Peas In A Pod

Exciting News and AQS

Good morning everyone!  Sorry about my little tantrum yesterday.  I think when I'm in a funk like that I should just Step.  Away.  From.  The.  Computer!  ;-)  Thanks for all the virtual hugs and encouragement.  I went to see the Odd Life of Timothy Green with Sweet Pea.  We enjoyed it.  I had a good cry.  That helped.  Oh, yeah.  And a couple glasses of wine when I got home.  LOL.

And then this morning, I had a text message from Shelly, telling me I was a finalist.  For what?  I had to think for a minute.  I then realized she must be talking about the Texting While Quilting Challenge.  I couldn't believe it.  I had to go look for myself.  But there it was.  I really am.  I can't believe it.  I'm so honored to be amongst the 10 finalists.  There are some pretty amazing blocks in there!  Go check it out!  This news this morning went a LONG WAY to cheering me up!

Last weekend, the AQS show was held in Grand Rapids.  I went.  It was pretty awesome.  I took a lot of great photos to show you.  But when I was reading the book I bought when I came in the door, it said that you could take photos, but only for personal use.  You weren't supposed to put any photos on the Internet unless you got express permission from AQS and the quilt maker.  Well, that sorta messes up my plans!  So, I'm sorry I don't have more photos to share.  I'll share a few, and I'll show you what Sweet Pea and I worked on as a result of our visit!

I did stop by the Primitive Gatherings booth to visit with Linda, The Quilted Pineapple.  She was helping them at their booth.  She has become such a rock star quilter, quilting for Lisa Bongean, the owner of Primitive Gatherings.  Very exciting.  I haven't seen Linda in so long.  It was really good to see her again.  We need to get together when we can actually talk, Linda!

I went by the Come Quilt With Me booth and saw my Lincoln's Watch quilt on display.  Pat told me it was a hit, and she had to tell people to quilt touching my quilt.  Haha.  She said some of my friends came by and took photos.  Thanks, guys!

One of the highlights of the weekend for me was meeting my friend Maggie in real life.  I have "known" Maggie for at least 4 years now, maybe more, via the Internet.  But we have never met in real life.  I told Maggie I credit her for me having a blog.  I met her through The Quilt Show website.  I put up some show and tells on a block-of-the-month program, and Maggie was kind enough to comment.  I did the same for her work.  We would strike up conversations, and just got along well.  (Before I joined The Quilt Show, I never would have believed I would have virtual friends.  But Maggie changed all that for me.  But that's a whole other post.)  When I moved away from Idaho to Michigan, I was so lonely for quilting friends that I really relied on my "virtual friends" to give me that social outlet.  Maggie was just a wonderful support for me.  So, I was really happy to meet her.  She is an amazing quilter, too, by the way.  She had a quilt accepted in Paducah last year!  Maggie, thank you for your friendship over the years!  I had a blast meeting you and having dinner with you and your husband!

I actually had a bunch more to show you...some pictures of a project Sweet Pea and I did together.  I had it all written up, with photos and everything.  But Sweet Pea forbade me from posting it.  She said, "Mom, that's private.  Just between you and me."  So, there you have it.  Sorry!

Well, I sure hope you're having a good day.  I'm having a better day today.  ;-)  Have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time,

 

 

Really Kinda Random: Warning, I'm in a Really Bad Mood

Welcome to Really Random Thursday!  I really appreciate that Cindy of live a colorful life lets us all tag along on this ride!

In case you didn't see it in the title....WARNING....I'm in a REALLY bad mood.  Have been for three days now.   I have some things going on at work right now that are making me absolutely CRAZY.  Extremely stressful.  And school hasn't even started yet.  (Actually, it will be a blessing for school to start....my contact and interactions with the students is the best and most enjoyable part of my job....so my job will be more pleasant when school starts!)

One of my colleagues, who's involved in the stress with me (she's on the good side of it, with me!) told me she picked up this bottle of wine for us to share, because we've been dealing with all this crap together.  She is so funny.  She is the one who gave me those wine bottles for my birthday.  I don't know where she finds all this stuff!  Yes, this is how I'm feeling lately.  I have many more negative thoughts I could say about it, but I will spare you all!

