How to Create Quilt Labels (6 Easy Ideas)

Some quilters will tell you that a quilt is not finished without a label. Quilt labels are the quilter’s equivalent of an artist signing their work of art. It may not seem important, but a quilt label can help tell a quilt’s story.

Quilt labels are relatively easy to make and there are lots of different ways to do it. At its most basic, a quilt label is a piece of fabric, with information about the quilt, that is attached to the quilt. In this post, I am going to review how and why you should be labeling your quilts and six different ways you can accomplish it!

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What is a quilt label?

A quilt label is a piece of fabric that contains important information about the quilt. It is usually attached to the back of a finished quilt

Why bother with quilt labeling?

It’s a great way to add a personal touch to your handmade quilts. If it’s an heirloom quilt, future generations will appreciate it.

If you plan on entering a quilt into a quilt show, then it will require a quilt label. Each quilt show varies, but typically you need to include the name of the person(s) who worked on the quilt, the name of the quilt owner, the name of the quilt (like the name of a piece of art), and contact information.

What label information should you include?

A quilt label can include any information you would like, but some common information put on labels includes:

• The full names of the quilt recipient
• The reason it was made: a holiday, graduation, wedding, or birth
• The pattern name or the name of the quilt
• The quilter’s name
• A significant date and/or location, such as the date the quilt was started or finished or the date of an important event
• Care instructions
• A special message

The information you include on the label depends on the intended use of the quilt. Is it a quilt for yourself, is it a gift, a baby quilt, or a family heirloom? Consider what someone in the future may want to know about the quilt and the person who made it.

Where do you put a quilt label?

A quilt label is usually attached to one of the bottom corners of the back side of the quilt. Of course, there are no real rules when it comes to quilt labels, so if you prefer to label the front of the quilt, then go for it! You can even turn an extra block into the label.

What size should I make my quilt label?

The desired size of a quilt label varies greatly depending on the type of label you choose to use. Store-bought quilt tags can be just an inch or two or handmade labels can be several inches. I like to attach my hand embroidered quilt labels on a diagonal, on the back corner, and they usually measure 7″ – 8″ wide.

Different Types of Quilt Labels

1. Hand Written Quilt Labels

The Pigma Micron Pens are popular among quilters and can be found at most quilt shops. According to their website, the pens have permanent ink, are fade resistant, and will not bleed or run after the ink has dried.

How to Hand Write a Quilt Label

Hand-written quilt labels are fairly straightforward. Before you start, it’s a good idea to practice writing on a scrap of fabric. To help keep your writing level, you may want to first mark a few straight lines using a ruler and air/water-soluble marker. Next, write out your label using a permanent fabric marker. Let the ink dry for several hours before heat-setting it with a dry iron.

2. Hand Embroidered Quilt Labels

Hand embroidered quilt labels are my favorite way to label my quilts. In fact, I have all my favorite hand embroidery supplies in my shop. It takes a little extra time, but it’s so worth it!

How to Hand Embroider a Quilt Label

There’s a lot that goes into hand embroidery, so I’m not going to write an entire tutorial here, but if you’re interested in learning more about hand embroidered quilt labels, I created an online course covering the process from beginning to end!

3. Machine Embroidered Quilt Labels

If you have an embroidery machine (or a friend with an embroidery machine) then this is a great option for creating your own quilt label! This makes it easy work of creating a quilt label. You can pick some fun fonts and add some additional designs that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. Also, embroidered labels won’t fade like ink will.

Here is my parent’s wedding quilt that I finished for them — you can read more about that in this blog post. The original center block was machine embroidered with their names and wedding date.

4. Printed Fabric Quilt Labels

Printed labels are a fun and super easy way to create your own custom label. This method allows you to add some extra design elements and ensures it’s easy to read – no messy handwriting here!

How to Make a Printed Label

To stabilize the fabric and allow it to go into the ink jet printer, you’ll need to iron the shiny side of the freezer paper to the wrong side of the fabric. Trim the fabric/freezer paper to 8.5″ x 11″ (standard printer paper size) and then put it into the paper tray. Print your own design as you would on a piece of paper. After it is printed, peel the freezer paper away from the fabric and let it dry for several hours. Jessica, from Quiltd Studios, suggests using a dye fixative as the last step. Using something like Rit Colorstay Dye Fixative or white vinegar will help keep it from fading in the wash.

Another option is to buy printable fabric sheets, like these from Avery, that can be ironed on. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

5. Store Bought Quilt Labels

Online stores have countless simple labels that you can buy and attach to your next quilt. Most of them are generic labels but some are really cute and fun quilt label designs. Most of them can be personalized with a pen or marker before being sewn or ironed onto your new quilt. Here are a few of my favorites.

6. Custom Ordered Quilt Labels

If you don’t want a generic label, online stores and Etsy shops are great places to get custom quilt labels. Custom labels like this can be an additional cost, but they’re good options for quilters that make a lot of quilts or sell their quilts and want a professional quilt label with their name.

Some of my favorites are the logos that are screen printed onto twill tape.

How to Attach a Fabric Label

Just like with the labels themselves, there are lots of techniques for attaching a quilt label to a quilt. For this post, I will explain how I sew my labels to my quilts.

Center and Pin in Place

I like to hand embroider my labels using a long strip of cotton fabric. Using a ruler, mark the center of the label with a water or air-soluble marker. Position the label in the desired position making sure it is squared up and centered. Again, I like to attach mine at the back corner of the quilt, at a 45-degree angle. Pin the label into place before sewing it to the quilt using one of the following methods.

Sew the Label to the Quilt

• If you are ok with the stitches showing on the quilt top, you can machine sew the label onto the back of the quilt and call it a day.
• If you prefer the stitches to be invisible, then you can hand stitch the label using a whip stitch or blind stitch, making sure to stitch through the backing fabric only and not go through to the quilt top.
• My favorite way to attach my labels is with a big stitch using embroidery floss, like how I sew my quilt binding.
• If you are sewing a small, loop-type label you can simply pin it to the edge of the quilt before machine-sewing the binding.  

Trim (If Necessary) and Bind

Next, trim the sides of the label using a rotary cutter and then attach the quilt binding. This isn’t necessary, but I suggest sewing your quilt label on before you bind your quilt, so it can be secured under the binding.

Thank you so much for reading!

I hope you were able to get some quilt label ideas for your next quilt project. I know that creating a good quilt label can take a little bit of extra time, but when done right, it can be the best way to make sure your beautiful quilt gets the recognition it deserves.

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