pnp26

Hi Everyone, I am new here and relatively new to quilting. My sister is getting married in September and I thought it would be nice to make her a signature quilt. I have my design picked out, but I need help with everything else. I want to be able to give it to her on her wedding day.
Okay so I was going to make the quilt and bring it to the wedding for everyone to sign but everything I am reading is telling me not to do that. So I am going to mail everyone a block to sign. Do I send the special pen as well to them, many people are out of state. I do have time to do a few at a time and wait for them to return the pens hopefully.
I read that I have to prewash the fabric, how do I make it so it doesnt unravel a lot in the wash? I also shouldnt use fabric softener right?
Whats with putting freezer paper on the back? How do I do that?
Once I get the squares back I have to set the ink, How? Do i just re-iron the square?
Is there anything else I am missing??

Mkotch

Yep, you will need a pigma pen and send it to each person, which can be expensive. Otherwise, they will use ballpoint or some other kind that either runs or washes out. Enclosed a note telling them they must use the pen and stay within the freezer paper! When you get them back, heat set the sginatures with an iron.

For one signature quilt I made, I cut out 3.5" squares, ironed 3" squares of freezer paper to the backs (gives them a clear area in which to write as well as stability for writing), and took them to the rehearsal dinner. After the wedding, I put them together and gave them the quilt later. (Now they are divorcing, but that's a different story!)

I prewash most of the fabric I use in quilts. Just put it in the laundry with my clothes, iron, and keep on hand to use. If you want to avoid raveling edges, just pink the ends, snip off the corners, or run a serging stitch along both ends. I don't bother - just cut off the ravels after it's dry.

WisWis

Welcome to the Board-sorry I can't give you advice about your quilt.

penski

that sounds like a lot of work to get the signatures ,maybe you could have the pens and fabric at the wedding for guest to sign,then put the quilt together with some photos of the wedding that were taken ,after you get it done take a picture and send it to everyone that was at the wedding, the pima pens are not cheap in cost

dungeonquilter

I made a signature quilt for a wedding. I had all the blocks made and ironed freezer paper on the back of them. The bride had a table set up for me and I used large pieces of the yellow signature fabric for the people to practice on before they signed. I think it helped, and these pieces became the back of the quilt. People drew pictures and had fun on the back pieces. The wedding was in October, and I gave them the completed quilt at Christmas the same year.

susie-susie-susie

It would be a good idea to have the squares at the wedding and make the quilt later. Give it to them either on Christmas or on their first anniversary. This way you can have extras available in case someone messes up a square. The pens are quite expensive and people tend to change their mind after they write something. The freezer paper stabilized the fabric, it tends to move and stretch when you write on it. Have a couple of baskets one for the blank squares and one for the finished squares. It will look nice and catch everyones eye.
Sue

oldhag

I am in the process of making a signature quilt for my son. the town held a benefit supper to raise money for him for his medical expenses as he is fighting PMP (psuedomyxoma peritonei). I cut fabric in 12 inch wide strips long enough to fit his hospital bed. I stabilized it using iron on tear off stabilizer and then put the strips at the guest book table and provided sharpie fine point pens to use to sign the fabric strips. I sewed alternating strips of fabric between the signature strips and now am ready to back it and quilt it. In the past I have made other ones for benefits, weddings, family reunions where the quilt was already pieced together and lightly quilted around the areas that needed to be signed. These have turned out fine and some are still being used almost on a daily basis. the first time the quilt is washed, put some vinegar into the water to help set the signatures to keep them from fading.

ShellyM

You may want to rethink giving the quilt on the wedding day. I made a signature quilt for my daughter and niece as a wedding gift. I took the squares to the reception and had guests sign. At both weddings, it became a fun activity and a great way to talk to everyone including those I did not know. Both brides enjoyed receiving the quilt later when they had time to read all of the messesages. Just a thought

Holice

It has been my experience that you will never get the squares back in time and correctly signed to have the quilt for the wedding. It just doesn't happen. The suggestion to give the quilt later is a good one. You might also consider:

Have the top made for the wedding but

Have guests sign on fabric for the backing instead of the individual squares for the front.

This worked well for me on a memory quilt for my mother. Didn't have to worry about guests writing outside the lines. They could also write more greeting or good wishes. And a minor point, she didn't have to look at signatures in the future of those who had died, separated or divorced.

The bride and groom can see what they will be getting and since the top will already have been made, you can have it ready amost by the time they get back from the honeymoon.