khquilter

I have made a quilt for my daughters wedding reception and will have guests sign it. Has anyone had any problems with the pigma pens smearing? I opted to have a finished quilt rather than have guest sign a block because I have a lot going and wanted to make sure the quilt was finished since it is a gift. Has anyone else done it this way?

nativetexan

I haven't. perhaps you shouldn't add fabric softener to any of your fabrics if you wash them or the finished quilt...
also you might make a cardboard template with the center cut out that can be placed over the areas you want signed.

AliKat

Without a template and blocks you really do risk having some problems with signatures. Someone's hand writing may be shaky or food or other stuff get on the quilt.


I use my file folder template method because of this. I have had a lot of 'do-overs' because of how people signed them. Like: not signing in the area correctly so that part of their name gets squished into a tiny space because they started out to big ... and worse ... like forgetting their name???

With the time and money we invest in making a quilt I wouldn't risk anything but block & file folder template use.

Crqltr

I did this with a finished quilt...needless to say ot was a disaster. People signed all over the place, even tho written and verbal instructions were there. They also used any pen available..even with four pigment pens in front of them, they smeared ink, crossed out words, ect. this was in a professional place with professional people, not kids, so I expected better . Nope..wouldn't do it again!

Jeanne S

Perhaps you could assign a 'helper' to stay at the quilt to give instructions and hand out the proper pens--it might avoid the issues others mentioned. Like an attendant at the guest book, only at the quilt.

Jackie Spencer

Great idea!!!

cjsews

I have done this without any problems. You just need to tell the recipient to heat set the writing with an iron before washing the quilt.

Yardbird

Good advice from others about getting the blocks signed. A customer brought me squares from her daughter's wedding reception and they were a disaster as to the area in which folks signed. She didn't quite think it through because she's not a quilter. Wasn't enough clean "border" around the writing to actually sew the blocks together without cutting off the words. We figured out a work around, but it would have been better if someone had monitored the signing or if they had used a template. Good luck!