How to Make a Quilt Label? Master Creating Quilts That Stand Out

Boost the uniqueness of your projects by learning how to make a quilt label.

It’s already gratifying to have a quilt created by you. 

So, imagine the delight of adding a label containing information such as:

• • the reason you made it: graduation, wedding, birth, birthday, etc.
  • the quilter’s name,
  • the gifted person’s name,
  • a poem or memorable phrase, 
  • date and place of completion,
  • care instructions, 
  • the name of the quilt (you can call it, for instance, “West Coast Johnny” or “Doodle Doo Doo”), and other—lists Handi Quilter. 

Your limitation is only your imagination!

Read also

1. 1. how to tie a quilt, 
   2. how to quilt as you go, and 
   3. how to square up a quilt block;

This article investigates two parts of the quilt-label-making topic:

1. 1. how to make a quilt label, and 
   2. how to attach a quilt label to your quilt project;

Ready to make the first step?

How to make and what to put on quilt label

Like in every other creative department, discovering how to label a quilt may mean making it from scratch or using some ready-made aids.

You can, for example, use June Tailor quilt label fabric sheets to print the content of your labels on a regular home printer and put them directly on your quilt. Check these June Tailor templates on Amazon and read our take on quilt kits. You can also go for pre-printed fabric quilt labels.

Image source: Chatelaine

Otherwise, watch “How to Make Quilt Labels with Inkjet Printer” on the Needlepointers channel to put together fabric quilt labels by the yard:

Suzy Quilts notices that there are at least four creative ways to label a quilt:

Type of label	What is it	Where to get it from
Twill tape	Use a twill tape to create a moderately complicated label project on your lovely quilt. You can then machine stitch these pieces of twill tape into the corner when applying binding on the face of the quilt. Then, hand stitch the binding over. Discover how to bind a quilt here.	Here are some Etsy twill tapes to purchase.
Freezer paper and fabric	Use regular freezer paper to print your quilt label on a standard laser printer. We explain how to do it in detail below.	Buy a piece of fabric and a regular freezer paper at a grocery store.
Embroidery Read also how to applique on a quilt.	How to embroider a quilt label? Embroidery requires some extra time and practice compared to other methods, but it’s a great way to create unique, beautiful, customized labels no one else has!  To create your own custom embroidered quilt label, you’ll need: the best embroidery machine for home (check also the best sewing machine for quilting), embroidery thread (get familiar with quilting thread as well), a stable iron on tear away stabilizer, hot ruler guide—suggests Home Made Emily Jane	There is a lot to explore in the embroidery department.  How to embroider a name on a quilt? Explains Sarah from Fairy Face Designs.
Different types of woven labels	Head to Super Label Store online designers to create from scratch or upload your project for woven labels. Then, simply sew it onto your quilt.	The best way to get your woven labels is to visit the Super Label Store and find the best option for you!

Curious about the freezer paper method?

First, cut a piece of freezer paper and light-colored fabric, about 8 1/2″ x 11″. 

On the SewVeryEasy YouTube channel, Laura advises washing and drying your fabric first, but without using a fabric softener. She warns it will put a coating on a piece of fabric, making it unable to absorb the ink. Without a fabric softener, the ink will stay better and last longer. 

Position the freezer paper shiny side down on top of the fabric. Then, take an iron, set it on the cotton setting, and press the freezer paper onto the fabric until it sticks; a few seconds at most!

With a ruler and rotary cutter, trim both layers to the size of regular printer paper.

Put the just-made “sheet” into a printer like a regular printing paper. You may have to change some printer settings, but it’s a basic-level task.

After you print your label, peel off the freezer paper, and here you go!—says Suzy Quilts. 

Freezer paper has multiple uses. Check “What do quilters use freezer paper for?” by Charlotte Scott:

Read “How to use Freezer Paper to Print on Fabric” on Patchwork Posse. 

Image source: Happy Quilting Melissa

You can order your woven labels at Super Label Store to sew them onto your quilt project for decoration. But you can also enhance your garments and other textiles (towels, sheets, etc.) with 

• • care labels, and
  • hang tags;

Choose your product and get ready to start this new adventure!

