SIZE is the first consideration, and by this I mean the finished size of the overall quilt. Bigger isn't always better and so many things depend on this decision, that it's the best place to start. First, where do you expect it to be used? It might seem obvious about the size if it's going to be used on a bed, but if so, how far do you want it to hang down? If it's not for a bed, is it something to snuggle under while sitting up? Or would you want it to pretty much cover you if you decide to stop knitting and lay down on the couch while that old Sherlock Holmes movie is on? Is it going to get a lot of use? If it's too big, it will be hard to get through a standard home washer and dryer. (If the fabric is going to have photos printed on it, you might not want it to get washed too often anyway?) The finished size can also limit the quilting - I can't imagine trying to do a really cool quilt pattern on a king-sized quilt, for example, since I use a regular sewing machine to piece and to quilt. "Real" quilters have a long-arm machine in order to do that kind of quilting! (And a spare room to use it in, I think!!)
THE TOP is next. Is it going to be pieced? How big and what shapes? What kind of fabrics? These questions fit in with everything else, of course. You would want smaller piecing on a smaller quilt, and could get away with bigger pieces on a larger quilt. The fabric can be a mixture of types, but then the wearability gets complicated and the shape of the pieces becomes critical. Stretchy fabrics like fleece mixed with cotton muslin can make some cool effects, but the pieces can't be too complex or it will take forever to make and will stretch here and there in all the wrong places.
BACKING can make or break a snuggling quilt, or can be a help or hindrance when making a bed. Flannel backing is good for snuggling, but can be too much like Velcro if you're making a king-sized bed with flannel sheets, too. On the other hand, a satin backing will feel great, right up 'til it slips off onto the floor! I've been planning a memory quilt about my father, where the top will be "regular" and it will be the backing fabric that holds the memories, as they will be from his old flannel shirts. Similarly, I plan to make a bed-quilt for my son that is "normal" on top with favorite old t-shirts cut up for the backing for his dorm room (and a long-arm quilting machine in his old room at home, heh heh heh!)
BATTING comes in different "lofts" and different fibers. Polyester is best, IMHO, because of use and wearability. Cotton is nifty to give a really old-fashioned feel, but the quilt pattern has to be really small, since the cotton batting comes apart inside the little pockets formed by the quilting after repeated washings. The "loft" is how low or high the batting seems - how far apart the front and back seem - how puffy it is. I don't care much personally for the high-loft look, but for certain types of quilting, it helps make the pattern show more. Can you see the fish quilted into the rectangle in the photo below? A higher loft batt will help that show better.
QUILTING is the process of sewing the sandwich together, and also refers to the pattern of the sewing or tying, etc. The fastest is tying, usually at the corners of squares or whatnot, using yarn or thread, either contrasting or accenting the fabrics of the top. Similarly, it can be tacked down using little figures or embroidered things at strategically placed intervals - I've seen some with buttons, although I think that sure cuts down on the snuggle factor!!! This one is made from t-shirts and other shirts, with some really nifty quilting -the detail photo is above and the overall photo below (it's a little beyond my capabilities on the quilting part). You should be able to click the photo and see it bigger and closer up. It doesn't seem too nifty from far away, but it is extremely personal up close when you're wrapped in it.
All other factors being equal, the simplest is made of squares/rectangles about 8" in size, tied at 4-5" intervals, with a heavier cotton as the top fabric (for printing on) and a nice flannel for the back. If the quilt is less than 42" wide, you can use one piece of fabric for the backing (no seams). I've used regular Red Heart yarn for tying-it gets nice and ball-y after washing a few times and doesn't flop around or fall apart. I like to use a bright color that accents some of the top fabrics. Let's say you want a finished quilt about 36x60-if you figure on using 7-8" squares that'd be 5 squares wide by 8 squares tall or 40 squares total. Do you have 40 images? 20 images and some other matching prints for every-other square? Would your images look right on squares or better if they are rectangles, more like photos - - Let's say finished rectangles 6" x 8" with the photos scattered some portrait and some landscape... You can see that the possiblities are ENDLESS!!!
As for pricing, first let me say that whatever we might agree on will be paid directly to Wycliffe Bible Translators. I promised that for any of my quilt earnings. I'll happily make whatever you like, but I hope to avoid too much checking in after I get going by asking a ton of questions up front until I feel comfortable that I have a clear idea of what you hope to present your loved one with. I have seen a ton of beautiful quilts and while I know I can provide a well-made simple quilt, I'm not up to this standard! (see below) This one is all about the quilting, since the top is just one piece of cloth.
