Our garden club has a community plant swap and sale. Suprisingly, they make good money with people buying plants. Here's how it works: you take your plants and get tickets for the "value" of your plants based on size, commonality and availability that day. You use your tickets as "cash" to buy other plants.. however, so many people bring extras that others come without trades and just buy the plants for $1.00 and up. We have people who do "incoming" and make decisions of the "value" of plants, then we have specialists who answer questions, then we have the people work the cash. I also hold my own driveway plant sales. These are very popular in my own community and don't cost me any overhead. If you have someone in your plant club that lives in an area where gardening is popular, or people tend to be buying and fixing up older homes, then you can do very well on driveway sales. They are so fun! Think also about offering "classes" outside of your garden club, to the public. Hands on classes which teach a variety of skills like pruning, how to make compost/leaf mold, how to mulch. Weed identification etc. This is also popular (I group many 'headings' together) with new gardeners around here. Charge by the hour and have a group. GGG

Hello, Jay, and welcome. I've been mulling over your question r.e. how to charge for your work. There are so many different factors. Have you considered offering a basic (or not so basic) menu of choices? For example, the first step in your menu "tree" might be based on the cutting and fabric charges. There could be different rates based on whether you're using the customer's fabrics or whether you are including them in the cost of the project. Another price point could be whether you're cutting from flat goods vs. from clothing (more time and hence, a surcharge). Then, make up a lot of different block patterns and time yourself as to how long each takes. (Joining our block lotto each month is a real eye opener as to working with different patterns. But, I'm prejudiced as the moderator!). Then you can price based on the complexity and number of blocks. So price it according to the pattern, rather than the hours (customers really like to know what the final price will be before they commit). The next price decision from the customer would be what type of batting they want. This you could determine with some practice blocks with different thicknesses and types of batting. You may find that you really have a problem achieving a fine finished product with lofty polyester (I do) vs. a flatter cotton batting, or even a flannel batting. And finally, for the quilting, you could charge by the square inch with the price varying according to the complexity and density of the quilt pattern chosen. By making all of these choices, the customer will see all the work that goes into your product, and will know up front what the cost will be. And you'll know that you won't have to slash a price at the end because you didn't anticipate the number of hours it would take for that project. Fairer to both parties and, I'd think, a better way to grow your business. Good luck with it! When I look at what's available locally by so called "quilters", I see huge patterns to cut down the seaming, with very widely spaced quilting. Definitely not my taste. But some of these quilters charge a lot for their product. You may need to do some shopping (or have a friend do some) to see what's available in your area and how the services/materials are priced. Kay

Thank you for welcoming me! Yes, first post, new to this sort of thing. BeeOhio, I wouldn't be surprised if the person in your guild pops up again in the future. Our guilds distribute quilts to several places, such as shelters for families, women and women with children. Also migrant families in the summer. There is one organization that has come in and told us not to put a lot of work into their quilts as they are sometimes torn or cut up by some troubled people working out problems. One was apparently set on fire (the quilt, not the person). so, for that organization, not listed above, we do very simple quilts. That may be what your member was referring to? Maybe she feels the quilts are lost or left behind in some cases and shouldn't be too intricate? As to my post, I am the person that runs the guild. I started it in 2004. I haven't talked to other members about this as I don't want to fuel the gossip mill. 2 members asked me why this person wasn't attending, and I just said she resigned. She sent an email 'no I didn't resign and I paid my dues'. If I refund her and tell her she is resigned, can she sue me? Everyone has gotten along until she came. 4 have quit stating her as the reason, and 3 more are not attending meetings if they see her car in the parking lot. She targets and picks on people she thinks are inferior and not worthy of her company. she just became a licensed teacher for a co. and announced that at the last meeting; she is looking to have classes to make money. It is not anything our group would be interested in, so she is wasting her time. She happens to be quite wealthy and is just looking for something to do in her retirement. We have had a local sewing celebrity join our guild and this member told me she is going to 'get close to her'. She is nuts. A new quilt shop owner joined a weight loss group, and my member joined also. Then she told me she had no intention of losing weight; she was just trying to get close to the new shop owner and would have something to talk to her about. As to my dealer, this gets really weird. I sent so many people to him to buy machines and takes classes, that he told me last year he had the best 2 years in the business he's ever had. He went thru a divorce recently and my problem member is looking to date him. She started hanging out with his store manager, drinking and going to retreats together. I think this member is just jealous of my relationship, which was wonderful with the store, and she is used to being in charge and wants to take over the guild. I told her if she continued to sell, I would lose the 2 locations for the guild and she said she would hold meetings at her office space and that she would take over doing the newsletter, and then she offered me several hundred dollars 'to help the guild'. I won't ever refer another person to that store, and I will never set foot in it again. They have lost a lot of business. I am however, telling everyone of their treatment towards me and I am recommending a different store. I think this woman intended to break my relationship with my original store and then take over my guild. She shows no signs of relenting. If I return the dues, she will target me even more and possibly sue. And I didn't start this; she did. I didn't turn her name in, the stores figured it out on their own. I tried to approach her and asked her to stop selling to members, and she flat out refused. I asked her why and she said 'because I don't have to'. Totally a diva. I see no signs of this stopping. I thought the stores should contact her and tell her she isn't welcome. That would take the heat off me. I didn't realize by changing meeting locations that our guild would be open to companies selling to us; the previous location wasn't. Now, local businesses are trying to get our $, and I think that my machine store felt threatened, and probably my problem member latched on to that and exaggerated it. I was told she had given the store some flyers we received at meetings and our newsletters. I can take my machine to another dealer. I'm also contacting the corporate offices. All they have achieved is the loss of referral business from the guild and I won't be organizing any road trips to their classes for our members. I just need to find a way to get this woman out of my guild/life without a lawsuit. I am totally flabbergasted. It is just a little guild, we get together to have fun and the reason I do it is to help women that need a place to go where they feel welcome and can learn something, can attend and not feel someone is criticizing them. I make zero money off this guild - I usually add much of my own to it. I meet them one on one to give lessons to get them started and I am so blessed to see them progress in their skills and their self esteem. I have taught to Girl Scout troops, public school classes, and guilds. I recently was nominated and accepted a position on a local guild that is considered...special in our area. My member found out I was elected and and told me it should have been her. Again, flabbergasted. Sadly, we had an opening and I could have nominated her if she behaved herself and didn't cause so many problems. I am so thankful I didn't. This is about the time all this started with her, so I really do think she is just a social climber and it is all based on jealousy. Humility is not a word anyone would ever associate with her. My husband does not want to hire a lawyer for me over this, but it may be heading that way.

