Looking at Labels

Do you make labels for your quilts?  They are required if you enter shows, but even a baby quilt meant to be loved and dragged should have a label.  My gr-gr-grandmother was said to be a renown quilter.  I have some antique quilts that have been in the family, but I have no idea who made them and it makes me sad.  I would like to know if one of them was stitched by her.  I have read in magazines about lovely, old quilts without labels.  Appraisers can tell you a lot about these precious quilts, but they often haven't even a guess as to who made them.  A label with name and place and/or something about the quilt builds a beautiful connection between the quilt and its users or admirers.

There are many ways to label your quilt.  Jenny Lyons of "Quilt Skipper" blog just signs her quilts with permanent marker...on the front!  Most people make a label and stitch it to the back of their quilt.  A friend of mine makes her labels with her signature and the name of the quilt written by hand with permanent marker and sews it on.  My daughter just discovered that her embroidery machine makes unique and beautiful labels for her quilts. A label may be plain or personalized.  As a photoshop freak I like to make labels that relate to the quilt using a photo of the quilt or a fabric that I used in the quilt.

Using the photo from which I made the quilt:

"Columbine"

Sometimes I use the graphic version from Illustrator as the basis for my label:

The hole under my name contained my address, often required for a show.

"Bigtop"

It is fun to photograph a fabric in the quilt and use it as background on the label:

"Reverie"

The largest label I have made is about 8 x 10 inches for a very special, meaningful quilt that resides on my bed:

"Lifetime"

The basic method of making a plain label is to use a piece of fabric that you can write on.  Any fabric will do as long as you can see the writing or printing.    You can buy treated fabric in quilt stores and Joann's.  I don't like these as they are very stiff and a nuisance to sew onto the quilt.  They do hold the color beautifully.

If you want to prepare your own label fabric this is what I do:

1.  Prepare the cut (see #2) fabric with a solution for setting the ink.  I use Bubble Jet.  Using this product I soak the fabric for 5 minutes then let it dry flat on a towel.  Excess solution can be re-used.  A bottle lasts forever!

2.  Cut a piece of freezer paper letter size, and cut the fabric slightly smaller than the paper.  Make sure to remove any stray threads so they don't muck up your printer.   Iron the freezer paper to the treated piece of fabric.

3.  Now you are ready to print.  I find that Bubble Jet doesn't give me quite as much color as I like so I prepare my images with heavy saturation.

4.  Let the ink dry for 30 minutes and wash gently in cold water with a mild detergent for 2 minutes.  Voila!  You have a nice label that you can let dry flat or iron dry.

[5]  I am experimenting with painting the label with diluted "Fabric" Modpodge to see if it will protect it and enhance the color.  You know I have plenty of that stuff around!  It stiffens it a bit, but nothing like the prepared fabric sheets you buy.  If not, it is fine without.

TIP:  You cannot save the treated fabric.  You only prepare as much as you need at that moment.

Sew some happy seams this week.  I wish you the fun of dreaming up creative labels.