I don't put labels on the quilts I give. It is not important for me to have them remember who gave them the quilt. But because my name is Cathy and I go by Cat, the lady that does my machine quilting takes the time to put a reclining cat somewhere in the design. Kind of like searching for Waldo and that person seems to like to check to find the cat. That person is the only one I care about, not the next one down the line who owns it by whatever reason.

I used to not think so...but a friend of mine told me that a label is a MUST.

Mainly - the person you gift the quilt to will look at that label and it will refresh their memory as to the time you took to make it for them. And if the quilt ever is lost, you have something to identify the quilt.....that label is vital.

Something that hit me while typing this answer....I decided one time to make a quilt for a dear online friend. We emailed each other daily for 4 years...sometimes 3 or 4 emails a day. She died about a year ago. As we're both quilters, it didn't cross my mind to make her a quilt until someone else said a prayer quilt would be nice for her. She discovered she had cancer and was going thru surgery and then chemo. I quickly made her a prayer quilt and sent it to her.

Never think another quilter friend wouldn't need a quilt from you....that quilt made her so very happy.

Yeah, I tend to wander off the path many times when I respond to a question.....

Yes, I label all my quilts that I gift.

I did not know that. Good info!

I don't think of the label as being for my personal recognition. I do it as a service to others who may want the information in the future.

I don't think of the label as being for my personal recognition. I do it as a service to others who may want the information in the future.

I always put a label on my quilts that I give away. I try to say something meaningful for just that special person. Also put block name, my name and date.

I always label my quilts. I put the date I worked on it, the person it's going to and why - sometimes it's a long story, sometimes very short. Personal ones have a lot of meaning if you tell a story on why you made it. You can type up what you want on your computer and print it out on photo fabric paper. You can add a picture too. If I make a quilt for a client, then I have them design the label and personalize it, but I always sign it myself either in a small corner or the bottom in small lettering as to not take away from the personal message. I blind stich it to the back on the bottom.

Labels don't have to be fancy, mom used a fabric pen and muslin on my blue log cabin quilt almost 20 years ago.

I was told that a quilt was never really finished until you signed the back. I have always put a label on the backs of my quilts. I also take a picture of the front and back of the quilt, put the picture a few scraps and the name of the person I made the quilt for. I will also write alittle something about why I made that pattern, if it was easy or hard and what it meant for me to do this for the person receiving the quilt.

I have labeled some and some I have not. Something to think about.

All these great ideas. Thanks. All kinds of labels to amke and sew. I like simple. I have already started making some to sew on when I visit family. I started a little sewing bag to take with me. ♥♥

I have been making quilts gor nearly 30 years, and never labeled any of them. To be honest, I never even gave it a thought until I started reading this board. Then I got to thinking about how nice it would be for one of my grandkids ( or anyone else who has received one of my quilts) to look back and say "this was made in... by my Nana" Who knows, maybe their grandkinds would end up with the quilt, but they wouldn't have any idea about its' history, the pattern name, or who made it. Now, all of my quilts have at least a basic label. For posterity, you know. :)

I find a small clear area. Very small. ;-)
Write my name and date. If I do it at all.
Guess I don't really care about posterity.
I do enclose a note to the recipient.

I donated my grandmother's quilts to a museum because i'm the only person left alive who knew her or knew anything about them. None were labled. It gave me a chance to document their origin and significance for generations to come.

Absolutely. I sew my label to the backing 'before' quilting. That way if it gets lost the label can't be removed without a lot of work. I make my own labels.

For every quilt I make I take a picture during construction, and another when finished. I also create a folder on my computer and create a name. Then I document what fabric make up, and what was happening in my life (only a line or two). Date it was done and to whom given.

I sign all of mine. I have a quilt from my maternal grandmother that I'd give anything to know when she made it. All I know is it was made before 1954 which is when she died. I have one quilt from my husband's side of the family and I have no idea who made it. BooHoo. It makes me so sad to not know. Just my name, date & town is all I sign.

I have used Pigma pen to write my labels but find they fade with washing. Does anyone have any good suggestions on what to use that doesn't fade?
Rita B

I have always taken photos of all my quilts and since I made each one for specific people, mylabels indicated who made it, who got it and the occassion and date. I also numbered them. I have a book where I put in info as to pattern, batting used and anything else pertaining to the quilt. I also attach photo to each entry. As my quilts are hand quilted, I take the extra time to record them properly.

Yes, I always label my quilts. Even if I just write on them. I say something like "Dana's Quilt" by (my name)and the year. I would love to have an embroider machine that would do that for me.

