quilt labelling

We know we should do it.  But it is the last thing we ever get around to, especially if the quilt is staying at home with us, right?  Which explains why, when I went to make a label for my parents' new quilt the other day, I took a tally of my quilts still needing labels...and the total was eleven.  Gulp.  Not including mini quilts.  So, about half of my finished quilts!

I decided to tackle a few at a time.  I like to personalize my labels, write a small inscription, along with my name, the date and location that is customarily what quilt labels entail.  So just and "OCD" tag doesn't do it.  I figured out a fun and easy way to make some professional looking personalized labels and thought I would share them with you!

First off, I am completely devoid of any computer graphics/computer scrapbooking talent.  But I recently bought an app called Rhonna Designs that is awesome.  Best $1.99 I have ever spent on an app!  It is meant for embellishing your photos, using a bunch of pre-made graphics.  But it also has a small selection of non-photo backgrounds, my favorite of which looks like lined paper.  There are also a bunch of great text fonts to choose from, which you can layer onto the graphics/photos/backgrounds.

So, my first label, for my Good Folks king quilt, was made just simply using the lined paper background and text:

My next one was for my parents' quilt.  First I made a base design, with the "handmade....etc" in the red bracket thingies, which I saved for future use, then I added the personalization:

Next I decided to use a non-Rhonna background for the label for my Retro Christmas Quilt.  I found this free Christmas lights background just by doing a simple google search, downloaded it onto my iPad and then uploaded it as a photo into the Rhonna Designs app to add the text.  Simple enough!

Finally, I downloaded this cute free printable off the internet for my Ghastlies Halloween Quilt that I personalized for a label (not using the Rhonna app at all).

Now, how did I convert these pdfs into tangible labels?  I bought a product called Printed Treasures by Dritz some time ago.  It is inkjet printable fabric that you can then sew on or piece into your quilt.  It comes in packs of five or twelve 8.5 x 11" sheets.  It is available online at Amazon, and also in Joann's or Fabricland. Not cheap, put I can get multiple labels per sheet.

So I opened a simple word document, inserted my pictures/labels that I had created (I did 4 labels to a sheet), and printed them out.  Trim to size, follow the instructions by removing the paper backing, run under cold water to remove excess ink.  Piece into quilt (if you are organized enough to do your labels at the time of making your quilt), or press edges over and hand stitch onto quilts after the fact.

I have used this product multiple times in the past, the fabric is a decent weight and I find them to be fairly colourfast.  Here is an example of one I pieced into the back of my niece's quilt, using simply Word and no graphics whatsoever:

And here is one I pieced into a larger label for Kiera's quilt, which was then hand stitched on after it was completed (my favorite and most likely way to do it):

So now I have a few labels set and ready to go!  Just need to plunk myself in front of the telly and enjoy some quiet hand stitching :) Hope that helped demystify quilt labels somewhat!

The Ugly Quilt- conquered!

Ever feel like you are at war with your quilt? Why can't we just get along?

This quilt has been a true test of my patience. I have started, stopped and remade this thing so many times....at some point you just have to get 'er done!

This one was made for our long-time babysitter who has worked with our family for over four years, since the Middle Child. She was there when I brought our last baby home from the hospital, and agreed to continue to come babysit for us when we moved across the city. While we have had our tense points and disagreements, we are thankful for the care she has given our kids over the years. Now that Last But Not Least is off to preschool in the fall, it is time to part ways, and I wanted to give her something personal and heartfelt to remember our family. As she is often the first to see the products of my late-night crafting when she arrives in the morning, it was obvious it had to be a quilt!Her favorite colors are red, black and white. Not exactly mine....I had a hard time from the start with finding fabrics and inspiration. Then came design. I planned it, did it, undid it, redesigned it, ran out of fabric, got lucky and found more, redid it, still hated it, then went back to the original design...and, well, ran out of time! So this is what we have. Not perfect, not totally satisfying, but DONE.I did enjoy some aspects of this quilt. This is my first time really doing a lot of chain piecing, which was great. And it was actually my first non-baby quilt, which was also a learning experience. It measures about 4 ft by 5 ft, a nice lap size (especially since the recipient is 4'11" at best!). I also quilted the top in the 3 different thread colors (while keeping the bobbin thread black), and I like how the red gave it a bit of zing.

I learned many things from this quilt as well, since I literally hit a roadblock at every step. First- trust my instincts regarding design. If the gut feeling is unsure, try it on paper (like the twin quilts) before cutting and sewing it up. When I did the quilting, I quilted along the borders in red, then did so along the edges- never again. When I squared the quilt, the outer line was then wonky, and even worse so when I added the binding. I had decided to try machine binding for the first time- thought it would be "faster" and would be well disguised with the dark fabric. However, I then had to pull it tight to cover the red outer quilt line, and this made it difficult to keep straight....anyways. You get the idea. FYI, I ended up sewing an outer red quilting line after all was said and done to make it look complete.

In the end, I think it looks decent. Maybe not so much "The Ugly Quilt" as "The Ugly Duckling"- it came together in the end, and I confess, I actually kind of like it. I will certainly declare this my LEAST favorite quilt to date, and hope it keeps that designation for a long time- clear sailing for the next couple quilts, please! And many to come...you should see the stash I have been acquiring lately! I think I will blog about that next and give you a peek :-)

Oh, and by the way, I didn't include "The Ugly Quilt" name on the label. Didn't think that would be appropriate for a gift I am giving someone...let's just keep that between us, okay?

Quilt Story

Every quilt has a story...I wish I knew this one!We bought our cottage 2 years ago, and with it came a mish-mash of hand-me-downs, a wealth of both useful and interesting items (like a gorgeous antique dining set and a pile of vintage sheets!)...and plenty of garbage. We are still uncovering new things regularly. Enter The Quilt. It was wrapped in a sheet, folded into a pull-out couch that we opened for the first time when sleeping over this winter (and wanting to sleep as close as possible to the wood stove!). It is not a fancy quilt, the seams are not neat, it has a huge patch and many more areas that are worn through, yet I find this is what I choose to wrap around my shoulders when enjoying my morning tea by the water.
I wonder who made it? The previous cottage owners, or did they, too, "inherit" it and adopt it as their own? How old is it? There is no labeling of any kind, so I suppose I will never know. Just something for my imagination to ponder while enjoying those morning mugs of tea...... Which brings me to the topic of quilt labelling. This is something I am determined to do for all my quilts. There are so many ways to label, and my favorites are the hand stitched and the iron on transfer. For hand stitch, I like embroidery thread on a contrasting fabric, but have to say that it is best to keep it short and sweet, as the more wording, the more chance for it to get crooked and look sloppy- not good for my Type A self. If you want to have a longer message on the label, such as a birthday greeting or birth details, best to go with the iron on transfer. The brand I use is from Dharma Trading Co., which Kathy introduced me to, and it works like a dream. You design your label on the computer- this is where the computer scrapbooking types can really shine (not me at all!)- and type in all the details you want on the label. Print it on the transfer paper with an ink jet printer, then trim it closely and iron transfer it onto a scrap of quilt fabric or broadcloth. Fold over the edges and press, then hand stitch to the back of the quilt. Ta da! You have made your mark!