Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Label tutorial... The Spoonflower way... Part 2

I get many e-mail questions about my label tutorial so I thought it would be best to give some more info.  Hopefully I'll answer many of the questions here.  If you have more questions please leave them in the comments & I'll do my best to answer them.


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Earlier this year I ordered new labels that match my logo. {Bottom Left}  I was in a hurry and didn't follow my own directions.  As a result I really don't have enough space around each label for a 1/4" seam allowance.  Lesson learned... follow your own directions!!

A few weeks ago I decided to design a new label with enough space and ordered the labels on the bottom right.

My new labels are 4" x 6" and I can get 63 from one yard of fabric.  Because of how Spoonflower's "yard" is set up I designed the label and then rotated it 90°.  If I hadn't I would have ended up with 60 labels and a bunch of partials.


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I often get asked for templates.  I've made 3 free templates that you can use to make labels.
They are over on Flickr.  When saving the file make sure to download the original size.  

The first is best for ordering a swatch.  It will give you four labels 4" x 4" with seam allowances.  Each finished label will be 3.5" x 3.5" when you piece it into a quilt back or turn the raw edges under for applique.


The template file looks like the image above.  Use any design program to add what you want for your label inside the squares.  Stay a 1/4" inside the grey lines as 1/8" from either side of the line will be sewn into your seam allowance.  Cut the labels out in between the lines as shown below.  The light grey is dark enough to be seen but light enough that it doesn't show in the seam allowance.


The second is best for ordering one yard of the same label.  It will give you one label 6" wide x 4" tall with seam allowances.  Each finished label will be 5.5" x 3.5" when you piece it into a quilt back or turn the raw edges under for applique.  You will get 63 of this label from each yard of fabric.


The third is best for ordering one yard of 3 different labels.  It will give you three labels 6" wide x 4" tall with seam allowances.  Each finished label will be 5.5" x 3.5" when you piece it into a quilt back or turn the raw edges under for applique.  You will get 63 total labels, 21 of each design from one yard of fabric.  Use this to create labels with different colors or artwork.

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So what information should be on a label?
Your Name
A way to contact you
The name of the Quilt
When you made it
Who quilted it
...and if it's a gift add who it is for.

I put my name, blog url, email address, address & phone number on all labels.
Then I hand write the name of the quilt, date etc. after I've made each project.

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I suggest piecing the label into your backing whenever possible.  This is for 2 reasons.
2. It is very hard to remove a label that has been quilted through and is a part of the backing.  While we wish everyone was honest & nice... sometimes quilts get lost or stolen and people remove the labels as a way of hiding who made it.  As you can see below removing this label would ruin the quilting in that entire section of the quilt.


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You can make more than just labels for the back of your quilts.

I made these small labels for when I make bags or other projects that don't have room for my labels above.

You can also print your logo or a design to incorporate into a project.
I printed my logo without any other information on a few pieces of fabric.  I sent one to Joan before market and she made me this amazing bag.

It's my very own customized Miranda Day Bag.

It even has a miniature fast forward strip on the back of the bag.

Joan did a "bag interview" with me on the phone.
Long straps or short?
Lots of pockets or not a lot?
Our conversation revealed to me why she writes amazing bag patterns.  She thinks of everything!
My bag has a lot of pockets including one with a zipper where I can stash my wallet.


Another cool thing you can do with Spoonflower is print things BIG.  I printed my logo really big and sent it off to Angela.  She quilted it and the result was my sign in my booth at Quilt Market.
{Of course she was looking at another camera!.. oh well!}

Here is a closer shot of it done.  I love the result & plan on hanging it up in my studio.


I hope this inspires some of you that have been e-mailing me to take the plunge!  If you have any questions that aren't covered here leave them in the comments & I'll do my best to answer you.


*note*
This isn't a sponsored post.  I don't work for Spoonflower & have never gotten anything free from them... they probably don't even know who the heck I am.  I just print my labels there & like the result.  I know that there is product on the market that you can use to print labels at home... but I've never been happy with any of the ones I've tried.






© 2011-2022 Julie R. Herman. All rights reserved.
No part of this tutorial or pattern may be reproduced without written consent of Jaybird Quilts. 

For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

26 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow thanks for sharing, i tried some small labels for my bags that i also printed from spoonflower, but hadn't thought of your other ideas, i.e. shop logo with quilting, just what i needed, since i am working to get my shop setup completed for weekend craft shows, thanks, now off I go to sew....

