prices, so you can lower your material costs.

Minimal quilting

The more quilting stitches, the more time (and materials in the form of thread) it will take. If you space out your quilting stitches (e.g. sew lines that are 3” apart instead of 1”), it will speed up the process and (minimally) lower your material costs.

 

Other options

I like batting and quilting stitches for the structure they add. For example, a boxy bag needs structure to look like a boxy bag.

In which case, there are other options:

• Add a fusible fleece or interfacing – this will add structure to any material and it’s a matter of using an iron to fuse the materials together, which is much quicker than quilting stitches.
• Use a heavier material – you can work with canvas, denim, vinyl, etc., which will add more structure.
• Buy pre-quilted fabric – this may or may not be a cheaper option (depending on how fast you can add quilting stitches). But it’s fabric that already has batting and quilting stitches to hold the batting and fabric together. So the material will be higher priced than a basic cotton fabric, but you’re saving time by skipping the quilting process. The other nice thing is that most pre-quilted fabric is double-sided/has a backing, so you may not need to add a lining to your bags. You can simply finish seams using a french seam or binding/bias tape.

This article isn’t to suggest that profiting from quilted items can’t be done. But many small business owners don’t take the time to properly calculate their costs or put a value on their time.

Running a handmade business requires a lot of work. And underpaying yourself is the quickest way to burn out and start resenting your business.

If you have a business selling quilted products and it’s profitable…that’s amazing!

If it’s not profitable, consider the tips in this article.

Happy sewing!