How to Make a Autograph Quilt Block

An autograph quilt is a great memorabilia to make for yourself or as a gift. As a child I remember my grandma having quilt blocks around the house and every now and then she would ask us grand children to sign them. I have seen autograph quilts assembled in a thousand different designs but there is a basic way to make a quilt block for a autograph quilt.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Avoid textured fabric, choose the carefully. A quilt can have a variety of different types and colors of fabric stitched together. But pieces that are meant to be autographed should be smooth and 100% cotton.

2. Wash fabric before cutting to avoid shrinkage that causes the quilt pattern to go off track. Bright, dark and white fabric should be washed separately.

3. Test ink on the colored fabric to insure it will show up nicely on the color. Avoid using fabric that has painted on colors, this makes it harder for the ink to penetrate and become permanent. The color of the fabric should be picked carefully.

4. Only use fine point fabric pens for autographed quilt blocks. A .01 point pen is best for small print and a 0.05 will work for larger print. If the ink has difficult showing up, you may retrace the autograph to darken the lines.

5. Cut your blocks to size before having them signed.

6. Back fabric with freezer paper to stabilize and avoid slippage while individuals are signing the blocks.

Tips & Warnings

• Combine signed quilt blocks with regular blocks to give a quilt a unique feel and touch. Just make sure all fabric is washed before sewing together to avoid color leakage to the quilt blocks when washed.
• Cotton is used for autographed quilt blocks because the fabric tends to hold in ink best and the ink is less likely to bleed.
• It is best to test a autograph block by signing a piece of fabric and washing it to see how well it will stand up to the test of time before having people sign the quilt. Wait at least 24 hours between signing the test block and washing it.
• It's best to have individuals sign the blocks before they are made into a quilt.
• Make several extra blocks for signatures to account for mess ups.