Labeling a gifted quilt

A quilting blog that I follow was extolling the importance of signing quilts that you gift/sell. The discussion migrated to the topic of letting the recipient know how to care for the quilt. The prevalent recommendation was to include a card, but I believe the card will be long gone before the first time the person washes the quilt.

One woman suggested that she programmed her sewing machine to stitch the signature label onto the loose binding - and I thought Voilá ! Why not stitch the care instructions onto the binding!? (It will be visible from the back). I have dye sublimated some labels, but I like this much better.

I probably should have used white thread, but you get the idea:

FWIW, this one says:

Wash gentle - cool. Tumble dry low or no heat until damp.

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This is touching. My great grandmothers quilts had the date and a tiny embroidered heart right next to it. It’s as psychic as a connection I will ever have with that lady-staring at that heart trying to figure out who she was.

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Years ago I made a brilliantly colored quilt for my sister, and it reminded me of a tropical drink. I named the quilt Mango Tango, and made up a paper-pieced block on which I signed it (pardon the rough handwriting - it was freehanded on my domestic sewing machine, not programmed).

The block is on the back of the quilt. Definitely my favorite signature (of mine).

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Penny? :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

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My Grandma made all of us grandkids quilts & quillos when we were young. I still have mine, She sewn in corner of them our names & the year they were made.

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A signature and date is so important - we inherited a lot of quilts and have no way to find out who made them.

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I never remember to sign mine. I bought some iron-on labels so hopefully I’ll remember them in the future. It’ll at least be something.

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That is a brilliant idea!
“Wash me like fine lingerie. Cold water and dry in low.”

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I love your description.

I was interested to read that you shouldn’t line dry a quilt (especially not a hand-stitched one) - because the weight of the wet quilt can pop the stitching. It makes sense, but I never thought about that aspect.

Years ago I made a tunic that would be used as a hand down prize for the Varony

It had hand woven trim and was heavily painted
I added a care label to the back of it, I did have to touch it up several time
but it was in heavy use for at least 15 years before a new one was made and yet the
guys still wanted to be able to wear the older one when they where fighting!

Point is, care instructions help

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