How do you do labels?

Just MNSHO, I have found that making the labels on my inkjet printer, using muslin ironed onto freezer paper, works nicely. Almost any art program can give you both text and graphics. I tend toward a Disney program that lets me use Pooh and friends, but it does have limitations. I do watch the paper/muslin combination as it feeds through, as on occasion I have not fixed them together properly and have caused a paper jam.

After printing, I wait 10 minutes or so, then lay the label on the ironing board with a piece of paper over it and press firmly with a hot iron. If little or no ink transfers to the paper, I then fold over the edges and iron them down. Pin to the back of the quilt and whip-stitch it into place. When I send a quilt, I suggest that since the label may still be fresh, the recipient may want to wait a month before washing. So far all labels are still colorful and legible, even the ones that are almost 10 years old and have seen lots of use and laundering.

I launder all quilts well before labelling and sending them off. The laundering reveals any weaknesses in my sewing and/or quilting (or in the fabric, my Confetti quilt still makes me a bit sad), and makes the little bits of thread and cat hair more visible. Then I lay the quilt on my big craft table and use some sticky thing, a lint roller or packing tape, to remove the odd thread bits and cat hair.

HTH. But if you have an embroidery machine and know how to use it, I am sure your labels will beat mine all hollow!

Hi Joanna,

I sometimes use the printer with special material paper that can be bought and I design the label in either Word or a graphic program then print it off. So far no one has said the label bled - I certainly hope they haven't not told me as I would gladly do another for them by hand. I also use a laundry marking pen on the printed labels you can buy from the LQS.

I think your examples are great - I would love to be able to do that only my machine doesn't have the facility.

Practice makes perfect and you could always do a fancy stitch around your writing.

That sounds way more fun, but I only have a black/white laser printer. So I'm not sure that would work. I suppose I could try it to find out.

Also is this not quite a bit of waste if you were > Just MNSHO, I have found that making the labels on my inkjet printer, using

I think the process does not work on a laser printer, someone else on this group is probably more knowledgeable! I suspect it might wreck your printer.

Usually I do one label at a time, using freezer paper & muslin cut to 8-1/2" by 11". I suppose it is wasteful, though I have never tried to do a different size. Someday, when time permits......

I use PrintMaster to make my labels. I picked making a "card" that is folded and then I can make 4 labels on one sheet of paper. I like the size plus I can scan pictures whatever I want onto the label....plus I have many options for fonts that I want to use.

Donna

I use my embroidery software to create labels and an embroidery machine to stitch them out....then I hand sew them on.

Here are a couple of examples:

-Irene

I frequently use a pigma pen or even a sharpie to write the label info directly on the quilt back. If the quilt back is too dark or too busy to do that, I write it on a piece of muslin and sew it on by hand after the quilt is otherwise complete. I always include at least my name, my city & state, and the date (usually just the year). I often include the name I've given to the quilt (if any), the pattern name & designer, the name of the recipient, the occasion for the gift, and any other info that might be of interest at some time in the future.

Julia > I need help. I know this has been discussed before but of course I was

Irene, those are beautiful! If I could afford an embroidery machine, your labels alone would convince me it is worth every penny.

Carolyn, my first (and second) embroidery machines were purchased used, so if you're at all thinking of trying embroidery, that's the way I suggest - no sense in spending big bucks if you're not sure you're going to like it :)

-Irene

i dont generally print any labels. i do buy panels of labels at my LQS and cut each out, using a pigma pen to write the info on it and sew it to the back of the quilt. i have been known to use a transfer pattern from some old embroidery patterns and fill them in w/pigma pen ink, following the same procedure as said earlier.

i have had my DSis embroider some on her machine for me. Those were for special occasions tho...wedding quilts, DS's quilt we sent to Iraq, etc., things like that.

good luck with printing them...let us know how it goes?

amy in CNY

I find a nice font on my computer (Kristen is a fave) and print the info in bold on paper- getting it centered and sized for what I need. Then I use my light box to trace the lettering onto my fabric using a permanent marker intended for fabric. You can find all kinds of graphics to add a flower-y border around the writing or hearts or whatever. Trace the outline or color it in.... either way. I like the look of doing my labels by hand, but the spacing, etc. turns out very nicely by using various lettering and tracing it. Cindy/teleflora turned me on to ZIG archival quality pens. They write very well on fabric and are permanent.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

A few other thoughts- cut out a motif(s) from one of the fabrics in the quilt (a flower, teddy bear, leaf, etc.) and appliqué it to the label and/or border the label with one of the fabrics in the quilt. Or make a smaller size block like the blocks on the quilt top and use it for the label (for example write the info in the center of a smaller star block just like the star blocks on the front of the quilt) On a bear's paw quilt my label was an appliquéd teddy bear holding a sign in it's paws- the sign was the label info. The sky is the limit- get a little crazy with your labels!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

In my experience, the ZIG pens definitely have to be heat set before washing. I had one label run and get all smeary after washing. It was one I had written directly on the back of the quilt, so I made another label and sewed it on over the top. I was glad I discovered that before I gave the quilt away.

Julia > I find a nice font on my computer (Kristen is a fave) and print the

There are things that will effect about any permanent pen, I would think. I am careful to not use fabric softener on fabric that I use for quilts. Starch may also effect how the ink sets up or even steam pressing. It's always trial and error with us quilters. When you find what works for you hang on to it- but still be willing to try and test other methods. Remember when we all thought Sharpie pens were 'The Way To Go'? VBG

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I have cat fabric I use. The different kitty designs are mostly 3" to 4" in diameter (sort of -- with lots of plain white fabric around them). I decide on a design, cut it out of the fabric allowing white fabric for printing on and then adhere Wonder Under to the back. I have a sheet of paper with black lines drawn on it and put this under the fabric to keep my lines of writing straight. I use Pigma pens and write my name, date and where I was when I made the quilt plus the name of the recipient and name of the quilt if there is one. If I have room, I will write s bit about why the quilt was made (a wedding gift, "R's" 5th b-day, X-mas gift, etc.). I gently iron on to the back of the quilt and then sew on by hand. There have been quilts where my kitty fabric just didn't seem to look nice on the back so I use some of the quilt fabric and cut out a piece in the shape of a kitty head. From there the process is the same but I DO get that kitty label on the back of a quilt somehow -- LOLOL! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

I just finished 6 quilts for Christmas and found the labels to be the toughest part of the whole project. I was under the gun to get the first 5 quilts out the door for Christmas eve and just barely got the bindings all done in time. I had designed a label on the HP label software and included a photo of my father in law on the label since the quilts were made from his shirts. I also added a border to the labels so it looked like it had a frame around it. I printed the labels out on iron on fabric and it worked like a charm. They were fairly small labels and were not stiff after applying them to the quilts. They really looked nice.

My DHs quilt was finished at 2:22 am on Christmas morning! The major sewing was done but I needed to finish the binding and apply his label. Since it was a surprise, I couldn't do much at home unless he was asleep.

Alice "Do what you like, like what you do"

And how surprised was he? You worked wonders to get all of those done in time, and I know you were trying to keep his a secret (obviously you were successful!). I can only imagine how pleased he must have been.

On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:22:42 -0600, AliceW wrote (in article ):

You must have been exhausted on Christmas Day! I hope he loved the surprise.

Maureen