I am a new quilter and have been avoiding putting labels on my quilts. This is partly due to the hassle and partly due to not feeling like the quality of my quilts is up to par. However, after doing 8 lap quilts for Christmas gifts, lots of kudos for them, but complaints about them not having labels--I'm ready.

What is the cheapest and best source for printing them on my inkjet computer? I have heard the special paper is pretty expensive. I have tried to write on fabric with a special fabric pen but have not liked the result.

I'd love some expert advice!

I'm curious to see what others say as I am in the same boat as you... my labels look awful..

Some here print out the colored labels onto prewashed fabric, (no fabric softener) and then hand embroider over the letters. This is permanent and less expensive.

You iron the prewashed and pressed fabric onto freezer paper, cutting the paper and fabric 1/2" larger. Once the fabric is ironed onto the paper, trim to 8 1/2" X 11". This keeps the edges nice and clean, no fraying to get caught in the printer :D:D:D

i bought labels from ebay a couple times.they arent ink-jet,just a nice little fabric label.mine say -especially made for you-by grammy vail.i think they were 10.00 for 20.they had all sorts of sayings you could order.also,saw labels printed by the yard once at a quilt show.

i write on a cotton fabric w/ a sharpie permanent marker...Then hand sew the label on to the back. I put more of the history of where the quilt came from and who it was made by and the relationship (if any) to me (the quilter)

There aren't any labels that just iron on? Do they all have to be hand sewn?

i don't iron on because it might come off anyway...

I use the same method that amma uses and i used a picture from clip art and it printed out just fine but make sure you heat set the injet ink with your iron. I make lables for our quilt guild on the computer also.. I want to do a picture quilt for my grandaughter with her son one day.

You could make a signature block and piece it into the back of your quilts.

I have an embroidery machine so I make my own by embroidering on fabric....but you may be interested in how I put the label on the quilt - after I finish my label, I iron on a piece of Stem-A-Seam 2 to the back. It's 2-sided so you iron a sticky side to the fabric, then peel off the paper and iron the label to the quilt. Then I machine stitch around the label so it's ironed and sewed and so pretty permanent.

Sometimes I forget the label until after I've finished the quilt, this method allows me to still attach the label, then hand stitch it to give it that extra bit of security.