Steps in Quilting: Label and Binding

Labels are absolutely necessary for your quilts and wearable art. What information should a good label contain? That varies greatly. On my labels I put the name of the piece, my name and the date finished. Other people add where they live, laundering instructions (REALLY good idea if it's a gift), the source and name of the pattern and, if a gift, the intended recipient.

Labels can be made so many ways: cross stitched, machine or hand embroidered, photo transfer, etc., etc. I seem to be in a hurry to finish things so I write mine on the computer, choose a font and size that I like, then print it on paper. Using a light box and a permanent pen (Micron is my favorite for durability and non-bleeding properties) I trace the label onto a rectangle of matching fabric. Quick and easy.

Binding. Yes, you can machine bind your quilts and they will look fine. I just never do it. Call me old fashioned, but all my jackets have double fold bias binding that is machine attached to the front of the jacket then wrapped around to the inside where I hand sew it in place. It takes more time, but to me it's the final step before I send it out into the world for all to see. I can think about what inspired me, compare my initial vision to the result, see what worked and what did not. I cogitate on what I could have done differently, ask "What if?". And when I'm done IT'S FINISHED!

Lisa