Have you ever worked in a really negative work environment?  I am so fortuante that where I work now, that is NOT the case.  Overall, it's a really positive place to be.  But I have worked at really negative places in the past.  I've had some administrators over me who were just awful....bullies, to be exact.  I saw this t-shirt at the mall one day.  It just spoke to me about those bullies I've worked with in the past.  This is so true.  They're gonna hate, whether you like it or not.  So, I try to tell myself to get over it and see if I can be part of the solution.  I also sometimes try to get myself in a position where I can make it impossible for them to make everyone else's life miserable.  But that's not always easy....

Don't mean to be a downer today.  But, hey, sometimes you just gotta keep it real, right?  This is my life. It's not all beautiful fabric and fibers.  Sometimes it's pincushions and burnt fingers!

We have been having just spectacular weather here in Michigan.  Last week, Sweet Pea wanted to set up the tent in the back yard and camp...she wanted to sleep outside.  Papa Pea is a good sport.  He set up the tent and camp chairs.  We sat out at night, drinking wine and watching Sweet Pea catch fireflies.  Then, we crawled into the tent to sleep.  My kind of camping.  Hot shower in the morning, and bathroom close by.  Didn't stop Sweet Pea from peeing in the yard in the morning, however.  But she peed all over her leg and jammies.  Haha!  I told her, I better start teaching her how to pee outside, if she's going to "camp!"  Instead, she decided to pee inside. That's okay, too, right?

One night wasn't enough.  We camped for a week.  It was great.  But I was glad to see my bed again!

I'll end on a positive note.  There is an intersection about 3 miles from my house.  That intersection marks the spot where a little township called Texas Corners begins.  Everyone knows this interesection by the name "Texas Corners."  I noticed the other day this little hair salon opened up at that corner.  Do you see the name?  Best Little Hair House in Texas Corners.  It pretty much cracked me up.

How come hair salons always come up with some funny names?  I bet you've seen some good ones, too.  Please feel free to share them.  They always crack me up.  And I could use a little giggle right now.

Please come back tomorrow.  I'll try to get myself in a better mood.  I'll share stuff about the AQS show with you!  I decided I'm gonna go take Sweet Pea to a movie and see if I can get out of this funk.

Until next time,

Margaret's Hope Chest

This weekend, I had the privilege of helping to sew for Margaret's Hope Chest.  Are you aware of this philanthropic group? The organization was born out of a tragedy.  A grandmother, Carin's grandmother (Margaret), was mugged in a parking lot in Michigan.  She fell to the ground and bumped her head.  She died two days later from the injury.  She was a quilter.

Rather than be embroiled in bitterness, her family started Margaret's Hope Chest, an organization that makes quilts for those in need.  You can read more about their organization here.  They put out a call for blocks a while back, and I was too much of a schmuck to make any.

But then Amanda Jean blogged that she was coming to Michigan to help with a work day to sew blocks together.  I thought, "I can help with that!"  So, I loaded up the car on Saturday to go to Grand Rapids to help.

Here is Carin, showing us a quilt her mother had made from some of the blocks they had received.  She showed us this as an example of what we would be doing.  This is actually the back of the quilt.  The front has the raw edges from where the blocks were put together showing--so the quilt will be a rag quilt.

Here Carin shows us how to assemble the blocks.  If you are interested in how to make the blocks, here is Amanda Jean's blog post for Margaret's Hope Chest blog that tells you how to make them.  (By the way, this week, Carin was on her way to visit a prison.  One place Margaret's Hope Chest donates quilts to is to prisons....for inmates and for children of inmates.  I find that quite moving, given how Carin's grandmother died.  You can check out her blog for updates on her prison visit.)

Here is the group getting ready to put the pedal to the metal and get sewing.  The Queen Bee, a quilt shop in Grand Rapids let us use their beautiful and bright classroom space in which to work.  How nice of them!

I only knew Amanda Jean when I headed to Grand Rapids to work with this group, but I met a whole bunch of really cool, nice people that day!  People came from Michigan, Ohio, Chicago and other parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, and I think Minnesota!  It was pretty awesome.

Jill and Jessica were speed demons and finished their first quilts before 11 am!  I couldn't believe it!

At lunch time, Carin showed us a quilt she made from an old antique quilt that she deconstructed, cut off the fabric that was not usable, and put it back together, adding some reproduction fabrics for the borders.  I absolutely loved this.   She did amazing big stitch quilting with some perle cotton.  Really fantastic.

Amanda Jean gave us a little trunk show of trunks from her new book.  She is so amazing.  I will save those photos for later, because I have a book review and giveaway for you on that!

