Label Decisions

Do you label your quilts?
My first quilts did not get labels. After I made a few I added labels, but I wasn’t consistent in how I did that. I know I embroidered my name on the back of one quilt. I remember muslin squares on the backs of others.
Then I realized I could program words into my sewing machine and it would stitch them out. There are several labels using that method, some with decorative stitch borders.
stitched label Later I discovered applique and started adding applique labels that matched the theme of the quilt. I remember a pine tree, a bell and a star, but I’m sure there were others.
During my painting phase, I drew pictures and shaded them with paint. Those labels also matched the theme of the quilt.
Somewhere along the line I got lazy and started writing on either the back of the quilt or the sleeve in pigma pen. It’s so much faster than adding a label.
Now I’m entering a quilt in a show that REQUIRES a label and I’m sorely out of practice. They actually look at the label and perhaps consider it as part of the judging? Not only do I need to make a label, but it needs to look nice. I don’t think writing on a square of muslin will do it.
I’ve narrowed it down to drawing and painting the label or stitching it out on my machine. I just have to decide which. Thoughts?

4 Responses to Label Decisions

Laura says:

February 7, 2020 at 11:40 pm

I haven’t heard of a label being considered as part of the judging process. If that is the case, I would be as careful with stitching it to the quilt as I would for any other stitching process in the quilt. I would also include detail in my label (title, date, etc…). I used to machine embroider labels like you have shown. I have also created labels on the computer and printed them onto fabric. Recently…I am lazy and hand write with a pen onto a piece of muslin, but I don’t enter shows anymore.

Whenever I entered a quilt show, the label was required in case the paperwork was lost…meaning that it must include name, address, and phone number so that the quilt could be returned.

Denise Waterfield says:

February 8, 2020 at 9:33 am

Hand embroider your information on the label.

Jennifer in Indy says:

February 8, 2020 at 11:44 am

When I have entered quilts in a show for judging, they actually cover up the label so the judge isn’t biased if they know some of the quilters. It is more for making sure the right quilt gets back to the right person. Pen on muslin would be fine!

Gayle says:

February 8, 2020 at 9:13 pm

When I worked at a judged show, the labels were covered. When I have helped intake on shows the label just had to have your name on it so it could be matched up with whatever paper work you sent in ti register it. I haven’t heard of that being part of the judging process. I used to make painted, colored, embroidered and applique’ labels. But now I just use a square of muslin folded in half on the diagonal in an appropriate size. I hand write the label with a permanent fabric pen. This way I can add a label before I know who it’s even going to. I have started using a small rectangle piece of fabric fused onto the back of art quilts. I usually pink or wave cut the edges. On those sometimes I just write with gel pens or fabric markers. I have also just written the info straight on the back of the quilt for art quilts. Or along the binding for bed quilts.