Getting married in 11 months - yay! I had a Bat Mitzvah when I was 13 and I wanted to get a picture of me and have everyone sign around it, like my mom had at her wedding. Long story short, the Bat Mitzvah planner wouldn't let me and made me get a guest book. And about 5 people signed it and I don't even know if we still have it.

So, wedding, I don't want to do a guest book. I get the idea, but for me, I know I'd never look at it again. I want to do something quilt-y instead.

My initial non-quilt idea was the picture like my mom did. But it didn't feel like me, I guess. Whereas something with fabric, that's a very me thing to do.

My first idea was to have everyone do a square (where they'd write a message, not just names... that's boring!). Then I'd have my photographers make sure to get pictures of everyone, and I'd print the pictures on the fabric. I'd then take the picture and sew it to that person's square, and alternate them into a quilt, so it's a checkerboard of pictures/signature squares.

My concern with that is that I'd need a really big quilt. Or if I limited it to just certain people, then I'd have a bunch of squares left and I'd make a 2nd quilt. So my next thought was to use a bunch of bright fabrics (I like bright) and give one square to everyone to write on. Then make a quilt that way.

Then someone suggested doing signature blocks but using it on the back of a quilt, since she's not a big fan of signature blocks or writing on quilts.

I figured I'd ask the experts for suggestions. Thanks! :)

My daughter is getting married in June and I would like to follow this thread for suggestions, too. I think that you are definitely on to a great idea. When I look back at my wedding photos I realize that many of the people that were there have since died and it would have been nice to have another memory from them. Little kids have grown up, but those immature signatures are priceless.

Does everyone have the ability to make a square? I like the idea of providing a square and having them write on it. You could provide the permanet pen for writing and a piece of cardboard under the square. You could then control the size of each square and the ultimate size of your quilt. IMHO.

I don't care for guest books either. I think your thinking is very good.

It's your wedding and do what makes you happy:)

Cardboard... so obvious and yet I wouldn't have thought of that! Either I'd have everyone do an individual square, or I'd say sign with your spouse/significant other and get the picture taken that way too, for the first quilt idea.

I'm forwarding your message to my sister ... she's missed that concept so far :hunf:

Wow We have all been thinking the same thing. My daughter is getting married in July. I have been trying to figure out how each family in attendance could decorate a block and then I would put them together into a wall hanging or quilt. Any ideas would help.

If you use tagboard and then tape the square on it that should provide a smooth writing surface, plus keep the squares pretty flat.

Use a good fabric pen, the kind you "set" with an iron. Voila!

And, it is Your Very Special Day. If you want folks to dress in alien suits, so be it!

Attached is a picture of a Wedding signature quilt that I made for my niece. I had the blocks all made, and used large squares of the yellow for practice for everyone. Some drew pictures, some wrote poems. I put the large squares on the back of the quilt. She sometimes hangs it with the back showing. LOL
They had a meet and greet in the church basement right after the ceremony, and that is when I had everyone (Kids included) sign the squares. I put freezer paper on the back of the fabric.

Another thought, have everyone sign on the backing of the quilt. Then you can put whatever pictures you want on the front, and use the same colored fabric as your wedding colors.

You can provide multiple colored pigma pens to match your colors.
You can iron on freezer paper to the back of the fabric to stabilize it.

Make the backing 8" - 12" or so bigger than what you want your quilt to be, and turn under the edges of it to keep the signatures where you want them.
If possible, hang it on a wall to make signing it easier for everyone.
Add a pretty border around it out of paper, crepe paper, flowers/vines or something to dress it up.
You could also cut the backing into 1/4's if wall space is too small for the whole piece. Just adjust the size to make it ample for the piecing and quilting process :D

No matter which you decide on, maybe assign a couple of people to this project, give them a guest list so they can check off guests names as they sign. Or one can take pics of everyone signing. If it is close to the door, you can catch guests coming and leaving :wink:

We just went to a wedding where every one asked to dress as a Pirate/shipmate/fancy lady/hag, to our surprize only one couple did not dress up. It was so much fun.

I provided squares for my daughters graduation. Everyone drew pictures with fabric markers. I later made it into a quilt it was lots of fun. My son just go married and we had a wooden bench everyone signed.

For a friend's wedding, I ironed freezer paper to a white tone-on-tone fabric and then cut 4" squares with my rotary cutter using a pinking blade. Then we asked everyone at the reception to write a message or sign a square using Perma pens we provided. The freezer paper stabilized the squares and the pinking prevented raveling. After the reception, we took the paper off the squares, ironed them to heat set the signatures/messages and then used them to make her a quilt.