Then, Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, a reporter for the Grand Rapids paper came in and took some photos.  She is very interesting.  She used to be a crime reporter.  But she told us that after 10 years of doing that, it sort of started to eat at her....hearing all the sad stories of people who died in crime, talking to their families, etc.  She said it starts to become part of you and it's very difficult.  So, now she writes a column for the paper.  She writes columns about Margaret's Hope Chest.  Awesome. 

By the way, she also self-publishes a pretty neat magazine.  It is called CraftSanity, and you can get it on etsy.  I ran across this magazine in a yarn shop in Grand Rapids.  I love it, because it's sort of all over the place.  It has sewing, knitting, crochet, and other craft projects.  In addition, it has recipes, etc.  Jennifer said it's whatever she's working on.  You know I'm sort of all over the place with my crafting, so it's right up my alley!

Another fun thing for me that day was that April, of Polkadot Sparrow came to help out.  I have been following April's blog for a couple of years now, but I had never met her in person.  So, it was a real thrill to meet her in person!  She is a delightful person.  Turns out Amanda Jean knows April, too.  What a small world the blogosphere can be!

Here is Lisa's finished quilt.  Lisa is from Kalamazoo, but I didn't know her until that day.  I did see her at our guild meeting last week and wondered who she was---she was a new face.  She just moved here less than a year ago.  I was thrilled to meet a new quilting friend from my town!

Here are some more finished quilts from the day....Sorry I can't remember whose was whose now!

This last one was mine.  All in all, I think we finished over 10 quilts on Saturday!  It was pretty amazing.  There were over 1,000 blocks donated.  How spectacular.

As a parting shot, here is Amanda Jean (who helped organize the block design and call for blocks), Carol (Carin's mother, and Margaret's daughter), Carin, and her sister, Amy.  A wonderful and amazing group of women.

It was really a nice day, full of fellowship and moving stories.  I was almost in tears a couple of times.  The spirit of hope these women give me is amazing.  I hope you will consider Margaret's Hope Chest as a recipient of your work sometime.  Or maybe even of your guild's work.  It is a very, very worthwhile organziation.

Thank you to the group for allowing me to participate!

Until next time,

Challenge: Texting While Sewing

Have you ever entered a challenge?

I haven't.  I've meant to.  But I've never done it.  Mostly, I chicken out.  Other times, I just don't have time to finish or start my project...or so I say.  Maybe that's just another way of chickening out.

A while back, Amy Friend of Made During Quiet Time, made a blog post about a contest she was hosting.  It's called Texting While Sewing.  You can read about it here.  Amy does some pretty amazing stuff with fabric in general, but I've always been amazed at the great stuff she does with text fabric.  You can see some examples of that in her post about the contest.

Basically, the challenge was to create a 12-inch block using fabric that has text on it in a creative way.  You could design our own block, use someone else's design (and give credit for it)...whatever.  But you had to use fabric with words on it.

I asked Amy if I could make my own text fabric, because I don't have a lot of fabric with words on it.  And, I really wanted to make a journaling block.

Also, one night in July, when I was in Minnesota, I went for a walk.  I was, for some reason, missing Iowa, where I grew up.  I have felt that way off and on, ever since I went back to Iowa last October for my mentor's award.  I saw this sunset when I was in Minnesota, took a photo (above; admittedly not a great photo....with my camera phone and shooting right into the sunset) because I thought the corn fields were so beautiful (hard to see in the photo), and suddenly knew what I wanted to do for my block.  I wanted to do a journaling block that summarized what I missed about Iowa and that indicated corn fields.

I'm pretty nervous to enter this challenge.  I know I won't win any prizes or anything.  I don't think what I'm doing is all that "wow."  But, I felt so compelled to make this...and I knew I wanted to make a mini-quilt, not just a block.

Here is the block I made.  I can't believe how nervous it makes me to show this to you all!

(You can click on the photo to see it larger, I think....if I did things right!)

I'm going to call this little quilt, "Sometimes I Really Miss Iowa..."  My journaling on the block starts out, "Sometimes, I really miss Iowa....," and it goes on to talk about all the things I miss.

I wanted to do a big sunset, with rolling corn fields below.  I wanted to use my reflections on why I miss Iowa, in my own handwriting, to indicate the rows of corn.  The block, itself, isn't very exciting (my humble opinion).  All along, however, I had in mind to accentuate the corn rows with  quilting, which I'll show you below here.  Then, I'll go back to the block and work up to the quilting:

Here is how it looks (and how I envisioned it) with some big-stitch quilting to further accentuate the corn rows.  (Click to enlarge.)

