I am not an expert quilter but I do ok. My daughter's boss is retiring and the staff wants to give her a quilt with personally signed or decorated blocks from 80 employees. My dilema is. They want different colors. I think it should be white fabric or muslin. The blocks wil be 6-8 inches. Any suggestions on where to start? I will use sashing and quilt in the ditch. Hope this makes sense. I have a tendency to ramble and confuse everyone.
Thanks for reading.

If you check QuiltersCache there's a pattern for an autograph block: white area to sign and around it you can make it all one color or do it scrappy. It sort of resembles the Indian Hatchet block. Good luck with what ever you decide.

For signing blocks I like to use Pigma pens, 08, or 05 nothing smaller. I went to a baby shower and the grandmother to be says to me "Oh I meant to call you about a signature quilt". I have an awesome hubby, and I had just washed and ironed some bleached muslin so I was able to call him and tell him exactly where it was, with mat, ruler and cutter he brought them to the shower.
Remember to mark the boundries where they can sign, some will still sign in the seam allowance:)

I think a small white square in the middle with colored fabric around it might work.

Ironing the signature fabric to freezer paper is a good way to stabilize the fabric while signing. I would even fold under the edges to keep them in the center while signing it :wink:

http://www.quilterscache.com/S/SignatureBlock.html

I totally recommend ironing on freezer paper. It makes the signatures so much clearer and easier to write. You can buy special paper but I buy the regular freezer paper you can get at the dollar or grocery store. Just iron the wrong side of the fabric to the shiny side of the paper using a hot iron. When ready to join into blocks, peel off the paper. I hold it flat against the table to prevent it from stretching.

If you're making the quilt, you get to choose the colors! The signatures will be easy to read on white, and you can use bright colors for the rest of the pieces.
:-)

I've done a few of these for wedding quilts and brushandthimble is right, if you don't clearly mark the seam allowances then everyone will draw and sign to the absolute edges! :roll: Even when marked some will not pay attention and will still write in the margins.

Freezer paper is a great idea, as is making sure not to use too thin a pigma pen. I learned that the hard way and had to go over all these signatures on my daughter's high school graduation quilt. Let me tell you, it was time consuming and a pain in the neck! It's better just to start off with a .05 or better yet, .08.

What is the soon to be retiree's favorite color? If you can find that out, don't worry what everyone else wants. Either use the colors you want (since you are the designer) or the recipients favorite color.

And you are so sweet to do this!!!

Thanks everyone for the great advice and tips. I will keep everyone posted.

great idea.