Hi, Wendy. I'm sorry about your son but hope his new residence will be a happy place for him. A couple of these are in 9x13" pans but could be added to to make two smaller pans. They're pretty basic but taste good & aren't expensive. STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS (serves 4) 2 large green peppers 1/2 lb lean ground beef 1/4 cup uncooked instant rice 8 oz can tomato sauce, divided 2 TBL chopped onion 1 egg, beaten 1/2 tsp salt 1 TBL grated Parmesan 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Dash of pepper Cut peppers in 1/2 lengthwise & remove seeds. Combine meat, rice, 1/4 cup tomato sauce & remaining ingredients. Stuff peppers with mix & place in a greased baking dish. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over stuffed peppers & then sprinkle w/additional Parmesan. Cover & bake in a preheated 350 oven for 50-60 minutes.~~ You can mix mozzarella or cheddar into the meat mixture as well. From By Special Request BAKED CHICKEN REUBEN 8 small boneless chicken breasts 16 oz can sauerkraut 4 slices Swiss cheese 8 oz Thousand Island salad dressing 1 TBL chopped parsley Preheat oven to 375°. In a 9x13" baking dish arrange chicken breasts in 1 layer. Rinse sauerkraut & press out water. Cut cheese slices. Sprinkle sauerkraut on chicken breasts. Top w/dressing & cheese. Bake 40 minutes covered or until tender. Garnish w/parsley.~~ CHICKEN ENCHILADAS (serves 6) 1 onion, chopped 2 TBL oil 1 garlic clove, minced 2 cups tomato puree 2 green chiles, chopped 2 cups diced cooked chicken Salt 12 corn tortillas Oil 3 cups light cream (half-and-half) 6 chicken bouillon cubes 1/2 lb Monterey Jack or Swiss cheese, grated In a medium skillet, saute onion in the 2 TBL oil. Add garlic, tomato puree, chiles & chicken. Season w/salt (you won't need much due to the bouillon cubes). Simmer 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a small skillet, fry tortillas in 1" hot oil over medium heat but do not crisp. Warm cream just enough to dissolve bouillon cubes. Dip each tortilla in cream mixture, palce generous amount of chicken filling on center of each tortilla, roll & place in an 8x12" baking dish. Pour remaining cream mixture over tortillas. Top w/cheese. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350° oven for 30 minutes.~~ CHICKEN MARIA (serves 4) 4 chicken breasts, boned & skinned 3 eggs, beaten 1 cup dry bread crumbs 2-3 TBL butter 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms 2 TBL fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup white wine 2/3 cup chicken broth Six 1/4" thick slices Monterey Jack or Muenster cheese Soak chicken breasts in eggs at least 1 hour. Drain & roll chicken in bread crumbs. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown in melted butter & place in an 8x8" baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix mushrooms, lemon juice, wine & broth. Pour mixture over chicken. Top w/slices of cheese. Cover dish w/foil & bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes or until tender.~~Bound to Please PORCUPINE MEATBALLS 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1/2 cup raw rice 1 cup chopped onion 2/3 cup milk 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 can tomato soup 3/4 cup water Mix first 6 ingredients together. Drop by tablespoons in a 9 x 13 pan. Set aside. Combine soup and water. Pour sauce over the meatballs. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour.~~