quilt label

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Broadening my horizons

October 3, 2009 in Crafts | 2 comments

People sure do love a personalized quilt, don’t they? Well, how can you blame them. Especially when it’s a baby gift, there’s something very sweet about having the name/initials and birth date on their special first quilt.  And embroidery is probably the nicest way to do it.

Sadly, I know next to nothing about embroidery.  I’ve been kind of hacking it with the times that I’ve done it.  More than a year ago, I saw Mamie do some adorable french knots on shirts for her boys, and immediately looked up a tutorial. But it was literally the only embroidery stitch I knew, and while cute and textural, not necessarily the greatest fit for lettering.

Blue & Brown Stacked Coin

A few weeks ago, I figured I should work on expanding my repertoire a little bit, and found the most-awesome Sublime Stitching. I was inspired by the coolness, plus they have a few basic stitch tutorials posted. Now, I don’t suspect I’m going to turn into an embroidery nut.  I think it’s cool, and I think it could add some neat things to some quilts, but I don’t anticipate suddenly having a boatload of embroidered aprons around my house.  Seriously, there are only so many hours in the day.

But it sure can make for a cute label.

Embroidered Label

I borrowed a few techniques for this one.  First, I found a font that I liked, and printed out the name and birth date on my computer.  Taped it to a window in the sunlight, taped the fabric over the paper, and traced in washable pen. I love that I am no longer limited by my own handwriting and total lack of drawing ability!  I then made the label in my new favorite style.  And yes, I know it’s a touch off-center, but oh well.

Oh, and it’s done in split-stitch, which I suddenly have memory of learning (poorly) in middle school sewing class. Middle school sewing class? Do they even do that anymore? I remember cooking and woodworking, too. Wonder if they’re all long gone…

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A label for every occasion

June 9, 2009 in Etsy, Finished Objects, Quilts | 3 comments

Since my first (hideous) attempt at a quilt label, I feel like I have made substantial improvement.  Where we stand now, I have two different labeling strategies.

For things on my Etsy shop, including custom/commissioned orders, I use my teeny tiny quilts label.  In a low-key attempt at consistent branding, I printed up some business-card-sized labels using a word processing program, and print them out on some iron-on transfer paper.  While I don’t adore the look and feel of the iron-on stuff as a general rule, I think it’s the right choice.  It’s small (only about 1.5″ x 2.5″), it’s clear and easy to read.  It says “handmade with care by: / teeny tiny quilts / 2009″, and also includes the URL of my Etsy shop and my email address.  Hey, you never know when you’ll get referral business…

doggy quilt labels

For quilts that are given as gifts to friends, or that I’m just making for myself, I have started doing handwritten labels.  The wording may vary, but it seems that the critical components are:

  • some description of the quilt’s purpose (“for baby Henry,” “Old Red Barn Co Quilt-along”)
  • some description of when it was made (for now, I’m just sticking with the year, I think that’s specific enough)
  • my name (since, you know, the whole purpose of a label is to virtually sign your work)

Here’s the one I made for Duck, Duck, Frog.  “made with love for / Henry Joseph / from / Liz J— / 2009″

frog quilt label

Simple, small, to-the-point.

So, here’s my question for anyone out there reading, and you don’t have to be a quilter to help me out.  The purple & green quilt is complete (and I love it and can’t wait to show it off…), all it needs is a label.  And I’m not sure how to word it.  It’s a gift for a good friend and her baby-girl-to-be.  To the best of my knowledge, they have either not yet picked a name, or not yet shared that name, so I can’t address it directly to the baby.  Just saying “baby girl” seems too generic.

How would you word a baby shower quilt label?

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My first label

May 4, 2009 in Etsy | 2 comments

You can tell I’m a quilting newbie, because tonight was the first time I ever labeled a quilt.  Someone (OK, my aunt) actually bought one of my listed items on Etsy and I need to ship it ASAP to a friend of hers as a baby shower gift.  I figured a label was the right thing to do, so I grabbed some solid parchment cloth and a fabric marker and, well, did my best.

Quilt label

It measures just under 2″ x 3″.  It’s a small quilt, so anything larger I think would have been too much.  I sort of wanted to write the Etsy shop URL, but the point on my pen is not so small, so that’s the best I could do.  It’s hand stitched on, and the raw edges were pressed under.  It’s not superb, but it’s a first try.

If any more experienced folk are reading, any suggestions for someone new to labeling a quilt?  These aren’t for show or anything, just for sale on Etsy or maybe to give ot a friend.  Do you like to hand-write them? Do you have a favorite permanent fabric pen?  Do you prefer something you can print on the computer, or do you order labels from somewhere?  Do you think labeling is overrated?  Educate me!

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