The Importance of Labels: 

Every quilt should be documented.  Nothing is as disappointing as finding a beautiful vintage quilt in a yard sale or antique shop that has no details about the age of the quilt, where it was made, or who the quiltmaker was.   Fifty years from now, your children and grandchildren will not remember the details about the quilts you’re making today.  The label at the left was made for an antique quilt (without documentation) my husband gave me for Christmas.  I used information I knew about the blanket-stitched, appliquéd butterfly pattern and the vintage fabrics as clues.  I then added the date it was purchased and where (a little information is better than none).

Some quilters keep wonderful journals (including pictures and fabric swatches) for each quilt they make.  These are wonderful written histories of quilts and I highly recommend every quilter keep one.  However, in years to come, your quilt journal may become separated from the quilts themselves.  A label sewn onto the back of the quilt is the only sure way to record details of the quilt.  Some quilters add the label before it is quilted, otherwise the label could be removed and your only source of identification will be gone.  I’ll often sew the label to the back after I’ve finished the quilting, just before I add the binding, thereby enclosing two sides of the label in the corner when the binding is sewn  on—see Radiant Star illustration at the right. 

How to Make a Label:

A quilt label can be as elaborate or as simple as you like.  A basic label can be made using a small piece of muslin and a fine-point Pigma pen or other permanent fabric marker.  For stability in writing, press a piece of freezer paper to the back of the label.  (Remember to test the marking pen on a scrap of fabric first—you don’t want it to bleed or wash out.)  Then, simply hand appliqué the label to the back of the quilt after it is quilted.  

Sometimes I’ll add a narrow border to the label that matches the fabric on the front of the quilt. Some quilters incorporate a label into the front of a quilt and it becomes part of the overall design. 

Several fabric manufactures produce pre-printed quilt labels that are attractive and very easy to use.  You can also embellish your label with cross-stitch, embroidery, incorporate the quilt design in the label, add curlicues, flowers or other designs. 

The sailboat label below was made from the same paper-pieced sailboat block pattern used in the front of the quilt as pictured at the right.

 
 
The Basic Information Should Include:
  • Date—the period which it was made or when it was presented as a gift
  • Pattern Name—if you know it
  • Quiltmaker's Name
  • Your Town and State
  • Name of the Recipient—if the quilt is a gift
  • Occasion for Which It was Made—wedding, anniversary, new baby, etc.

The label at the right was made using a pre-printed quilt label produced by RJR's Thimbleberries Fabric Line.

Hint:  If you are not happy with your handwriting, try typing the information on a computer and printing it on regular paper.   Then place your label (with freezer paper pressed to the back) over the printed paper, hold it up to a window, light box, of even your television screen (set the TV to a channel you do not receive--blue screens are perfect) and trace.  It's that simple.  (The label on the vintage quilt at the top of this page was made in this manner using the font "Comic Sans.")

And, no, not all of my quilts have labels, but I'm working on it!

 

 
RESOURCES

The History of Signing Quilts:

A guide to the history of signing quilts, why most antique quilts were not signed, and why women started to document their quilts: http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/quilt_labels.htm


Books (available at quilt shops, mail-order catalogs, and on-line book sellers):

The Smallest Quilt Shop in Maine, an Amazon.com affiliate store, has a wide selection of books, printable paper-backed fabric sheets, and Micron Pigma pens for making your own quilt labels.

Create Your Own Quilt Labels, by Kim Churbuck, $8.95, more than 65 patterns for tracing quilt labels; step-by-step instructions for coloring and shading like a pro.

Iron-On Transfers for Quilt Labels, by Barbara Baatz, $8.50, a collection of iron-on transfers.  Simply iron onto fabric, use a fine permanent pen to fill in your personalizing information, tips on colorizing and embroidery.

One-of-a-Kind Quilt Labels:  Unique Ideas for a Special Finishing Touch, by Thea Nerud, $23.95, step-by-step instructions to create labels with appliqué, hand lettering, photo transferring, and a host of other techniques.

The Ultimate Book of Quilt Labels (The Joy of Quilting), by Margo Clabo, $12.95, focuses on the importance of labels and the different methods to create them. 

Computer Software and Printer-Ready Paper-Backed Fabric Sheets:

Virtual Quilt Label Plus, $19.95, available at www.compuquilt.com, over 110 beautiful designs in color, fully editable so you can add your quilt information in a drawing program and use your own ink-jet printer to print them.

HP Custom Quilt Label Kit, $24.95, available at http://www.electricquilt.com, quilt shops, and mail-order catalogs, software lets you create one-of-a-kind professional-quality labels for your quilt to make sure your story is preserved for future generations.

Websites Where you can Download Quilt Labels (click on link for free, printable labels):

www.quilterscache.com/P_R/QuiltLabels.html

http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.com/VictorianaQuilters/PrintableQuiltLabels/freeprintablequiltlabels.htm