How to Make Tags for Quilts
Quilt tags provide a list of information about the maker and receiver of a quilt. Long after the owners of quilts with tags are gone, whoever owns the quilts will know everything about the blanket artwork. Quilting is a folk art craft that offers an account of history, showcasing materials available to a time period of quilters, as well as patterns that are passed on from generation to generation. By adding tags to homemade quilts, quilters include embellishment that ensures future generations will know and understand the details of their handcraft.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Word processing or drawing computer program
- Downloaded premade quilt tags (optional)
- Sheet of fabric paper
- Inkjet printer
- Quilt
- Iron and ironing board or hard surface
- 6-by-6-inch piece of freezer paper
- Embroidery needle and thread
Instructions
-
-
1
Design a quilt tag that is 4-by-4-inches on your computer by typing a list of information about the quilt. Include the quilt's name, the receiver of the quilt, reason for the quilt gift, who pieced the quilt, who made the quilt, materials used and date the quilt was completed. Add a border around your information that corresponds to the design on the quilt being tagged.
-
2
Use a premade quilt tag instead of designing your own. Download a formatted quilt tag that has the information included but you fill in the details of your quilt.
-
-
3
Insert a sheet of fabric paper into your inkjet printer. Print the quilt tag onto the fabric paper. Cut out the quilt tag.
-
4
Place quilt tag on the backside of the quilt, in either the center or one of the corners. Set the square of freezer paper over the quilt tag. Set the iron to the temperature instructed according to the fabric paper and iron over the freezer paper and quilt tag.
-
5
Remove the freezer paper and let cool. Embroider using a whipstitch around the edges of the ironed-on quilt tag, or use another decorative embroidery stitch to add a hand sewn frame.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you are starting from a blank sheet of paper to construct your quilt tag, include the type of information about the quilt, such as "who made the quilt" to the left side of the details, rather than just saying names, so other people can understand the tag information.
If you use fusible cotton transfer paper in place of fabric paper, flip the tag so you print the mirror image. Otherwise your quilt tag will not face the correct direction when you iron the tag onto the quilt.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Indian quilt for sale image by Tasha from Fotolia.com
