Just a 'thing' I have about quilts (labels).....
 

I know there are some VERY talented people on the board. I love embroidery and I see a lot of lovely, very lovely, machine embroidered labels that are added to quilts. I am NOT being critical of anyone who uses or makes embroidered labels but here's my take on a label........

When we make a quilt, gift a quilt, etc. we put our heart into our work and I take the time to actually 'sign', by hand, my quilt. I then hand embroider over my signature. So many of us machine piece, machine quilt our quilts that, to me, adding my hand signed signature just adds that 'final touch'.

I am into genealogy, family history research. I am THRILLED whenever I find an actual signature of one of my ancestors. I have collected their signatures from public records, scanned them, framed them and hung them in my home office with a note as to how I am related to that person.

I have a few heirloom quilts from my ancestors but unfortunately none of them have a label saying who made them. The quilts 'history' is an oral history handed down to me. I would LOVE to have had my ancestors actual signature on the quilts.

This is just my opinion and I am sure other's have their own opinion.

Good point. Something to think about.

The type of label doesn't interest me as long as the year and name of the maker is legible. I haven't found a permanent pen that will hold up to many washings. I have some quilt labels I have to resign after a few years. I know the ones that have been given away, the label is probably to faded to read. I have used all brands of permanent ink and they all fade. I would rather have an embroiderered name somewhere on the label.

I agree with BellaBoo - what matters to me is that someone down the line can see who made it, the date and any other information that we want passed along

Yes, I forgot to say add the date(s) to the label also.

If you are a visual learner, here's a video of how to do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ_FREePYFI

The above example is using 4 threads of embroidery floss on a thick tablecloth fabric. For my quilts I use 2 threads on muslin which is much thinner than the example. I also use the second stitch used in the video and my signature is in script, not in block letters.

for those that have the software to digitize their own embroidery, they can digitize their signature as well :)

I cherish recipes and such written down by my mother & grandmother. What a good idea to sign a quilt. I'm sure I will do all kinds of labels, but I will certainly embroider my signature on some.

I'm probably alone on this, but I don't put any label on my quilts. If the person I give it to passes it along to someone else down the road, someone who doesn't know me, I don't want that person to see my name or the name of the person for whom it was made. The quilt becomes that person's quilt. I guess for me the quilt takes on a life of its own and makes its journey, and I don't feel any need to be part of that...

Just me!

To all who have responded to my original post: Thanks for commenting and adding your thoughts as they are all good for their own reasons - no quilt police here. :)

As I said in my original post:

I sign my name, with my machine, somewhere on all my quilts. I also have an embroidered label (made by sewnsewer2) that includes my name.

I like to see labels on the quilts - it will make the quilt even more treasured in years to come. I have a quilt that is from the late 1800's. According to family legend my grandfather helped piece it when he was 5. I did have it appraised just to see if the story could be true and the appraiser agreed. The quilt is precious to me because I know the history - which could also come from a label. All artists should sign and date their work - whether by hand or machine.

Well whaddaya know! I may be the other person who feels this way. I don't put labels on or sign either. I may change my mind but not yet.

I got a program that let me make my own signature into an embroidery file. I have been hand embroidering it but I have carpal tunnel syndrome and it's not easy for me to embroider by hand. I don't care if the rest of the text on the label is not my handwriting.

I do not like labels. I believe they take away from the work that has been done. They are usually gaudy. The idea of personally signing the quilt and the year it was made, I think would be very special to the person receiving the quilt>

Nope...I don't sign quilts either. May change in future, but I haven't in the past.

