As more and more people learn that I sew and quilt and have a longarm, I am receiving more and more requests that I make something for them. I sweetly (well, as sweetly as I am capable of anyway) explain to them that I am retired, and sewing or quilting for hire would be work. Their response is that I must enjoy sewing and quilting or I wouldn’t be doing it, so I should want to make something for them. I sweetly (see above) respond that sewing and quilting for hire takes all the fun out of it because I am now responsible to someone else and would feel a lot of pressure to a good job. But they still don’t get it. How would you tell them “No” so that they would understand? Your comments are encouraged and welcome.
Hope you are having a wonderful day,
Lana
Lana's Lark 
Melanie McNeil
I tell them that they could not afford a quilt made by me. Here are a few posts I wrote about the value of a quilt.
It is your time, energy, resources, money. Unless they are willing to pay YOUR value (which undoubtedly is higher than theirs) you shouldn’t even consider giving in. You don’t need to be sweet. If you want to be sweet, you can say something like, “A quilt the size you’re talking about would be a minimum of $1800, depending on what I did. But the truth is, I’m flattered you are interested in owning my quilts, but I don’t sell them. Thanks so much.”
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Melanie McNeil
You could even add, “When I do give quilts away, it is rarely to those who ask for them.” That should shut them up!
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Lana's Lark
If I have to get rough with them, I may use this one.
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Lana's Lark
Melanie, I love the way you put it at the end of your comment. I may memorize that statement word for word.
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Susie Rose
Do you ever see those trucks on the road that says “Not for hire”? Well neither am I. If they still don’t get it. I can rude and say do you speak and understand english?
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Lana's Lark
Susie Rose, you are so funny. I always get a giggle out of what you have to say.
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amq97
Gosh, sweet really isn’t working. I once wrote up an estimate for a distant relative that thought I should make her a quilt. I came up with a ridiculous amount for labor per hour, plus materials, plus the coat of the three retreats I’d be “working” on her project, the mileage to and from said retreats, along with the mileage to the quilt stores to find her fabric, the class I’d need to take, rotary cutter blade, thread, batting, longarm quilting, binding, label and sleeve. She said “oh.” and that was the end of that. Just keep saying you are retired and enjoying your hobby and not interested in quilting for hire. Besides, they cannot afford you!!!
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Lana's Lark
Now why didn’t I think about working up an estimate. After all, as a retired math teacher, that would be right up my alley. LOL
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Jen @ Dolls Between Us
How about “I’m retired and all of my project time is for the Grandbaby!”
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Lana's Lark
Or in my case, for the grandkids and the great grandbaby!
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sara
well lana, i am one of those people who really doesn’t have trouble saying no–as long as it isn’t the grands that are asking. tell them you really can’t afford to make it—-then tell them what fabric costs, about how much they would need to spend on supplies for whatever project they want, then very sweetly say, ” and i know you would want to pay me for my time and i have 30+ years experience so i think 30.00 an hour would be fair but i am retired so i could do it for 15.00 an hour. and to give you an idea, it takes about 2 hours to cut the fabric, 4 hours to sew it, at least 3-4 hours of ironing along the way. another 2-3 hours to baste it, 10 hours to quilt it–so somewhere around 20-30 hours of time——that should help them realize just what they are asking. i simply laugh politely and explain that i am slow and i have so many projects on my list that i couldn’t get to theirs for at lest 8 months maybe. or you could just say that you sew what you want, when you want—offer to teach them or give them the name of a sewing instructor.
sarra
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Lana's Lark
I knew the last person who asked had her own sewing machine, so I offered to teach her. She declined saying that she didn’t like to sew. So then I explained how much the fabric would cost and the cost of the other materials plus the hours of time I would have to put in. She was disappointed but seemed to understand that it was much more involved than she anticipated and would cost more than she could afford. I was glad she understood because she is my neighbor. It’s good to get along with your neighbors.
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