If you hand out squares for people to write on mark a seam allowance because people WILL write all the way to the edge and then you will lose part of their words when sewing together. Ironing squares onto freezer paper is a great idea. Maybe a 4" freezer paper square centered on a 5" fabric square leaving a half inch seam allowance. That way you have schooch room.

I made my DS and DIL a wedding quilt. The front was a heart done similiar to a bargello. The back was done with 6" squares where the bridal party had written wishes on them. I then took their engagement photo and wedding photo, copied them onto fabric and made the back. They loved it. Hope this helps.

Or you could have the fabric over the correct size cardboard backing, with extra fabric taped to the back of the stiff cardboard.
That would keep everything the same size and no one could go out of the lines. Lots of people, adults as well as kids, tend to get artistic and go all over the "canvas" when signing names.

So not quilty, but....

We went to a wedding this past weekend and the bride (who admittedly is quite artistic) had drawn a tree on a really nice heavy paper, probably 24" x 18". At the reception, where the guest book would be, this was out, with red, orange and gold permanent ink pads (fall colors).

Each guest was asked to leave a fingerprint/thumbprint and put their name on/under it. Some people also left a short message. There were alcohol pads to wipe the ink off the finger.

By the end of the evening, it really looked nice. She's planning to frame it.

My younger son is getting married in April and I am planning to make them a signature quilt. They had some wonderful engagement pictures taken and I am going to print one large (8" x 10") (on fabric) for the center and put smaller pictures around it with large white border spaces sashed with black. Then do some decorative blocks with red, black and white (wedding colors) to use as a border. This (hopefully) will look something like a collage frame. We will diplay it on a large board (maybe foam) and supply some permanent fabric pens for guests to sign in the white areas. This will be wallhanging size so they can hang it later.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and good luck on whatever you decide to do!

My DD made signature blocks for our 50th anniversary. She put freezer paper on the back where she wanted them to sign.This made the pen work better on the front side. She also made a 1/4 seam line lightly on the block and ask everyone to sign inside the seam line. She had someone standing at the table where the blocks were so if anyone had a question they could let them know exactly what was desired.

Thank you all!! I appreciate all your input and suggestions. Esp about the freezer paper... wouldn't have thought of that either! :)

I was just going to say..don't forget about the seam allowances.

I got married last year just celebrated our 1 yr last weekend actually. I wanted to do I quilt to but everyone in my family convinced me that it would take to long while waiting in line. So insteadmy MOH sent out a 6 1/2 inch square with all of the shower invites& asked e eryone to put some thing on the square. They brought them the day of the shower & we collected them all & her mom actually put it into a lap quilt for us. We love it! For the wedding itself we got an engravable frame & Had everyone sign it. So we have what I wanted & what he wanted

At my step mother's 90th birthday party, I brought the backing of a watercolor heart quilt wall hanging I made for her to the party and had everyone sign it (some wrote some nice things too). I backed it with freezer paper so the fabric had some stability. I supplied different color fabric pens. Pictures were taken of some people signing. After the party I sandwiched the quilt, quilted it, put binding and label on and gave it to her. She loved it and put it on the wall over their bed.

"Dungeonquilter" your quilt is beautiful! I am going to be making one for our 50 yr class reunion and although it is not until 2014, I am already looking for ideas. This is great, thanks for sharing it and inspiring others

Have you thought about doing like the tumbling blocks and taking a picture of the church/scene where your getiing married and make that into a large panel and then cut it up and on the frame around each piece have them sign them. You can see the idea in the tumbling blocks picture area. Maybe it is window frame.
But I love the blue one up above - Great idea.

Whatever you decide, a strong suggestion that you and your new husband sign it also. I made a 50th anniversary quilt for my parents and never thought to ask them to write something for each other. Long after my dad passed away my mother said she wished they'd thought to sign it. You will have many happy healthy years and way down the road you'll enjoy reading what you wrote to each other.

And....mazel tov!

My cousin had a tablecloth that guests signed and she then embriodered the sig. I have had quilters sign a piece of batil fabric as I travelled. When I got home it became the center piece for a wall hanging using fabrics collected on the trip.

You might have everyone sign a large piece that would then become a table runner that is used for special occasions

I had 2 daughters get married this past summer & both wanted a quilt guest book.

