Quilt Label Ideas: What to Include and Getting Creative

Yes, you should put a label on each quilt you make. Some can be basic, others can be creative. Suit your style! In this article we’ll cover the basics that you should put on each quilt label, as well as share some of the creative ways quilters document their work.

Have you ever found a vintage family quilt or a quilt at a yard sale or thrift shop and wondered about its history? A quilt label will assist future generations about your quilts!

What basic information should be included on a quilt label?

The most basic label information is who made the quilt, and the year it was completed.

If the quilt is a gift or made for someone special or an event (like a wedding) take the time to include that information on the quilt label. You can include the maker’s name and the name of the recipient.

If the quilt is to be used on a bed or as a throw, it might be a good idea to include care instructions on the label.

There are no real rules for making your own label. Custom labels can be fun to make and are a great way to tell the story of the quilt. They can be as simple as a square of fabric sewn to the backing fabric of your quilt. Or as complex as some of the ideas below.

We asked some of our quilterly friends how they label their quilts.

Deb Cashatt
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I do put fun labels on my quilts. Usually I design them in Photoshop and have them printed.

Here are a couple of them.

Anatomy of a Murder #1 is a small piece I created as a companion piece to Tribute to Saul. I put an image of both quilts on the label and formatted the text similar to movie credits. (Saul Bass turned movie credits into an art form).
https://debcashatt.com/anatomy-of-a-murder-1

Purple Reign is about Sacramento basketball. I was a season ticket holder to the now-defunct Sacramento Monarchs WNBA team. When the team wasn’t doing well, I decided to make signs for each of the players. In 2008, I got to go “backstage” and meet a couple of them, so I added the photo of Ticha Penichiero, Ruthie Bolton, and me. Their jersey numbers are included in the quilt. Occasionally I go to Sacramento Kings games, I added the photo of me in front of the purple laser beam which lights the sky over Sacramento after a win. The beam in its symbographic form is also on the quilt.
https://debcashatt.com/purple-reign

Sue Sherman
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For the most part my labels are pretty boring. I used to print onto fabric but realized the inkjet ink wasn’t as stable as I would like.  

Now I mostly design the label in Word and print out onto paper.  Then I use a gel fabric pen and carefully trace the letters onto white fabric. 

The attached image is of the label for “Dear Humans. . . “, which is included in my interview on Create Whimsy.  I wanted people to be able to tell what all the animals were, so I made a key plan for the label. It’s about 10 or so inches wide, so bigger than your usual quilt label.  It’s pretty much the only “fun” label I have done.

Kestrel Michaud
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I do have a standard format for all of my quilt labels. They’re Certificates of Authenticity that I attach to the back of each one. I wrote a blog post about CoAs and why they’re important: https://kestrelmichaud.com/blog/2018/certificates-of-authenticity/

The information I include on my CoAs is talked about in greater detail in that blog post, but the key stats are:  Title, Artist, Date Completed, Medium, Materials, Dimensions, Copyright Statement, my signature.

I have made one “fun” label. This was attached to the back in addition to the CoA. It was an illuminated manuscript-style page that had the full Bremen Town Musicians story from Grimm Fairytales. This, of course, was attached to the back of my “Bremen Town Musicians” quilt.

Timna Tarr
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Usually I make labels just because I have to, not because it brings me joy. Most of my labels are quick and dirty. Hand scrawled – my name, town, the name of the quilt, and the year it was made. The label for “The Range” is a representative sample of most of my quilts.

Occasionally, I will have fabric printed of the inspiration source, if that is an important part of the quilt. The label for Mississippi Meander is one of those, since the quilt is so directly influenced by the original drawing. You’ll also notice that I have moved since I made that quilt (and many others!) so instead of re-doing the labels, I’ve just crossed out the old address. I feel like keeping that documentation is somehow part of the evolution of the quilt. But at the same time if the quilt is at a show, I don’t want it sent back to the old address on accident.

If I have leftover blocks or pieces of the quilt I may use those for the label like the one for “Circuitous Route”. This is more of a function of having the block next to me on the table, rather than any sort of intentional artistic decision.

Moral: put your name and year on the quilt for your future reference. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but in a few years you’ll be glad you have the year documented, and women should sign their artwork! 

Kristan Collins

For this quilt, Kristan printed the information onto silk organza. She started by printing a sample paper trying out a few different fonts before printing on the hand-dyed silk organza that she also used on the front of the quilt.

Here is a close up of the label and the back of the finished quilt.

Susan Garrity
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Learn more about Susan on her website

My usual procedure is to take a picture of the finished quilt, reduce the image and add my name, address, email, and anything else that the competition requires on the label.

For special quilts, like those made for a wedding, I usually embroider some like this (around the quilt picture): This quilt was made in celebration of the marriage of “bride’s full name” and “groom’s full name” on “date” by Susan M Garrity, aunt of “first name”.

Diana Fox
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Check out Diana’s website

I use the Business Card template on the computer and typically print 6 labels at the same time. You can see the format in the photo.  Sometimes I add a date but not always. 

I print onto ink jet fabric sheets, sew the four sides with a narrow hem, and then sew the label onto the quilt.

What are some ideas for how to make a quilt label?

There are lots of techniques for making a special label for your quilt. Here are some unique quilt labels and ideas to put your personal touch on your handmade quilts – whether it is a memory quilt, heirloom quilt or piece of art!

• The most basic is to use a permanent marker or fabric marker and write on the back of the quilt. If I’m doing something simple, I use a fabric marker or pigma pen on a rectangle of fabric. (Note: permanent markers like a Sharpie may bleed if the quilt is washed.) The rectangle of fabric can be backed with a double-sided fusible web such as WonderUnder and then just fused to the back of the quilt. Or, you can press the shiny side of the freezer paper to a rectangle of fabric to stabilize it while writing your documentation on the label. Peel off the freezer paper, turn under the edges of the piece of fabric and hand appliqué the label to your quilt.
• Not a fan of your handwriting? Use your ink jet printer and specialty-treated fabrics for ink-jet printers for a printed label. This is a great option if you submit your quilts to shows. You can add an image to the label so that when the quilts are rolled up the quilt hangers know exactly which quilt they are handling – from the back! Printable fabric sheets are available at most local quilt shops.
• Another simple way to label your quilt is to take a piece of twill tape and write with a pigma micron pen or embroider the basics on a length of tape. Hand sew this to the back of your quilt.
• Use your embroidery machine to stitch out the information you want on your quilt label. Turn under the edges and hand sew to the back of your quilt.
• Make art quilts? Your label can be a work of art, too! Use up the fabric scraps and maybe orphan blocks to create a unique quilt label.
• When making baby quilt labels, take into consideration that the quilt will most likely be in the washing machine often!

Where should my quilt label be placed?

Most quilt labels are placed on the back corner of your quilt. If there is a top and bottom to your quilt top, place your own custom label on one of the bottom corners of the back of your quilt.

Browse through more quilt tutorials on Create Whimsy.