Wow. I don't agree with this. Even if a label is larger, it's usually on the back so I can't imagine how it takes away from the work. Gaudy is a matter of opinion. I can't imagine someone would make a beautiful quilt and then put an ugly, gaudy label on it. :shock:

My 2 cents worth. I label my quilts to grandkids. My labels for this year's graduate will say. " Where ever you go, what ever you do, take this quilt along with you. Wrap it around you, and when you do, remember God loves you and we do too." Along with my name, date and city. I print them out on the computer and it seems to last. The label from 2001 is still very readable. Janice

Label...Our quilt guild has been making "opportunity" (read raffle) quilts for many years. Last meeting a member brought in one she won many years ago. Hand quilted, lovely piece of work...no label. Some of our members have been around along time and they think they can at least trace back to the year it was made and possible some of the members that might have contributed to making it. That would mean the world to the lady that owns it. So label is good. It can be removed if it is re-gifted.
Signature...I do mine on the embroidery machine. I can't write worth a flip, you couldn't read what it said if I did...so the object of a label is to know who and when and perhaps why (graduation, birthday, etc) so if you can't read it because I shoulda' been a doctor, or because it faded, what good is it? Hand embroidering over your sig is a wonderful way to preserve it, and it certainly makes it very personal. But IMHO, I have chosen a pattern, fabric, cut, sewn, pieced, bordered, quilted the thing VERY PERSONALLY! So my label isn't my "real" sig, I don't really think it matters to my DG kids, or my kids, or my friends...they love the quilts...labels are personalized with cats or giraffes, etc, and not gaudy and I don't care what city I happen to be living in when I make it...I just want it finished and delivered and loved.

I like to put not just labels on my quilts, but also a QR code. The label tells the year, my name, the quilt name, etc. The QR code is a link to a post on my blog which has more in-depth information about the quilt, such as progress pictures, design choices and changes, and so on. If the quilt ever gets lost or stolen, I have the ability to add that to the blog post, so if someone finds the quilt, they can scan the QR code, learn that the quilt is missing, and contact me so I can arrange to recover the quilt.

I've had nothing but good feedback from people who have received my quilts with QR codes, they seem to love the "behind-the-scenes" info they get.

the method used to document (history) is not anywhere near as important as the history itself- any label, containing at least makers name, city/state and date is the bare minimum that should be added to every quilt we make- how we choose to put that information on the quilt doesn't really matter at all...just the fact the information is there.

Thanks Mom3 for the vidio. How wonderful to learn this.

I like to add a label with my name, date completed, pattern name and reason for quilt if appropriate. Have used Pigma pens in the past but will try my hand at embroidery now that I have an excellent tutorial to help me! Thanks for sharing the link!

I do mine on the computer, using an ink jet printer, adding a pic that goes with the name of the quilt. here's what goes on my label: Name of quilt (I love naming my quilts :-), date completed, my name, name of who did the machine quilting, because I don't....yet, type of batting used, and washing instructions. Should the label wear out, someone can redo as I hand sew it on and it can be easily removed.

I label mine for the same reason: genealogy and family history. I never thought of hand writing it first though (dumb me...) thanks for the hint!

I just love to see the date on the quilt from the date finished or given. I've seen a couple go as far back as 125 years and I think that is amazing. I know are more that go back further than that. The one I saw was hand tied but pieced on the front and the back. The present owner said the quilter was told it wasn't very good. She was 14 and it was her 2nd. Present owner is granddaughter and displays it proudly. her grandmother stitched the date and her initials into it in the bottom right hand corner on the back. Just happens to be owner's birth date (sans the year).

Many of you are going to cringe but I use a sharpie right on the back of the quilt. My initials and year.

I haven't been quilting long (2 rag quilts, 2 pieced quilts), and I'm still trying to decide how I feel about them. My brother and his small son received the rag quilts, my firsts. Now my brother doesn't know anything about quilts or quilting, but he chewed me out for not labeling it! He wanted visual reminder that his absolutely favorite sister (I'm sure that's how he feels about me, lol) made it for him. Fortunately, I had sneaked my initials and date into one of the blocks.

I don't expect anything I make to live long enough to be passed down. The quality of my work will never be heirloom, I can't imagine anyone being impressed enough by my work to hunt me down posthumously. So whatever I end up doing will be as unobtrusive as I can make it. I kind of like the idea of a hidden signature that the recipient knows about, but a casual glance would miss entirely.

