Sunday, June 03, 2007

Quilt Labels

The stashbuster topic of the week is quilt labels. I label all my quilts and don't consider them "finished" until that is done. Sometimes, if the quilt is really small, or if I am really busy and know that I won't have a chance (or the interest) to make a "proper" label, I just write on the back of the quilt with a Pigma pen like this label on the left.
I do prefer to have a "proper" label on all my quilts and it is my goal to make one for each quilt. The photo on the right shows the way I most often make my labels. I fold a square of light coloured fabric on the diagonal, write the quilt name, my name and the year on the triangle of fabric, and pin it to the bottom corner before I sew down the binding. Then I hand stitch the diagonal fold and stitch the label right into the binding.
Sometimes if the quilt is going to be submitted to a challenge or show, or if I really like the quilt and want to make the extra effort, I make a label to applique on the back of the quilt like the one on the left.
But my favorite method is a photo transfer label. You can see a label I made for a photo transfer quilt that I wrote about last month, by clicking here.
I have made a lap size quilt for my 11 nieces and nephews. For those quilt labels I made a transfer of a photo of myself and the baby/child and appliqued it to the back of the quilt. My sister once told me that when my niece Ellen was a preschooler, every night at bedtime she would look at the photo transfer on her quilt's label and say "Goodnight Aunt Kathy". I loved that story and have made the same kind of label ever since! Here is the one on the back of my nephew Matthew's flannel dog quilt.

8 comments:

Cher said...

love your labels Kathy! I do similar labels- though have not done the triangle one yet.

Tanya said...

Yes, I know we should make labels and I never thought of making a little triange one like yours. Very nice. It would be easy to do and have an original look to it. I'll have to figure out how to do photo transfers...

JoAnna said...

Great ideas Kathy! I think I'll "borrow" the triangle method!

Quilter Kathy said...

Sure...feel free to use the triangle method! I'm sure I learned it from someone else years ago, just can't remember who or where!
Photo transfer is very easy now. I have tried every method out there. You can buy the pretreated fabric sheets and print the photos on your computer printer.

swooze said...

Awwww...how sweet! I love to hear stories of my quilts as loved by their recipients!

comicbooklady said...

That is such a nice story!! BTW, I went to the Waterloo Quilt Festival and I too thought Elephant Walk was amazing! Found your blog when doing a search for more info about that quilt. I saw your pieces too, awesome work!

Jeanne said...

Loved the story about your niece saying "Goodnight, Aunt Kathy." Your labels are great.

Helen in the UK said...

The diagonal corner label is my favourite method too. Quick, simple and effective :)