vivientan

My sister is getting married in October and I'm thinking of making a wedding guest book quilt for her as a keepsake. I will be getting precut charm squares and have guests sign on them, before sewing them all together into a quilt.

I'm concerned about not being able to wash the quilt as the messages will fade. I understand for ink to be permanent, they must be written on polyester and then heat set? I don't think ink can stay permanent on cotton?

Any advice on this will be much appreciated!

AliKat

What a great idea. A book instead of a quilt, if I understand you correctly.

I would suggest you use the same steps as for a signature quilt. Use all cotton prewashed and untreated fabric. No starch or sizing or softener or scent. Make file folder templates the same size as the material pieces you choose and so that the front is cut out where you want the signatures to be and you have ample seam allowances. I prefer to mark a baseline on the inside back cover of the file folder for the ease of those signing. Have plenty of file folder templates, pigma pens, and someone assigned [preferably more than one person] to supervise the process as the pens will "walk away."

Once you have all the signatures heat set them. Then you are ready to put it all together. You may or may not want to use interfacing to make the pages firmer. Your choice there.

ptquilts

I understood it to be a quilt, like an old-time album quilt. I agree, Pigma pens, and get a good quality muslin. I would use white or ecru for the signatures and work in whatever colors she wants around the signature blocks.

Pic is of some antique album blocks I worked into a quilt. They were embroidered.

soccertxi

Not only will the pens 'walk away', you need to have someone supervise WHERE they are signing. Even when you tell people to stay 'INSIDE THE MARKED LINE", they WILL mark in the seam! Ask me how I know! lol

I think Alikat's advice is spot on.

grammy Dwynn

I did a guest-book-quilt for DD. I ironed freezer paper to the backside, only in the signing area.. they still went past the seam area. Suggestion, draw light seam lines on front. Make 'extra' block, because there will be mistakes, while signing. We had 3-4 pigma pens available for signing. Good luck