What to expect when you ask for a Custom Order at Momma Bears Quilts…

My personal background:

Hello! My name is Kim, I live on a small farm in rural Southern Ontario with my husband. We owned our own electrical business from 1994 to 2022 after which we transitioned to growing fruit tree nursery stock. We have four grown children and recently added grandies to the mix. Life is wonderfully busy!

Business background:

I have been a seamstress all my life, as well as a stay-at-home Mom.  After the children grew up I purchased a longarm quilting machine and turned my attention to quilts.  Eventually my daughters introduced me to Etsy and encouraged me to open a shop, which I did in 2015. I have since created my own website.

When it comes to Momma Bears Quilts, I am a one-person operation. I work from my home and do all the fabric shopping, sewing, quilting, marketing, bookwork… and agonizing over what looks best.😊 

I am not a fabric store and have a limited ability to purchase fabrics wholesale. Due to the extent of my fabric collection, which I have accumulated by strategically purchasing over the years, I can create from my fabrics on hand. If you have specific fabric requirements I may have to purchase specially for your project, and this will likely affect the price because I would be paying the same retail price that you would when you go to the fabric store. Be assured, I will always be up front about this in the planning stages!

Understanding a Custom Order and how it begins:

It is important to understand what a custom order means from a general perspective: 

• A custom order is a special request for a one-of-a-kind quilt made to your specific vision. 
• It encompasses its own set of risks and challenges, over and above regular quilt making.

Communication during a custom order:

One of the biggest challenges is successful communication, which can involve a significant time commitment for both parties. Trust is crucial to the process! I welcome and depend on your freedom to clearly share your wishes and preferences. In return, I will always share any details, concerns and suggestions in the effort to make sure you end up with an extraordinary quilt that will bring joy and warmth for many years. 

An additional challenge is doing business virtually. This involves aspects like relying on digital communication & interpreting what each other means through the written word, sending photos & portraying colours accurately, etc. Photos can be especially difficult due to allowing for differences in lighting, in computer monitors, etc. I find that this component of a custom order requires lots of time and care... from looking at photos, to listening, reading and responding carefully, to asking questions, presenting choices, and even saying ‘no’ tactfully. It ties right into successful communication as mentioned above. 

As a maker, I appreciate that you are considering spending some of your hard-earned dollars on a handmade luxury. I understand that most of us do not have unlimited financial resources! Your satisfaction is very important to me. 

I believe wholeheartedly in the old adage, “If you’re happy, tell others… if not, tell me!”

The Anatomy of a Quilt:

A quilt is a wonderfully versatile, unique and personalized way to express your style at home. There are a myriad of choices required to achieve a completed quilt, from pattern complexity to fabric selection to quilting style and finally binding preference. These are all part of what makes them uniquely personal. 

A quilt is made up of three layers:

• Quilt Top: fabrics are pieced and sewn together according to the pattern of choice
• batting (middle layer): adds warmth to the functionality of the quilt
• backing (third layer): provides functional coverage to the other side of the batting

This “quilt sandwich” is quilted/stitched through all three layers, creating beautiful patterns which secure the layers together. The quilt is then finished off with a binding that is attached around the outside edges to enclose the three layers so that no raw edges remain.  

Pricing:

Experts in the field of ‘Handmade’ recommend that custom orders be priced at least twice as much as normal mark up, plus a significant deposit should be required (see more info below). Personally, I find this very hard to do and have never put all of these recommendations fully into practice, so read on to learn what I offer.

The pricing of quilts varies greatly, with a lot depending on the complexity of the quilt top, where much of the labour takes place.

Things that will affect the cost are:

•  complexity of the pattern pieces
  •  the smaller the size of the pieces making up the pattern, the more work and time it takes to piece them together
•  the density of the quilting
  • a more complex stitching pattern also adds more time & materials 
•  the choice of backing fabric 
  
  • some fabrics, such as soft minky, are more costly

Generally, I would say a good ballpark starting place for an average quilt would be $0.15 to $0.20 per sq inch and increasing from there for more elaborate projects. This would include all labour, materials, and quilting. Shipping is extra. 

Here are some generally accepted quilt sizes for easy calculating:

• Baby: 30x40 inches (very approximate)
• Crib: 36x52 inches
• Throw: 50x65 inches (very approximate)
• Twin: 70x90 inches
• Double: 85x108 inches
• Queen: 90x108 inches (I like 96x108)
• King: 110x108 inches (note: due to my machine size, I cannot accommodate a king-size quilt. I would be able to piece the quilt top only, and it would have to be sent out to another longarm quilter for finishing)

How to get the process started:

• Fill out the Custom Order Request Form (below)
• We begin communication, usually via email, to understand your project and come to an agreement about quilt details, timeline, etc. This can be a rather involved process, depending on how much you wish to be in control of all the details. (e.g. choosing all the fabrics) 
• Up to this point there is no obligation to continue if for any reason you are unsure.
• Once details of the project are successfully agreed upon (e.g. Pattern, fabrics, price, timeline) the first instalment is due (see below). 

Payment Plan:

• I require a 50% down payment, due after thorough communication and agreement of quilt details, timeline, etc. 
• 50% of remaining balance is due once quilt top is completed and ready to be quilted. 
• Final payment due upon completion, after which time I will ship your completed quilt to you. 

This guideline is intended to help you feel comfortable with my commitment and desire to help you. If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to reach out. I am happy to clarify anything and work with you on all aspects of the process. Thanks for your interest! 

Sincerely, 
Kim (Momma Bear)