How I Label My Quilts

Do you label your quilts?   As the last step in making a quilt and calling it "done" I add a label made with inkjet printable fabric.  I've been using a product from Dritz called Printed Treasures but it appears to be out of stock everywhere I shop (I wonder if they stopped making it) but there are other versions.  Fat Quarter Shop sells a product from EQ, here;  Amazon has several brands, here.

Inkjet printable fabric is fabric bonded to a paper backing that can be fed through your inkjet printer.  I set up a template in my Word software so I can print four labels at one time.  

I do a test run on a piece of paper to be sure the spacing is good, with sufficient margin around each label.  Note, my template makes the four labels in "landscape" format.

When I'm happy with the spacing and have double-checked for typos, I print on the fabric sheet.  You put the fabric sheet in the paper tray of your printer, just like a piece of paper.  (Do be sure you understand how a sheet of paper goes through your printer; mine has to go in the tray fabric side face down.)  Then print.  I've never encountered any problems with the fabric sheets running through the printer.  Below, the fabric version is in back, the paper copy in front.

I give most of the my quilts a name, but that's optional.  I add my name, the name of the quilter (if machine quilted) and the year made.  I'll add other information I think pertinent, like the name and designer if I used a commercial pattern for the quilt.  You can add much more, like more background on the design, the name of the recipient, etc.

I use a rotary cutter and ruler to cut the four labels apart.  Sometimes when I have scraps of fabric from the quilt top, I use them to frame the label before attaching it with a slip stitch to the back of the quilt.  

Otherwise, just turn under a quarter inch on all sides of the label and stitch it down.

But the label doesn't have to be square or rectangular.  I used an oval template for the label below.   And a few times, with a pieced back, I've pieced the label into the backing itself, prior to quilting.

The only issue I've run into with the printable fabric is that it tends to yellow slightly over time; you can see it on some of my older quilts.  But I'm generally happy with it and find this is the best way for me to make labels.  Some quilters are able to free hand write their labels and I tried that a few times but find I like this method better because I don't have artistic printing or hand writing.

Covid-19 has given me a period of productive quilt making so there will be more labels in my future.