Saturday 6 May 2006

Quilt Labels

I'm intrigued by this subject and sorry to sound a complete numskull on this. Do you all make your own up, or use software? Living, as we do, in the back of beyond in rural France (yes, some parts of the Dordogne are still very rural), it is difficult to get quilting software. I discovered that Hewlett Packard do a quilt labels package. However, I spend more time than I should on the computer so perhaps I should try making my own up. I have seen Serena's labels on her Stained Glass quilt, which, by the way Serena is beautiful. I would really be interested in some pointers on this subject.

5 comments:

Tonya Ricucci said...

I'm kind of a terrible one to ask, since I just use a permanent marker on the back of the quilt - no label at all...

Clare said...

Shocked :D

Serena Smith said...

Thanks for your comments on my stained glass! It was fun to do!!

As for labels, it depends on the project I've completed as to what kind of a label I attach.

I always include the following info:
quilt name
my name
date completed
If it is for someone or for a special occasion, I may include a greeting to that person or note for that event.

If it's just a wall hanging and I am in a hurry, I usually just write the needed info with a fabric pen.

Most of the time I machine embroider a label on the back. This is my favorite method! Sometimes I incorporate a matching design or decorative stitches in the label.

There are two ways I can attach a machine embroidered label:

If I get in a hurry and completely finish my quilting and binding, I will stitch the label on a seperate, matching piece of fabric, turn under the raw edges and hand tack it one corner in the quilt back.

If I'm thinking and planning ahead, I will finish as much quilting as I need to, leaving space around one corner. I then mark the finished corner on the backing with a water soluble pen.

Now I can actually machine embroider my label directly onto the backing fabric in the corner. After stitching is complete, I restack the layers together and finish quilting.

The previous method works if the quilting is further apart, like stitching in the ditch. You have to be careful to NOT stitch through the label when quilting.

One thing to keep in mind is that quilts are being stolen now more than ever! If you attach a seperate label, it can easily be ripped off and assume another identity.

I posted a note on my blog on labels a couple of weeks ago and you can see it here:
Quilting Labels

I'm in the process of finishing a small lap quilt that is for a class on Monday. I'll post the procedure that I use and photos on my blog to give you ideas! It won't be today, but this week...after all it HAS to be completed because I need it Monday! Deadlines are a necessity sometime! :)

Serena Smith said...

Sorry for the long comment; I didn't realize how much I had written before I posted! :)

Serena Smith said...

I just tried the Quilting Label link I posted and it is a broken link that won't lead you anywhere. I guess I can't post HTML code in comments. I'll post a link on my blog.