One chose a piece of fabric for guests to sign - I put freezer paper on the back and arranged it like a tablecloth on gift table with fabric markers - this will be the back of her wall hanging. We plan to create a 'memories' front using photo transfers, ribbon, tulle, pieces from gown & attendants dresses, etc. (may be done by her 5th anniv. LOL)

The other one asked for a signature duvet. I premade 6" rail fence blocks & again ironed on freezer paper to stabilize while writing. 1/4" lines were drawn as a reminder to stay in the lines. These were put in a basket with markers for guests to sign. Blocks were given to relatives who couldn't attend the wedding. These will be sewn together to create the duvet cover top.

On both occasions someone was designated to mingle & remind guests to sign.

I wouldn't think of signing, coloring, painting, any fabric without the freezer paper backing. The threads can't move if secured to the freezer/waxed paper. The marking of the outside sewing line is also a must. I use this method for making my quilt labels.

Oh yes!! Darn, I made my parents an album quilt that all their children and grands signed with name, dob, sentiments, etc and never thought to make blocks for them :(
My Dad is gone now and my Mom would have loved it.
Lucy- good luck with everything !! Your sister comment was so funny :D

I did a quilt for my DD wedding shower. I had cut the squares out and told everyone to leave 1/2 inch for a seam allowance. I even had a sample on the table. Do you think people could follow directions....NOT!!!! I had quite a few squares that were cut off. Not much I could do about it when they wrote all the way to the edge.

Another idea for a "guest Book" thing. Not quilt related but very cute. My other DD just got married last weekend. They had a photo booth for the reception. It was a company that comes and sets up a small curtained area with a camera, computer, printer setup. Well you go and hit the button and the camera takes 4 photos. You come outside and the attendant (of the photo booth) has your pictures. 2 sets of pictures are printed. One for you to take and one that the attendant places in a scrap book. Pens were available to sign the book and write well wishes. It was a huge hit. You could go and take as many as you liked. It was fun to see everyone get together and do silly poses. Now my DD has this book forever.

Good luck with the wedding and try not to stress too much

:wink:

beautiful!

Even better than taping to cardboard: Iron each square on to freezer paper. Much easier and stablizes the fabric while it is being written on. It works, we did a king size quilt at church this way!

When my daughter was married, I had a small throw size quilt already made and the wedding guests signed the blocks at the reception. We used an archival pen and it worked fine. Besides, it was done when the wedding was over and I didn't have worry about finishing it. It worked well for us.

This is a great idea and beautiful

I like the idea of taking the seam allowance around something like freezer paper or cardboard...because even though I had seam allowance marked many people wrote into that area. It's probably safer if they just can't do that! I also had people sign on the wrong side of beige tone on tone fabrics even though I had someone at the table to help folks with questions etc. Yikes!

Another sentimental idea...I made my DDIL's wedding dress and at the last minute wrote their names and wedding date on the hem of the dress lining with blue pigma pen much like you might write inside a wedding ring. She loved it! I got the idea from that being done on Christening dresses handed down in families & worn by multiple babies. (Baby name & Birthdate embroidered on)

Every happiness for you and your groom!!!

Cut material in signature card size, attach these to slightly larger freezer paper. Have quilting pens in the colors of your wedding or whatever, you Have 2 people man a station. one for having guests signing in, the other could take pictures. then later you could put the pictures on whatever size squares you decide, and the signatures could be placed under the pictures in the form of separator strips

My DD is getting married in February. I was thinking of doing this also. I would love to see more pictures of some that have been done! :)

For my friend's daughter's wedding, I sent 6" squares out before the wedding, backed with a piece of freezer paper, typed instructions, and a stamped return envelope. I got most of the back and had the top done for the shower. I had designed the quilt firs with the appropriate number of white squares, and since I didn't get them all back, I added their wedding picture and put the "label" in one of the squares instead of the back. A design note - I made the squares to be set on point and very clearly told everyone how to hold the fabric to write, but some people just couldn't believe you'd write on the diagonal, and wrote with the squares flat. Now their squares are on the diagonal! :) Most people were VERY creative - they only had to write something to the couple - but I got back a square with glitter, a drawn cartoon and if you look about the center of the quilt, it's hard to tell, but it's Joe Paterno!

Many years ago, a dear friend was retiring. I provided the squares, with thee border marked, and let everyone choose what they wanted to put on the square. I put it together, and quilted it, and gave it to her at her retirement party. She was floored! Long story short, she cherieshed that quilt until she died, then her daughter inheirited it, and has it to this day.
If you want to do something like that for your wedding, you may just start a trend. In five years, will you remember who gave you the glasses, or the towels, or the sheets? Probably not, but I'll bet you will be able to look back and remember the person who signed your quilt, which will provide you with untold memories. And if you get enough signatures or individual quilt blocks for 2 quilts, go for it girl.
nanac