Making labels

When I first started to make labels on the computer, I used a product called Bubble Jet.  It is very good and at the time it was all that I could get.  You had to purchase the right fabric for it, which my local quilt shop used to stock.  When the owner decided to retire I bought all the fabric she had.  Unfortunately it is all used up and I don't know where to find more and I'm not really looking for it, if truth be told.
I have found two products I am very happy with.  One is EQ Printables.....Perfect for Photo Projects and the other is by Printed Treasures.  They are basically the same thing.  They are both pre-treated so all the mucking around of soaking fabric, waiting for it to dry, ironing it......... is done for you.  If your local quilt shop doesn't carry these products, you can order the EQ products from them
http://www.electricquilt.com/Shop/Printing/Fabric.asp
Printed Treasures cannot be ordered directly from Prym Consumer, the manufacturer but there is good information on their product if you read their website.  It does have a "where to buy" so you may find your a local dealer.  It didn't work for me.  I did buy mine at The Hobby Horse.
http://www.dritz.com/brands/showcase/details.php?ITEM_NUM=PT-100
One piece of advise I can give you about purchasing pre-treated fabrics.  Buy the product that has the highest thread count.  My EQ are 240.

I make my labels on my computer.  I have Vista so for those of you that have something else in their computer the directions may vary. I open up Microsoft Works Word Processor and then do the following steps.

1. Click on Insert and then go down and click Text Box
2. Click on Format and then go down to the bottom of that list and click on  Text Box
3. Another box will open that reads Format Text Box.  Click on size.  Move the height number up to 4 by clicking on the up arrow.  When you have that done, move over to width and move that number up to 6.  You have now created a text box 4" x 6".
4. Close this box down and you will see the outline of the text box on your document.
5. You can now go back to Insert and click on Picture.........from there either clip art or something from your picture file.  I have sometimes checked out what I want using Google and downloading it into My Pictures.
6. Once you have done all of this, you can start to type in exactly what you want.  You can change the fonts, the size of the text.......just do it your way.
7. The box will not show on your label when you print it.  It is only a guide for you.

Here is a suggestion of what you can put on your label.............

1. The Pattern Name
2. The Designer
3. Who made the quilt
4. The date
5. Did someone machine quilt it for you.......give them recognition
6. Did you make the quilt for a specific reason......birthday gift, anniversary gift, Christmas present.  You can put that on too.

For this label I traced one of the embroidery blocks in red and centred that on the label.  (I used to make snow angels when I was a child so I chose this particular one.)

If I am giving a quilt away to a charity, I don't put my name on the label.  I use a pseudonym.  I don't give a lot of information about the quilt either as you can see by this photo.  This quilt was completed a bit ago and is ready to be handed over to help keep a wee baby warm this winter.

Good luck making your labels.  They are important to quilts.  Too many quilts are now at Museums without any information about them.  No one knows who made them, or why.  Sometimes we don't even know anything about the pattern. 

Remember:

 Your quilt isn't finished until your label is on!