Labeling is very important to me, years ago, in the early 80's, our girls were deep into softball, National titles were theirs...usually before a tournament, I would serve breakfast to the team..once I put on a white heavy tablecloth and put pens on the table..asking each one to sign, add a note, and date it..they did, next year it was repeated with the same tablecloth...what fun..now, girls are grown, but I still have the tablecloth and have turned it into a great quilt for my daughter..it brought her such smiles, some of the team are still connected..and this make it even nicer...could do this for any occassion...Now I will start this tradition with my Granddaughter is that is softball crazy...

Great Idea and with my new Baby Lock Ellisimo I can get my machine to embroider my signature. Will start practicing. I too like to see that date on a quilt.

My hand writing is so horrible. I hate writing anything by hand. Although I do understand what you are saying. and I believe that a hand signed quilt would be more personal. But I would also have to have it printed or no one could read it.

If you don't like how you write, write it anyway. Then print it also. A written signature is very special. Just pretend you are a doctor, like someone else said on this thread.

I have been accused of being a doctor, when people see my signature. ;-)

When all the work done in the quilt is mine, I sign it somewhere. Usually initials and the date completed. I try to place it inconspicuously and simply hand sew with small stitches in the top only or quilt it through all layers. In addition, it may carry a label on the back. I thought of this when I started making charity quilts where a group name is on the back. My identifying marks are not easily found. At one of our group meetings I told fellow quilters about this and they had not noticed the signings. It is fun for me to do this. I emphasize that if anyone else has helped with the quilt I don't do it.

I made a quilt for a family auction and didn't put a label on it. The winner of the quilt brought it to me and asked me to sign it. Luckily, I had a black Sharpie in my purse, so I put my name, the date, and the event, but I hated writing on the quilt. So ever since, I have put labels on my quilts. I will take a piece of muslin and bind it with the fabrics I used in the blocks. I also sew the label into the corner when I am sewing the binding on, so two sides are machined in and two sides are hand sewn. I don't sell my quilts. Never have, never will. Each recipient knows that the quilt is special, just for him or her. If I gave a quilt to someone and they gave it away, I would be heartbroken, unless it went to a son or daughter who would treasure it, too.

I am with you on this one.

Somewhat off topic.... Can you imagine how Daphne Greig felt when she traveled from Canada to the Quilt Market in Minneapolis and the US Customs agent forced her to write "sample" IN PEN on all of her display quilts.

http://daphnegreig.blogspot.com/2010...et-report.html

I print out what I want to say on computer (except signature, I do use my signature as I have recently found mamy of my family), transfer to fabric, then embrioder.

I try very hard to label my quilts, even the ones I make for myself, although I sometimes forget. However, when I am making a quilt for a family reunion, I make sure I label the quilt with my name, city, state and date of the reunion. I like to think that this is my way of being remembered but I also get a great deal of joy and satisfaction in making the quilts.

I agree with you - I don't put labels on 99% of my quilts. They are almost always gifted to others and I really expect them to be used and washed, so they will probably be worn out before they come close to "antique." I don't make any "decorative" quilts - my personal feeling is that if I spend all that time making a quilt - I want myself or someone else to enjoy snuggling it it on a daily basis - not pack it away for safe keeping and preservation. Even the most intricate/labor intensive quilts don't have quite the same appeal to me if it can't be used. This is not to say that I wouldn't want someone to take good care of a quilt that I made for them - I do want that - but not to the extent that the quilt isn't used all the time.

For example, I made my daughter a quilt that had a great amount of work in it, for her bed. Her room gets alot of morning sun and curtains and bedding fade. But, I love walking into her room and seeing it on her bed - she loves it alot as well and loves having it. The "Mom, I love my quilt" that I frequently get from her is a wonderful thing. The quilt will probably be ragged and faded by the time she goes off to college, but we will still have the happy memories of using it. That's more important to me than if she decided to save it for her future children. You never know what the future holds - so not using lovely or special things could become a major regret.

I do however, think a quilt should be labeled if you are expecting it to be handed down for generations to come/being donated to a museum/going into some type of quilt collection. It's always nice to know the history of these quilts.

I hadn't thought about it that way. I still like an embroidered label because it lasts longer but maybe I'll start signing it so my ancestors can see my actual signature.