Our entire quilt guild would say YES, YES, YES - ALWAYS put labels on quilts. Having inherited over a dozen quilts from great-aunts and great-grandmothers and younger, I sure wish some part of the heritage was logged on the back.

Our guild had a program on labeling quilts and it recommended stating TO [recipient] FROM [maker] ON THE OCCASION OF (if applicable), then record the date and the city you live in. We rarely think of who will get a quilt we give other than the (first) recipient - every quilt historian, quilt documenter, and quilt appraiser will tell you without hesitation to put a label on every quilt you make.

The program offered a truck show of labels made on cotton doilies, handkerchiefs, orphan blocks, a mitten (!) and other creative "backgrounds" as well as creatively hand- and machine-embroidered bordered and embellished labels. It was an eye-opener in terms of recording for history in creative ways.

Hope this helps!

I didn't but I do now. Especially since I am gifting them to specific people. I would love to print mine but my HP keeps jamming so I have been hand writing them Not a good thing my handwriting is awful. But until I get a new printer its the best I have.
I do have to remember to put them on Before I put the back on. But the last one I did I also wrote on the back of the quilt very small the year and recipient in case the label ever comes off.

I always put on labels. I want people to know years from now who did it. I've heard enough from vintage people -sign sign sign,- so here are some of my labels. I only found the two, but there are more hidden in my piles of photos - lol. I'be decided they are in my husbands camera. The last one I did was a housewarming quilt label.
Judi
I usually tell the name of the quilt, who it is for, why, name & date. Sometimes the designer or person who quilted it.
Judi

Oh most definately!! I have several quilts from gg grandmothers but don't know what year and if was g or gg, so I always sign my name and date it, often who its for and the occasion.

You might try this idea. Use cardstock, spray with temporary quilt adhesive, place your fabric about 1/8" down from the top ... feed into the printer by hand.

[quote=damaquilts] I would love to print mine but my HP keeps jamming so I have been hand writing them Not a good thing my handwriting is awful./quote]

I'll try that. I have the prepared sheets. The HP is the kind that goes up and over as it prints. I want to get a printer that feeds from the top. I love my 3in1 just not for printing fabric

The people who are working with these quilts beg us to put labels on our quilts. I try to do this, but must admit it does not come naturally to me. I made one for a DGD's quilt on my machine, using the built in letters and I think it took me longer than making the actual quilt. LOL

Yes to labels, when that quilted item becomes an antique, those looking at it will want to know who, where, & why the quilt was made. I make my labels on my embroidery machine
quilt name
pattern/magazine
size
who designed/pieced the top
city-state
year it was finished
made especially for
quilter
Funded by (my husbands name) so he always gets some credit
Those Who Sleep
Under a QUILT
Sleep Under
A Blanket of LOVE

At a quilt class one of the ladies makes her labels and incorporates into the back of the quilt BEFORE it is quilted. She uses scraps from the front and puts a row in the back one of which is the label.

I have used my letters from my sm (an old one so not that great) to put the label on the binding that will be on the back of the quilt. I saw where someone did this and it was great and much easier for me.

I add a label to all my quilts, I fuse it to the backing before quilting, sewing down the edges and then when it gets 'quilted' it is even more secure.

There are new pens out especially for putting labels on quilts they are very fine and once you iron over them it doesn't wash off.

I especially like to add a message in the corner of the quilts I make for other people, I have just finished a quilt for a little girl in LA, even though she is only 3 weeks old I will label it "Made with love for Annalise by Carol 2011".

I usually label mine now. At one point, it never entered my mind.

if you don't label, at least sign it...

Label your quilts. It mine mean something down the road to know who made the quilt and who it was for and when it was made.

Yes, it is very important to label our quilts. We know we made it and whoever we gave it to knows, but what about 25 or 30 years from now? I have seven family quilts that I treasure: 3 made by my great grandmother, 1 by my MIL, and 3 by my grandmother. The only reason I know who made each is because my parents and husband knew who made it. I don't know when or where they were made. Some of our quilts really will last that long, so it would be nice to add some information so people will know who made it and when.

I have 2 lables ready for the next trip to my son's house. The christmas quilts he recieved will not be complete until the lables are attached. They were embroidered . I still have 2 more lables to stitch and I am caught up. I figure this will be my way to keep track of when and who recieved which quilt in the family. I also save pictures of each quilt.

Please label your quilts. I have a quilt from the Civil War era that was made by one of my great grandmothers. My mom told me which one, but now I'm not sure and my mom is gone. No one else knows these things.