How to Price a Custom Quilt (Baby, Lap, and King Sizes)
A custom quilt is priced very differently from a pattern you sell over and over. For a one-off commission you charge for the materials plus every hour it takes — and the hours climb fast as the quilt gets bigger. Here is a size-by-size way to quote a baby, lap, twin, or king quilt so you are paid fairly instead of gifting your labor.
Custom commission vs. selling a pattern
These are two different businesses. Selling the same PDF pattern many times spreads your design time across every sale. A custom quilt is made once, for one buyer, so every hour and every yard of fabric is charged to that single piece. Underpricing a commission is the fastest way to resent a hobby you love.
Price by size
Materials and hours both scale with size. As a starting framework:
- Baby / crib (~36x52 in) — least fabric and batting, fewest hours. Often the entry price point for commissions.
- Lap / throw (~50x65 in) — more piecing and quilting time; a common, sellable size.
- Twin (~70x90 in) — a meaningful jump in fabric and hours.
- Queen / king (~90x108 in and up) — the most fabric, batting, and quilting time by far; price accordingly and do not anchor it to the baby-quilt number.
For each size, add your fabric yardage (top, backing, binding), batting, and thread, then add your hours at a real hourly rate. The materials might double from baby to king, but the hours often more than double — which is why big quilts should never be priced as a small quilt plus a little.
Quilt Maker Break-Even Calculator
Enter fabric, batting, thread, and your hours to see your true profit per quilt — and per pattern — and how many you need to sell.
Open the free calculator →Quoting a commission cleanly
Charge for your time explicitly, take a deposit before you buy fabric, and put revision limits in writing. A common maker approach is materials plus an hourly rate, then a modest markup — not a round number pulled from the air. If your worked-out quote feels high, that is usually the market telling you handmade quilts are labor-intensive, not that you are wrong.
The Quilt Maker Break-Even & Profit Calculator (Excel + Google Sheets) works out your profit per quilt and per pattern, and the month your shop turns a profit — with a worked example. Get the toolkit →
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge for a custom baby quilt?
Enough to cover your fabric, batting, thread, and every hour of piecing and quilting, plus a markup. Baby quilts use the least material and time, so they are usually your lowest commission price — but they still should not be priced below your real materials-plus-labor cost.
How do I price a king-size quilt?
Cost it from scratch — a king uses far more fabric, batting, and quilting time than a throw. Never price it as a small quilt plus a little; the hours often more than double, so the price should reflect the full materials and labor for that size.
Should I take a deposit for a commissioned quilt?
Yes. A deposit before you buy fabric protects you if the buyer backs out, and it signals a serious commission. Pair it with written revision limits so a custom project does not turn into unpaid rework.
This guide is general information to help you price your work — not financial advice. Your fair price depends on your fabrics, your speed, and your market.