Back to the block and its construction.  Here is a more "straight on" photo before quilting.  (Click to enlarge.)

Here is a close up of some of my text.  Prairie Lights Bookstore is my favorite bookstore in Iowa City; the Airliner is a bar in Iowa City I frequented as an undergraduate; Swaney Equipment was my grandpa's implement store; Vanourny Implement was my other grandpa's John Deere store; Iowa Book and Supply is my other favorite book store in Iowa City; the Irish Democrat is one of my favorite bars and restaurants in Cedar Rapids (I really, really love a good Irish pub); the Vernon Inn was a great Greek restaurant that we used to go to a lot in Cedar Rapids.  Get the idea?  Some parts are sentences that talk about what I miss about Iowa.  The rest is just free associating different places I miss in Iowa....

I can show you how I did it, if you'd like....

I started with these cool ombré fabrics (is that how you spell that?) I picked up at Gruber's when I was there on my retreat in July.  I was thinking I had bought more, but this is all I could find.  As soon as I finished the block, of course, I found two more fabrics that were more yellow and orange that I had planned to use.  Oh well!

First I drew what I wanted my block to look like.  (Click to enlarge.)

Then, I drafted this paper piecing pattern for the sun.

Here is how that looked.  I was too chicken to freely sew the curve.

So, I made a template for it and appliqued it on using Aurifil's monofiliment thread.  (I'll do a post on that part by itself later.  I have a giveaway for you, too!)  I fussy cut the ombré fabric so that in the sky, all the lights were near the sun, and the sky got darker as it moved away.  I did the sun points moving from dark to light.

I made templates for the hills (and for the round part of the sun).  I used a heat resistant template plastic.  The round part of the sun and the hills were all appliqued using the same strategy.  I cut fabric to cover the template.  I folded the edge of the fabric over the top of the hill, used some starch, and ironed that edge over to give me a nice crisp edge.  I positioned hill #1 where I wanted it to be, and machine appliqued it, using the monofiliment thread.  Then, I appliqued hill #2 down, and finally hill #3.  I did all of that on a muslin foundation.  I then trimmed my block to 12.5" unfinished.

Then, I wrote my text, following the lines of the hills, in an effort to indicate the corn rows.  Maybe in this photo you can see my tiny zig zag stitches that appliqued the hills on.

By the way, I meant to put the lightest hills in front, and the darker hills in back, to get the perspective right.  But then I realized I goofed and couldn't fix it, because I didn't have enough fabric.  So, I just went with it.  I thought, "Well, the sun is shining on that hill."  Sigh.  (Although now, when I look at the photo, the hills closer to me are darker due to the sun lighting up the fields in the back and the exposure in the photo.  So, maybe it's okay!)

At this point, I put some batting behind the block and added some detail.  I took some variegated perle cotton I bought and did some big stitching to further indicate the rows of corn.

Next, I added some machine stitching in the sun rays.  I knew I wanted rays radiating....so I thought straight lines here would be good.  I used Aurifil 50-wt thread for that.

Now I'm stuck.  I can't decide what to do next.  I don't want it to get busy, so my inclination is to keep the sunset fairly "low key."  My first inclination was to use lots of flashy thread and maybe some beads, but I'm afraid that would compete too much with the heavy stitching and journaling on the bottom of the block.  I'm thinking some rounded lines in the round part of the sun, and some more straight lines in the sky...all with thread that blends with the fabric, like I did in the rays.  What do you think?  I was hoping to have this finished before I showed you all, but I felt like I needed some advice.  So, I didn't rush it.

That's all I need to do.  Then, I'll put a backing on, bind it, and call it done.  I am going to use some of the ombré for the binding.  I think I'll try to variations of light to dark with the binding but haven't quite decided how...

Like I said, I don't expect to win any prizes with this.  My goals were to (a) submit SOMETHING, and (b) get out the urge to create this little quilt to express my feelings about Iowa.  I met these goals, so I am happy!

Am I happy with it?  So far, I think it's okay.  It does look pretty much like I envisioned it.  So, that is good.

But I know others came up with some pretty creative stuff.  And I'm in awe of that.  If you want to see them, head on over to Amy's blog and check it out.  She's having a Mr. Linky party with all the posts.  I know I can't compete!  But I feel good to have overcome my fear of submitting something.  I can't believe how much I feel I am putting myself out there with this!  Whew!

How about you?  Does entering a challenge make you feel really self-conscious?

