A non-quilter here at work recently asked me about making and attaching a quilt label, and I showed her the basics. She was so excited about the simplicity of it all,  and I realized that QM readers might appreciate these easy techniques. So here you go: A Quick Quilt Label Method.

First, create the label in Word. Find a font you like and enter the text, line by line. I chose to center each line and to make the names larger than the other text. Because I prefer not to waste any paper-backed pre-treated label fabric, I often put text for a generic label or two on the same page. These generic labels read “I made this for you,” followed by my name and the year.

Print a sample onto paper and make adjustments as needed.

Here's one I printed on paper, but I decided I didn't like the ragged edges of this font.

Sometimes making the text bold is helpful but it depends on the font.

When you are satisfied with it, print it onto paper-backed pre-treated fabric.

Cut the label you’ll be using away from the other labels. Set the generic labels aside for later use.

Center the text and cut the label to the desired size. Be sure to leave a margin of empty space around the text, plus 1/4″ on all sides for the seam allowance; I usually make my cut 5/8″ outside the text on all sides.

Cut some strips 1 1/2″ wide from coordinating or matching fabric.

Sew the strips around the label like a little border. It really doesn’t matter which ones you sew on first.

Layer the label with a piece of lining fabric, right sides together.

Square everything up to the desired size.

Join the label and lining with a quarter-inch seam all the way around, pinning as needed. Trim small triangles off  the corners to reduce bulk.

Carefully cut a slit one or two inches long in the lining and turn the label right sides out.

Gently push out the corners with an awl or pointed tool.

Press the label flat and sew it to the quilt back with a blind stitch. Easy peasy!

It’s called The Bias Tool and it’s available from The Quilter’s Mercantile. Their photo shows how it fits perfectly on a half-yard cut. My fabric was a larger piece but it still worked well.  

The ruler guides you to cut perfect bias strips, and guides you to nip off the corners of the bias strips so they fit magically together, end to end. 

I usually do my bindings by machine, with a method that looks a lot like hand sewing. I decided to try a different final stitch this time, in contrasting thread. I’m liking the result!

Here again is my finished baby quilt, ready for the next little girl in my life.

I decided to play around and see what happened. The most obvious thing was to sew the rectangular patches together.

I made three strips like the one above.

I knew I wanted to use this fabric for some sashing. I love those little birds!

I sewed them together and liked what was happening:

I trimmed it up (no stressing over the irregularities) and started auditioning other possibilities.

Eventually decided against the red polka dots. A little too intense.

Landed here. I have an idea for the edge treatment, but first I’ll quilt the whole thing as a rectangle.

I love quilt basting spray for small quilts like this. I use just a few safety pins. I treated this as a practice piece for machine quilting. I tried all kinds of different ideas and it was really fun and relaxing. Here’a side shot of some clamshell-type quilting in the borders. It’s freeform, no marking and no stressing. I used pink thread.

Now I take the plunge: freeform cutting of the edges into soft, flowing curves.

I love it!  It’s just what the doctor ordered. In my next post, I’ll share a great tool for cutting bias binding strips, because of course on a curvy edge, bias binding works best.

I can’t stop making these lovely little blocks I call Windmills.

I started piecing them as “leaders and enders.” I first heard about leaders and enders through Bonnie Hunter at quiltville.com—it’s done while you’re chain piecing, but instead of feeding a useless scrap through the machine, you feed real patches through as “leaders” and “enders” to your chain. It’s like piecing for free, and eventually you end up with enough blocks to make something wonderful.

(Here the block is laying on a piece of pale green fabric.)

This is a super simple little block with small-ish patches. The patches are all cut 1.5″ by 2.5″. For one block, you need four patches from one fabric and four from another fabric, preferably with some contrast.

The only trouble was that I got so excited about these, I couldn’t keep myself from just making a whole bunch of them. They were like M&Ms. I could not stop! Then I started playing with them in different layouts. More trouble: possibilities galore.

To make a long story short, my pile of blocks has grown dramatically.

So far I’ve pulled out some green and blue blocks and made this baby quilt:

I quilted it with a new-to-me technique called “Just Leaf It” from Kim Stotsenberg. Kim has written a book by the same title, which I highly recommend.

You can read more about Kim’s technique in the Nov/Dec ’08 issue of Quiltmaker.

The back of the baby quilt with "Just Leaf It" quilting

This technique was amazingly easy and so very forgiving. I will definitely be using Just Leaf It on many more quilts.

Here are blocks I made last night, up on my design wall:

It’s saying “baby girl quilt” to me. I can hardly wait to get back at it.