“How to Make Quilt Labels Like a Pro”? No one knows it better than Quilting Daily:

1. 1. First, you’ll need a project. How to make quilt labels on the computer? To create a label project, use the software as simple as Word. You can also use more sophisticated tools, such as Adobe Illustrator. Choose an appropriate font and settings, and write your text. Edit it to your liking. Print a sample onto paper and make adjustments if needed.

Instead of printing your label’s writing, you can alternatively trace it by hand. Just make sure the writing is dark enough to show through your fabric, or do it with a lightbox or a bright window nearby. Read more on All People Quilt. 

1. 2. If you fancy your project, go on and print it onto paper-backed pre-treated fabric. You can go for one manufactured by an established brand, such as EQ Printables Regular Cotton Inkjet Fabric Sheets, or create your sheet using freezer paper (we described how to do it above). 

Image source: Quilting Daily

1. 3. Take the printed sheet, center the text, and cut your label to the desired size, leaving a margin of space around the text, plus 1/4″ on all sides for the seam allowance.

1. 4. Cut 1 1/2″ wide strips from coordinating or matching fabric sewing quilting (read about types of fabric, types of cotton fabric, and types of polyester fabric). Sew these strips around your label, making a little border. 

1. 5. Layer the label with a piece of lining fabric, right sides together, and square everything up to the desired size. 

Image source: Quilting Daily

1. 6. Now, you can join the label and lining with a quarter-inch seam all the way around. Also, trim small triangles off the corners to reduce bulk. 

1. 7. Cut a slit one or two inches long in the lining. Turn the label right sides out through the slit and cautiously push out the corners using an awl or pointed tool. Press the label flat. 

1. 8. Sew your label on the quilt back using a blind stitch.

Read also our takes on:

• • how to make a tshirt quilt, 
  • how to make a rag quilt, and
  • how to baste a quilt;

Image source: Pinterest

What to write on a label?

Let’s start with how to date a quilt.

To date your quilt, indicate a day or month when you 

• • started working on your project,
  • finished working on your project,
  • gave your quilt gift to a person (for instance, wedding date or baby birth date);

You can list facts such as a date, but consider getting your creative juices flowing and writing down an inspiring quote or poem on your fabric quilt labels. 

Let’s see some examples by New Quilters:

Occasion	Writings
All-purpose	“Memories stitched with love,” “A good friend is like a warm quilt wrapped around the heart,” “Good friends, like quilts, never lose their warmth”;
Quilt label sayings for daughter	“Blessed are the children, for they shall inherit the quilts.”
Quilt label sayings for wedding	“To keep your marriage brimming/ with love in the wedding cup/ Whenever you’re wrong, admit it./ Whenever you’re right, shut up.”  Ogden Nash
Quilt label sayings for grandchildren	“In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was inside me an invincible summer.” Albert Camus
Quilt label sayings for baby	“A package of joy, a bundle of bliss/ This quilt for a baby was sealed with a kiss,” “Read me a story/ Tuck me in tight/ Say a sweet prayer/ And kiss me goodnight,”

There are as many ideas as people. Maybe there is a quote you and your friend especially like or a saying that only the two of you two know.

Image source: Home Made Emily Jane

How to sew a label on a quilt

So, you’ve got your label, and it’s time to fasten it to the quilt. 

You’ll usually put a label on a quilt on the lower right side when looking at the quilt from the front. However, it doesn’t mean you can’t sew your label wherever you like!

Amy Smart from Diary of a Quilter advises giving the label a bit of spritz of starch to 

1. 1. make it nice and crisp, and
   2. fold it back to help it have straight edges and become easier to sew;

Then, pin the label on your quilt, and using a hidden applique stitch, sew the label in place.

Image source: Pinterest

How to sew on a quilt label? Slide the needle through the label, quilt backing fabric, and batting, but don’t go all the way through the front of the quilt. 

Sew your label to the back of a new quilt before it’s washed to ensure your quilt itself is still a little stiffer. Then, wash it before giving the quilt away to ensure the label is still securely in place.

Tackle other quilting-related topics in our blogs:

• • pre-quilted fabric,
  • quilting fabric bundles, and
  • quilt blocks for beginners;

Image source: Quilting Daily