Until next time,

 

 

Tutorials: Finishing Your Binding and Making/Attaching a Quilt Label

Thank you all for your kind feedback on my Lincoln's Watch quilt!  I am still really happy with and excited about this quilt.  Sorry I was gone a couple of days.  My computer completely crashed (not its fault....I know what I did to cause it!) and had to have the hard drive revived by the IT people at work.  I can't believe how crippled I feel without my computer (both work-wise and home-wise!).

I forgot to tell you that I plan to use Lincoln's Watch on this antique daybed I inherited from my aunt, who inherited it from my great aunt when she passed away about 20 years ago.  I am so happy to have it, and it's going to go in our study when that is finished.  I think it will be great on that.  (I need to redo the mattress on the daybed, etc, before I display everything together.  I'll follow up with you on that when it's done.)

Also, I drove Lincoln's Watch up to Grand Rapids on Wednesday.  Pat Yamin is going to display it in her booth at the AQS show.  I'm pretty excited about that.  I'll try to get a photo for you on Saturday, when I go to pick it up.

I put the label on the quilt, and I thought you might like a tutorial on how I do my labels.  Not that it's the best way, but it's a way that works for me.  I know a few people who read this blog are somewhat new to quilting, so I thought it would be of help to them.

Before I get to that, I wanted to make you aware of a couple of other tutorials I used to help give me a really professional finish on this quilt.

First, I used Kathy's (of Stitch by Stitch) tutorial on Perfectly Cut Binding to cut my binding strips.  You can find it here:

http://kathystitchbystitch.blogspot.com/2012/07/how-to-make-bias-binding-tutorial.html

I blogged a tip to further help you match up and sew those binding strips here.

Then, recently Sew Modern posted a really awesome video tutorial on their blog for how to join your binding when you get to the end of attaching your binding to the quilt.  I have a couple of tools that help with this, but I alwasy find them cumbersome, and sometimes they don't work well.  This tutorial was WAYYYY easier than any of my tools, and it worked perfectly.  If you haven't seen Perfect Fit Binding Tutorial from Sew Modern yet, you should check it out.  Here's where you can view it.

http://thatswhatshesewed.com/2012/07/19/perfect-fit-binding-video-tutorial/

Now, here's how I do my labels (the photo below is NOT the label the tutorial is for...keep reading):

 

My plan was to use this leftover block for the label.  I was going to hand write the information on the label, because I always hear people say it's nice to have your own handwriting on the block.  Well, I just didn't like it when I was done!

And besides, I misspelled Lincoln when I wrote it and hand to cover it up with something; hence the black ribbon bow on this part of the block.  In the trash this went, and I went back to my old standby way of doing things!

I begin by going on my computer and typing the information I want to have on my quilt label.  After I get all this information typed and looking pleasing to me, I print it on one of the many pre-treated pieces of fabric for your inkjet printer.  You can see here I'm using a product by Jacquard.  But I've used many different brands.  I haven't noticed a lot of difference, although there may be differences.  Just follow the instructions on the package for how to do this.  It is very, very easy.

EDIT:  Make sure you choose a product that states you can wash the fabric after you print on it with your inkjet printer, or else your ink will run.  Some of these products give you more permanence than others.  Make sure your ink will be permanently set after you print on it.  The product I am using is called Jacquard Ink Jet Printing Cotton.  Here is one source, if you can't find it locally.  I have used other brands successfully as well.  This happens to be the one I have in my cabinet at this time.  The key is to read the label and make sure the package says it will be permanent (some will have you heat set the ink with an iron....this particular one does not require that).  This one lets you use it on t-shirts, quilts, and more....all of which need to be washed.

Here is a close-up shot of what is on my label:  I typically include the name of the quilt, the name of the designer, my name, where I live, who quilted it, where that person lives (if it's not me), and a date.  On this one, I included when I started it and when I completed it.  If I am making the quilt for someone else, I often put their name on it as well.  I chose this particular font for this label because it mimicks the font that Bonnie Blue Quilts tends to use for their logo.  I just thought it fit this quilt.

Next, I trim this up to have a 1-inch border around the outermost text.

For example, the word "Began" in the last line of text is the lower and most outer word on this side.  So, I line up my 1-inch mark here and cut both sides of this corner.  Then, I rotate the fabric and so the same thing for the uppermost text.

Now, it looks like this.  At this point, I will peel the paper off the back.  (The fabric is stuck to a piece of paper to help it run through your printer smoothly.)

