Labeling Your Quilts: How and Why

A lot of people ask me about my quilt labels. Where do I get them, or how do I make them? Well, 95% of the time, I don’t make them myself. I order them from Melanie at Meander + Make. She will customize them to whatever you need. They are fabulous labels, and I will always order from her. Melanie was nice enough to give me a coupon code to share with you. Use the code SNUGGLEBUGSTITCHING for 10% off!

There have been a few times when I’ve made my own labels, just because I wanted to have my own handwriting on them. This is what I did for the labels I put on the quilts I made for my nephews. I also used a handwritten label on this quilt that I finished for my Aunt and Uncle. The quilt top was made by my grandmother.

How did I make the handwritten labels? The fabric is 100% quilting cotton. I cut the squares for those labels a little bit bigger at 8 inches to have more room to write. The squares get folded in half diagonally to give you the triangle shape, and you won’t have any exposed raw edges after you bind your quilt.

A few tips for making the handwritten labels:

Use a marker that won’t smudge or bleed. I use the Crayola Take Note Permanent Markers. Whatever marker you are going to use, do a test first. I wrote on a scrap piece of fabric and washed it to be sure the markings wouldn’t bleed or smudge in the wash before I used it on an actual label.

Write on your label before you attach it to the quilt. The marker will probably soak through the layers before it dries. You don’t want to risk getting permanent marker on your quilt. I would also recommend unfolding it and putting some cardboard behind it before you write on it so that the marker doesn’t go through both layers of the label or onto your table.

Before I write on the labels, I like to fold the triangle in half and iron a crease into it. So, iron your square in half diagonally to make your triangle, and then iron that triangle in half. The crease will mark your center point giving you a guideline to help you center your writing. But, a little wonkiness is part of the charm of a handwritten label.

Attaching your quilt labels

The label will go on after you’ve quilted and squared your quilt, but before you bind your quilt.

Before we get into how I attach these… you should know that this is just how I put my labels on. If you prefer another method, do what works for your.

I like to use a chunky top stitch to attach my quilt labels. I have a reel where I demo this. I thought it would also be a good idea to do a picture tutorial with step by step instructions. So, here you go.

Put some glue on the inside of your label. I like to glue the two layers of the triangle together first to make it easier to work with. The purple Elmer’s Washable School Glue stick is my favorite. It goes on purple so I can see where I’ve already applied, but it dries clear. The glue will wash right out in your washing machine.

After you’ve glued the triangle together, put some glue on the back of your label so that you can attach it to a corner of your quilt back. This will prevent any annoying moving out of place while you sew the label on.

I like to double up my thread as shown in the picture. Once the needle is threaded, I double it over and tie a knot at the end. I like this because it makes the thread show up better.

I’m not really picky about what kind of thread I use here. I just go with a color that looks nice with the quilt. The label is secured by the binding, so this stitch isn’t really a “load bearing stitch”. If I was doing a lot of hand stitching, I’d probably be more selective about my thread. But for just this 8.5 inches or so, I’m pretty much just in it for the pretty color.

There’s one huge advantage to using a hand stitch to attach your labels. You can sew between the layers of your quilt so that you don’t end up with any random weird lines on the front of your quilt.

You can see in the picture that I started my hand stitch in between the batting and the quilt top. This knot will not show once you get your binding on.

You’ll sew between the layers until you have finished attaching the folded edge of the triangle to the back of your quilt. You can then tie off the thread at the end. At this point, go ahead and square it off so that the label is even with your quilt. You can now bind your quilt! The binding will further secure the label.

Why should you label your quilts?

Who made the quilt? When was it made? Was it a present for a special occasion? All these things can be put on a label.

The quilt above is one of the three layouts from my Pumpkins ‘N Patches pattern. This was the first pattern I ever wrote. It was my 40th birthday present to myself! I got some help from Melanie at Meander + Make to get some special labels for my three cover quilts. The graphic on the label is from the actual diagrams in my pattern. The label is a written record of not only my first pattern but also when it was released. Quilts often become family heirlooms. A labeled quilt could make a precious memory of your mother, grandmother, etc. even more precious. Think about the memories people will have of the quilts you gifted them.

Check out the labels on the two quilts above. My reasoning for labeling your quilts would not be complete without those. I talk about the story behind those two quilts here. It’s a great story and worth reading. The cliff notes version: both of those quilts were made from a bag of fabric scraps that belonged to the recipients’ family members as a birthday surprise.

If you plan to sell your quilts, consider adding a label.

Let’s say someone buys your quilt or commissions you to make a quilt. Of course, the quilt is FANTABULOUS, and your client loves it! They decide they will go to you for any of their quilt needs from now on. Six months later they want to buy a quilt from the same person who made their first absolutely awesome quilt, but they don’t remember who made it… If you had a label on there, they are a lot more likely to be able to track you down for future quilts.