Unknown said...

one quick question, did you adhere a fusible web to your small labels? they look so stiff and crisp...

Anonymous said...

Spoonflower--"they probably don't even know who the heck I am". I beg to differ, missy! I bet they know. You are an up and comer. In fact, you may already be at the top. You are smart and talented (and pretty), and the entire qulting world will know you soon, if they don't already. I always smile when I see your name mentioned on someone's blog post. I feel like I "knew" you when you had only been blogging a little while.(I think I've been following you for a couple of years). I feel like I know you, your dad, your mom (not so much), your brother and sister-in-law, and those gorgeous babies of theirs. Keep up the good work!

Michelle @ Barabooboo said...

Hi,
I went to your Flickr site with the labels but when I tried to download the template (for the 3 different types in 1 yd) it wouldn't allow me because your photos are copyrighted and the downloading feature is disabled...
Are you able to "un-disable" it for the templates only???
michelletripper(at)yahoo(dot)ca

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for giving those little "learned-from-experience" tips. By sharing them you undoubtly saved a bunch of us some bucks.

Anonymous said...

OMG--I really do know how to spell, in spite of what it looks like in my above comment!

Live a Colorful Life said...

Thank you SO much for Part 2 of this awesome tutorial and all the information.

Anonymous said...

oh, they know....they linked to this on their facebook page

mascanlon said...

Thanks! Now if I had some graphic design ideas....lol. (And of course they know who you are! s someone already said...we knew you when!)

Carol said...

Thank you so much for sharing the template and tutorial. I"m a newbie to quilting and really appreciate this.

Auntie Pami said...

Yeah! Thanks so much for this Julie! I need lots of labels and this will be fantastic. Love the bag too.

Leena Salleh said...

Thanks for sharing...I have been searching around to make labels for my stuff...Love bag and the quilted logo! That is soo neat!

Jennifer Mathis of Ellison Lane said...

Julie, a big thank you for these details and the templates. I can't wait to try this out. I really appreciate the time you took to do this for all of us!

Sharon M said...

With the value of labeling all our quilts and your wonderful tutorial on this subject maybe we will see a surge in labeled quilts. Thank you for the help in getting me started designing my labels.

Lucky Duck Dreams said...

Spponflower rocks! I have made three different labels with them and even put pictures on them. Here is a link to a blog post I did of a behind the scenes look at how they operate. http://cyarnell.blogspot.com/2011/05/field-trip-tospoonflower.html

Tilly said...

Julie, thanks for the tutorial! For some of us that are "graphic design" challenged, it makes perfect sense! You Rock!

Brad Herman said...

Great guide and tutorial. Keep up the great work.

Foolish Feathers said...

Julie, excellent idea! I have been trying to invent something like this, but I have also found that the ink jet printer printed labels turn out horrible. I am so excited to try out the labels being printed by spoonflower! Thanks for all that you share with us; I think you have really influenced my Quilting.

VickiT said...

Great tutorial Julie! The large sized 'label' used for your booth at Market is awesome. The quilting done is beautiful and what a plus you now have that for any other show you might want to do.

The tote is just beautiful too. I really love the way the Fast Forward is worked into the bag that way.

I had to grin when I saw the tote hanging up so you could take pictures. It looks like it's hanging on the exact same shelving unit I have in my hallway which we use for towel storage. LOL I knew we thought alike.

harleywife57/ Mickey White said...

Thanks for sharing with us ! The big label for quilt market is so awesome ; as is your LAZY GIRL custom purse ! LOVE THEM !

Sooz said...

HUGELY helpful. Thanks Julie!

Teresa Marie said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Can't wait to start playing!!! :)

Antique Rose Designs said...

Hi I just discovered your blog. You are very talented. What a great idea for the labels. Just a question what pen do you use to write on the labels and will it be permanent or wash off over time. Thanks Carol

Anonymous said...

Thank you, so, so, SO much!! I'm often researching quilt labels and happened upon this by accident tonight, it's exactly what I wanted!

Unknown said...

As a person who sells clothing to the public, there is also a Federal requirement as to Fabric Content and washing instructions, Country of Origin. Someone it's bookmarked but I hope people will think of adding this to their labels - Not everyone may use all 100% cotton, but it's always good to know when to Wash cold, Tumble Dry Low. Love your lables and Spoonflower Rocks! Your tut is as inspiring as your quilts and designs.
Dee

LittleTreasuresbyAmanda said...

Thank you for this tutorial. I've been trying to figure out the best way to make labels.