Next, I'll grab a scrap of fabric from some of my blocks and cut strips to border my label with.

I sort of eyeball what I think will look good, given the size of my label.  In this case, I decided I wanted a 1-inch border, so I cut my strips 1 1/2 inches.

I cut four strips.  One for each side of my label.

Next, I cut two of the strips to match the length of two of my label sides.  Here I decided to do the sides first.

I sew those to the sides using a 1/4-inch seam allowance.  I usually use a thread that matches better.  I'd like to say I used this light colored thread for your benefit.  But, truth be told, I was simply too lazy to change the tread in my machine.  How bad is that?!

I press them open, with seam allowances toward my borders.  (I don't want to see them behind the white fabric.)

Next, I cut the remaining two strips of fabric to match the length of the top and bottom of my label.

Sew them on.

Press open, with seam allowances going toward the border.  Looking good!  Now, you could apply this to your quilt using a needle-turn applique method, or you could press 1/4 inch under all the way around and applique this on your quilt.  But I don't do that for several reasons.

1. I stink at needle-turn applique.
2. I don't always get the sides pressed just right and am sometimes not happy with the finish if I just press them under.
3. Sometimes, this white fabric is thin enough, you can see your backing fabric through it.

So......here's what I do next.

I use a trick I learned from Eleanor Burns and Fons & Porter along the way.  They use this method for some of their applique projects.  I get myself some lightweight, fusible interfacing like this Pellon product.  This is what I used in this case.

I use my label as a template, and I cut a square of interfacing exactly the same size as my bordered label.

I put the interfacing on top of my label, GLUE SIDE FACING THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY LABEL.  I know that seems backwards, but that's what you want to do.  (You'll know which side is the glue side, because if you run your hand along both sides of the interfacing, one side will feel bumpy.  That side is the glue side.  The bumps are little dots of glue.)  So, in this photo, the glue dots are on the inside, they are not facing me.

Using a 1/4-inch seam allowance, sew ALL THE WAY AROUND the block.  You don't need to leave an opening for turning.

Grab the middle of your label and the middle of your interfacing, one in each hand.  Separate them a little so that you can make a small slit in your interfacing.  BE CAREFUL NOT TO CUT YOUR LABEL!

See how I have made a slit in my interfacing, but my label is still intact?

Now, clip your corners if you like, and turn your label rightside out through the slit.  I like to take a chopstick and poke out my corners so that they are nice and pointy.

Here is how it should look on the front now.  Your raw edges are all to the inside.  Your label is facing out. 

Here is how it looks on the back.  My fingers are touching the glue dots, as they are facing out.

Take it to your ironing board and press it neatly.  MAKE SURE YOU PUT A TEFLON PRESSING SHEET UNDER YOUR BLOCK, OR YOU WILL FUSE IT TO YOUR IRONING BOARD!   

When you are done, you can peel it off your teflon pressing sheet easily.

Next, I lay my quilt on the ironing board and position my quilt label where I want it.  I often put it in one of the lower corners of the quilt.  See how nice that border sets it off from the backing fabric?

Next, follow the instructions that came with your fusible interfacing and fuse the label to your quilt.

Here, I am rubbing my finger along the edge, and sure enough, my label is stuck down.  This is awesome, because my raw edges are already turned, and I don't even have to pin my label before stitching it on.  Think of this fusing as a temporary basting to hold your label in place while you stitch it.

Next, I take a needle and thread and blind stitch the label onto the back of the quilt, just like I stitch the binding down on the back of the quilt.  I use a thread that matches my border fabric.

When you are pressing your label, try to make sure the interfacing is turned all the way to the back so it's not peeking out like this.  But if you do get some peeking out like this, don't worry.

Just use your thumb to pull some fabric over that edge as you blind stitch the label on.  That will roll that white interfacing to the back.

See how it doesn't show now?

And here is my finished label.  It is nice and neat.  It is exactly where I want it to be, and it is not wrinkled (these are two problems I have had with pinning the label on my quilt).  The interfacing keeps that dark backing fabric from showing through my label.  The label doesn't have my handwriting on it for posterity.  I suppose I could sign the label, if I really wanted my handwriting on it.  But I like how nice and neat this looks, compared to that first example I showed you!

Well, that's how I do it.  I know there are lots of ways to apply labels, but for me, this works well, it produces the results I like, and it is not difficult at all.  I think I completed this entire label, including all the hand sewing in about an hour.

I hope you found this helpful!

Until next time,