Thinking of doing a wedding quilt "guestbook"
 

I was thinking of getting a charm pack or two (enough for the amount of people coming) and having them write their messages on that and putting them in a box. Then make a quilt out of it after the wedding.

Any suggestions? Is this a bad idea?

Baste 1/2 inch from each edge and tell people to write inside the lines. You should also iron freezer paper to the back of each piece to make them easier to write on.

You would probably want the writing on plain muslin. Buy yardage, cut into manageable pieces, iron freezer paper on back, cut squares, then use a permanent pen to draw borders 1/4" from the edge. This prevents people from writing into the seam lines. (Basting stitches will work too, but you would need to cut the pieces first, sew the basting lines, then iron freezer paper to the back -- which I think would be more work.)

You can get a couple of charm packs, but these would be used to create some kind of pattern around the "guestbook" squares.

I would also use a regular manilla file folder cut to size, then make a 'window' for the area available for the signatures. You can make a baseline with permanent market on the inside back of the windowed file folder to help them write their signatures. Have plenty of extra fabric for those who want a redo of their signatures.

When I tried other methods people ignored instructions and wrote in the seam allowances. Thus I developed the windowed file folder system.

I also found white or cream, could be tone on tone, fabric worked best for signature quilts.

Okay...so I should really use white or basic fabric for writing. I don't want to go crazy because I'm newer to this...but if I just use blocks I should be okay.

Do you think charms would be okay? I definitely what some color..colors from the wedding.

Great ideas!
AliKat is right......from what I've seen and heard, no matter how careful you are with instructions, there will be some that will write in the seam allowances, so I'd advise you to use her ideas.

You definitely want white or cream fabric for the signatures, but you would surround them with other fabrics. Charms would be fine! You will probably want to decide on a pattern first, though, so you know what size to make the signature blocks and how many charms you need. Try Googling "signature quilts" and then click on "images" to find examples online.

We are doing a fabric guestbook for my daughter's wedding; We will be providing muslin or tone on tone squares and a variety of fabric marking tools, eg. crayons, pens, fabric paint for folks to color, write or do whatever artistic thing their heart desires. I like the idea of a Fussy Cut template to keep things within a prescribed field. Afterwards i am going to incorporate the squares into a simple design using pin wheel blocks as setting blocks with sashing.

I think you have gotten great advice. One more thing...have someone sit with the blocks. I had extras and had to have some people do them over...because while I was WATCHING them...after I told them inside the lines, Yep, you guessed it! All the way to the edge. If I had to do it over, I would have a sample of writing to the edge sewn to another block to show WHY.

You don't have to use white or cream, but I would definitely suggest a solid or tone-on-tone pastel that matches the wedding colors. You want the signature squares to be light enough that the writing is seen. The file folder "frame" idea is one I have used, and I agree with soccertxi that you need someone to sit and watch and instruct. Memory quilts are wonderful gifts.