Every quilt has a story. And as Judy Lyons, Certified Quilt Appraiser, would say: “Your quilt isn’t finished until the label is stitched in place.” and these are her thoughts about labels.
You can have an elaborate label or a simple label. You can photo transfer a picture and your information by entering your data in the computer and printing it on fabric, or simply put your inked information on a piece of muslin. Please remember to heat set the printed information with a hot iron before attaching it to the back left hand side of the quilt.
Like any work of art, you should also sign your label. A well made label will also enhance the value of the quilt.
There are many ways to make a label, but be sure to answer the 5 W’s: who, what, where when, and why, and some of the following information:
. name of the quilt
. name of the maker
. date the quilt was completed
. where the quilt was made
. inspired by
. quilted by (individual or group)
. if being gifted, name of the recipient
. ribbons, awards, or any other pertinent information
. name of the owner of the quilt if different from the maker
. contact information of quilt owner
If you have an antique or vintage quilt that’s not labelled, consider adding a label to it with:
. name of maker (if known)
. date made (if known)
. where made (if known)
. title (if known)
Cobwebs’ “MAKING A LABEL 101”!
Create/design/transfer your label and the information.
Iron label to a scrap of freezer paper and either trace or hand write the information onto a piece of muslin or a preprinted label (this step is not necessary if using computer transfer paper).
Sew fusible interfacing all the way around the label, with right side of fabric on the glue side of interfacing. Put a slit in the back, trim the corners.
Turn right side out and press onto the back of the quilt.
Hand stitch in place.
This is a basic example. Be creative! Add a border to the label first, use a pretty preprinted label, draw on your label…..tell your story.