wedding guest quilt in lieu of guest book?
 

My cousin is getting married and rather than a guest book at the reception she wants to have quilt squares that the guests can sign. The squares can then be sewn into a quilt. It's a charming idea, but I'm looking for suggestions as to how to do this: Fabric squares and micron pens for guests to use? Should the fabric be stabilized first with fusible stabilizer? Any ideas for putting the said squares into a quilt? Has anyone seen this done?

Sorry, no suggestions myself, but the current issue of McCall's Quilting has a wedding quilt, with suggestions on how to set up the blocks for signatures, etc. Gorgeous quilt, there's a picture here: http://www.mccallsquilting.com/mccal..._Quilt_Pattern

I did this once for a birthday. Just make sure that a line is drawn around the squares so that they don't use the whole block and get cut off. I did n't use stabilizer on mine and it worked.

Either buy the prestabilized fabric made for computer printing or iron fabric on to freezer paper. Cut in squares and provide pens. Try to get people to avoid going all the way to edge of fabric, though some probably will whatever you say. Hate to have writing go into the seam allowance. It could be lovely!

Yes, that's a great idea. I recently helped a friend put together blocks that were signed at her son's wedding. It's going to make a beautiful quilt, and has signatures and best wishes from all their friends and families. I'm sure he and his wife will cherish that quilt forever.

I agree with LynnVT about ironing the fabric onto freezer paper first to help stabilize it. Also, adding a line, like Mona Marie suggested, would be a great idea so the guests would keep their comments and signatures within a certain space. As for what to have guests sign with, I find that the sharp-point Sharpie pens work well and the ink is permanent once it's heat set.

We have made several of these at my church. We ironed freezer paper to the back of the fabric for stabilizing, works great. Good luck

I did a log cabin table runner and had at family reunion sign and date it on the "logs" The center panel was a picture of the real log cabin where we all started from. We used pigma pens. I stabilized it by ironing freezer paper to the back and removed it before quilting. It was done in black and white...Turned out beautiful! Carol

Or is you don't want to draw all the lines- cut out squares of paper to lay on top of the fabric so the guests can use it as a "window" to sign within. Also Sharpies can run and spread when used on fabrics so you might want to stay away from them

I hate to have to throw this in . . . but make sure all the guests know to use ONLY the pen(s) you provide . . . and to not accidentally pocket one of those pens, after signing. Many people, used to using their own pens, just automatically return a pen to its accustomed pocket or purse. Maybe you could hot-glue a feather or something, to the end of the pen, as a gentle reminder.

No ideas, but it sure sounds like a great thing to do....for our 50 wedding anni they had a very large clay pot and had everyone sign it....then I sprayed it with a sealer and put bark chips in and planted an orchid...