Easy Quilt Label Tutorial

You are making the most wonderful quilts but always skip the label at the end? It took you forever to make that quilt and now you are just soooo ready to gift it to your best friend - no time adding a label. Right? Nooo way...!! You took all the time making this quilt perfect from picking the right fabric she will love, to piecing a wonderful top, quilting it to perfection and then you probably finished the binding by hand. What if I told you it only takes 20 minutes to give that quilt the final, most personal touch? Are you ready to make it extra special? After reading this post you will always label your quilts because you learned how easy it is to make and attach a handmade label, making every quilt even more personal.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

So you made this beautiful quilt for your bestie. You poured in your heart and soul - every stitch was made with her in mind! Giggling at memories years... ermm decades ago (hahaha, the ridiculously high wine consumption didn't help it). Yeah... that was me with this one. My bestie from fifth grade is about to have baby boy number three and of course I had to make her something special. Of course it had to be another quilt.

I picked my most precious prints, cut and pieced everything with ultra accuracy, quilted it with love and even went super scrappy with the binding. All the love and all. But after finishing off the binding by hand I was done. Time to get this baby posted off to Bavaria after spending so many hours making it... I was done. You know what I mean, right? The quilt is beautiful and nobody will miss a label. But dang... it only takes 20 minutes and adding the final, most personalised touch to it. It's definitely worth it. Always.

I roped in my daughter and got her to write the label, traced her cute little handwriting and attached the label. Easy! And so ding dang cute. It's now Lissy's quilt and ten times more special if you'd asked me.

So are you ready...? Let me show you how I make my quilt labels. I promise, you don't want to miss an opportunity to add a label ever again.

Materials needed

I know, I know. You don't want to buy anymore stuff. You probably have enough fabric for the rest of the decade - and even more thread. Dang, let's not even get started on all the notions. If you are anything like me, you probably know the first name of each postie in town and only hope you can sneak todays parcel out of sight before your husband is noticing what's going on. 

What if I told you that you probably have everything at home? No fancy notions needed!! But yes, of course. If you like to have an excuse to finally invest in those fancy Japanese embroidery needles. Go for it...

Are you ready? Let's talk materials, my friends.  

Fabric:

You can literally use any of your quilting cotton for this (don't use canvas or similar if you can - as it can be a little tricky attaching thick fabric...). Go with your fave print to match the quilt or choose a solid like me and let the embroidery shine. Totally up to you! I used this Ruby and Bee solid by Heather Ross and Annabel Wrigley as I love the texture - it's matching the quilt I made just perfectly. Don't you think? 

Pen:

Here you can use either a water soluble pen like me (dang - they have them in pink and if there's a pink version I have to have it!!) or use a simple chalk pen. Whatever you have on hand really. But make sure it won't leave any traces on your fabric after you're finished stitching. You want to avoid nasty marks. Right?

Thread:

This is my favourite part. I looooove thread. All the thread - in all colours and weights please. Always Aurifil though. It was love at first sight and I will never go back - we are talking yeaaaars now. It's a true love story... For embroidery I like to use slightly thicker thread and Aurifil 12wt is perfect for that. It never tangles on me or tears. And dang, it comes in all the colours you could wish for. An alternative would be Aurifil cotton floss. It comes on these adorable little wooden spools and again in all the colours. Totally up to you!

Needles:

For so long I just used any of the needles I had flying around in my notions bag. And yes... they did the job just fine. Just a needle, right? But then a sweet friend introduced my to these fancy, new Japanese needles she discovered. And dang... they are the best. Super sharp and they slice through any fabric like butter. They are the best. I use them for everything now. From hand quilting to closing the seams of my bags and pouches. If I need a needle you bet it's a sharp little needle by tulip. 

Thimble:

There are so many thimbles out there! Like soooo many. But let me be honest with you. I only tried this one and I love it. They fit me great and I don't even feel like I am wearing one. I can't even count anymore how often I found myself doing the dishes still wearing it... But I am sure you have your thimble of choice. The one you swear by. 

Needle threader:

I always thought I won't need one - I have good enough eyes (for now). But dang since Netflix and Stitching is a thing, I like to concentrate on my show instead of wrangling the thread through the tiny hole. So a needle threader it is!! Despite relative good eye sight... 

Pins:

Again. Of course I also had to have the pins by tulip. Super sharp, pink, little tulip shaped pins? YES please!! Every. Single. Day. And ohhh my - they are so cute and proper little weapons. Perfect for matching the seams of your quilt as well...  

How to...

I promise, you don't have to have a major in home economics to make a cute label. A simple stitch will make the cutest little label and wee imperfections make it even sweeter. You don't want the perfect label, almost looking shop bought. This is your signature on the quilt you spent so long making, take the chance to make it even more personal. Don't trace a fancy font or copy someone else's template. Make this yours! See... I love, love, loooove my daughters handwriting and usually bribe her for this step of the process. It is just so ding dang cute. And I know my friend will treasure it even more knowing it was my daughter helping create this quilt for her new baby boy. A proper family heirloom. 

So after I got Klara to write the label for me, I trace her little letters using a simple backstitch. That easy. Nothing more fancy than that. I don't even use a hoop as I like to have full control over the material but that's of course up to you. Knot it all off and you're done! 

Next I cut the label to shape - roughly a quarter inch wider on each side. Then I fold under all the edges and press them in place. Finally I attach the label using a simple ladder/ slip stitch. It compelty disappears into the fabric but is yet super sturdy. Not falling off even though your quilt gets washed twice a week...  And that, my friends, is all!!! I know - so easy! You can totally do it. On every single quilt you make from now on. 

For visual learners... 

You have your needle and thread ready and know in theory what to do? But you are still not starting? Probably overthinking it all! I get it - I have been there too. Let's just do it together. Shall we?

In this step-by-step video tutorial I slowly walk you through each step in the process. My daughter shows you how she designs the label and then I share everything with you from threading your needle, knotting it off to tracing the design using a simple backstitch. And then we attach the label together onto the quilt. Super easy. Seriously, making labels is so fun, super fast and definielty the final touch to your beautiful handmade quilt. You won't ever want to miss this step again. 

So here we go, my friend! 

Super duper easy. Right? Especially if you have a cute little helper like me...

And now...

There you have it! My fave go-to materials and super quick technique to create your own quilt label, making your beautiful quilt even more personal. You now have the tools to make every quilt more you, more special. Every single time. Let's make all the labels my friend, eh?!

Wondering where to begin your quilt? You have a sewing machine but never attempted making a full quilt all by yourself but your fingers are itching? Join our free Facebook Group and let me show you every single step it takes to make a full quilt from scratch. Totally beginner friendly, I promise!

Happy Quilting my friends!

Love, Laura x

This blog post contains affiliate links, specifically I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I will never post a link to a product I do not personally recommend. If you click on an affiliate link and then proceed to purchase something from that affiliated website, I receive a small commission. This helps me continue to provide high quality, free content. Please send me an email to laura@sweetcinnamonroses.com if you have any questions.