Master Pieces
The art of the Texas quilt.
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If you’ve inherited a quilt top or individual blocks and want someone to make them into a quilt, it’s easy to locate a quilter who can do this for you. Contact a quilt shop or guild in your area. They can usually put you in touch with local artisans who will transform those pieces into a custom-made, newly-minted, ready-to-show-off quilt.
Having a quilt made for you.
Eddy Branch, a professional quilter in Arlington, says you should expect to pay around $250 for quilts of average complexity. Turnaround time varies with the quilter’s work load and with the design’s intricacy, but two to six months is typical.
If you want a quilt made from scratch, you’ll need a professional whose expertise matches the type of design you want. Traditional and innovative quiltmakers can usually be found through local quilt guilds, quilt shops and church-based quilting groups. Art quilters can be located through the Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), a national non-profit organization whose members specialize in nontraditional designs and techniques.
Before you place an order, you should ask to see the quiltmaker’s portfolio. Photographs or digital images are helpful, but ideally you should see his or her actual work. Be prepared to discuss your preferences of color and patterns, types of fabric, thickness and how you will use or display the quilt. Next, the artist will usually submit sketches for your approval.
Most quilters will accommodate your request for a specific theme (say, places you’ve lived) or certain visual images (cultural icons, for example). “A lot of artists are very flexible in what they’re willing to do,” says Kennedy, who has made quilts on commissions for about 12 years. “I think you just have to be comfortable with the style they work in.”
Art quilters may charge anywhere from $150 per square foot to $400 per square foot for their work, not including materials. This fee varies with the amount of work involved. Often, partial payment is required up front, followed by two or three additional payments along the way. Kennedy says she requires about eight months to complete a project.
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