I like to hand sew them to the backing before I sandwich it. Then either I or the long armer will quilt through it with the machine to make it even more secure. I leave a space to write in the finishing date with a pigma pen when the whole thing is done. If you are ever going to ship a quilt or put it in a show (even a local one) this helps to show proof of ownership in case of a loss or theft. For anyone to remove the label, the quilt would have to be damaged. Somewhat of a deterrent.