Tutorial Tuesday - Printing Quilt Labels

Printing Labels

This is one of my favorite discoveries.  

My whole mantra in quilting, is "do what works, and make it easy (if you can)."  When I started making quilt labels, I did it the traditional way, with a permanent marker.  Because I am a lover of perfection, I hated using my handwriting.  So, then I found products you could print on, and then iron onto fabric.  I found flaws with that method, and went back to the drawing board.  Finally, I tried sending the blessed fabric through the printer.

I have never gone back.  I love the results.  The ink only fades ever so slightly, maybe as much as permanent marker (maybe less), never enough to make me quit.
  So, I call it success. 

Here's how to do it:

Materials 

fabric label 

(I enjoy having a stack of fabric, already cut and ready to use when needed)

paper

scotch wrapping tape

iron

1. Print your label on a piece of paper, to get spacing, font, size, etc... correct.

2. Tape the fabric onto the paper, using wrapping tape, and cover all sides

3.  Send the paper through the printer again.  I like to have about an inch margin for the fabric.

3.  Iron the printing.  I find this helps to set the ink.  

4.  Fold the top and left side of the fabric under, and iron.  I place the quilt label in the lower right corner, so the other edges are sewn in with the binding.

If you are really good at planning ahead, try to do this as part of the backing.  Then you can quilt the label into the quilt, and no one can take it off and say it is their own work.  Most of the time I can't remember to do that.  I get way to excited about finishing the quilt, and remember the label at the time I bind.   Someday I will remember.

Happy Tuesday!