Jeannette in NJ

My daughter has totally shocked me by asking me if it would be possible to collect signatures at her wedding and then create a wall hanging. I would appreciate any suggestions for how to prepare the fabric to collect the signatures and then what to do with them. The wedding theme is castles, she is a princess who is marrying her prince. Thanks, I am looking forward to your responses.
Jeannette in NJ

LoriEl

I think I would have the fabric washed, blocks made, and have pigma pens next to a stack of blocks. Instead of a register or next to the register and catch people as they go in. You may have to post a "guard" so everyone knows what to do. Catch them before they hit the bar! If there is a young person they would probably be honored to be the guard! If there will be children there, I think I would have plain light blocks that maybe they could draw a picture on with crayons. Make sure you have any seam lines drawn so no message gets caught it a seam.

carrieg

I did a signature quilt for my mom's 80th. I ironed freezer paper to the back of the fabric. I also penciled in my seam lines so the signatures would not disappear when sewing the blocks together. You could use 1 large piece & cut later, or layout precut blocks for them to sign.

Try doing a search on this site for signature quilts. I know a lady who did one for high school graduation.

dforesee

I did one for my daughter's high school graduation. I used small attic window blocks with the window white, in a throw sized quilt. It was finished and on display at her graduation tea where each guest signed a block with a pigma pen.

babyfireo4

I'm with carrieg, Iron Freezer Paper on the back of the fabric area you want signed. It makes it stiffer and easier to sign, plus it comes off easy to. :) Personal preference on the blocks though. I would precut so that the person could pick which color they wanted, or if it's all the same color you would have a signed and unsigned box. (no worries about the one person to tipsy to pay attention to any carefully drawn lines)

Dotziequilts

I did one for my daughter's wedding. I made the blocks ahead of time. I used fabric pens without trying them first. It did not work out well. I ended up getting permanent markers. My intention was to embroider over the writing. You know what they say about good intentions...

romanojg

The one thing that I'd make sure to do is to define the area they are to write in. You want to make sure there is enough of a boder around the blocks to sew them together when you are done. The other thing I heard of someone doing is to make a quilt the size you think you may need in a solid or tone on tone color and go ahead and quilt it so that you don't have to worry about the quilting distorting the names and then when the wedding is over the quilt is done too.

Scissor Queen

Instead of Pigma pens get a package of ZigWriters from the scrapbook department. The tips are more like a Sharpie tip and easier for most people to use. They're archival and don't bleed just like Pigma pens.

CoriAmD

thanks for this tip. I am going to be making a signature quilt for a class reunion. Question - do you still need to set the signature with a dry iron when using the ZigWriter pen?

Scissor Queen

I always heat set the ZigWriter ink.