Quilts are wonderful gifts, aren’t they? It is a gift that keeps on giving through chilly nights and can be passed down from generation to generation to show more and more love. There are four Important Things to Include When You Gift A Quilt! (don’t skip #4, ok?)
Most people don’t know of the behind the scenes work that goes into making a quilt… waiting for the moment of inspiration to hit, the planning, finding the perfect pattern, the shopping for the fabric, the time it takes to piece, rip apart, piece again, trim, quilt, bind, etc. etc etc. And it goes on and on.
Us quilters, we get it. It is a literal work of blood sweat and tears on every project…
What keeps us coming back again and again?…
We love it.
I may utter some different phrases while I’m holding my seam ripper for the 1000th time, but I love it. Taking scraps and pieces of string and making into something beautiful…
4 Important Things to Include When You Gift A Quilt
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A Quilt Label
It can be as complex as a custom embroidered label or as simple as a printed label.
This is an example from one of my quilts.Before I was able to embroider my own labels, I put one of these on each of my quilts. I purchased them from an Etsy shop. You can find labels of all sizes and shapes that are easy to order and personalize.
I found these cute labels on Amazon that were a good buy and were so cute! I’ll be ordering these as soon as I go through my etsy stash!
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2. A Key or short explanation & Quilt Care Instructions
If this is a quilt that you’ve added special touches to you need to write it down. Even if the person receiving the quilt isn’t the sentimental type, this quilt is a part of you and no doubt you’ve made several choices that affected the outcome of the final piece.
A lot of people will see just a quilt. But you will see 1,000 decisions made one by one.
If you chose the rose-colored border because it reminds you of the flowers your grandmother grew in her garden, you should tell her.
If a quilt is made from scraps and pieces from various pieces of clothing, document it! There are stories for quilts out there that have been lost with the generations before us because no one thought to tell them!
Don’t be like them!
You also have to include quilt care instructions with your quilt! I have seen so many quilts ruined in the wash simply because people didn’t know proper quilt care… and that is just not ok!
I have created a FREE download that you can include with your quilts to solve this problem! It also includes a bonus Quilt History sheet as well!
Fill out the quick form below and I’ll e-mail you a copy for FREE! š
3. A Gift Tag
I have a free download to some really fun gift tags.
This was created one day to not only to act as an icebreaker when people received a handmade gift from me but because they made me laugh. I constantly go through this cycle of creating gifts with my hands that aren’t always easy to create, and you know what?… sometimes I would just like it to be acknowledged.
That is all. You’re welcome to use them too because I like to share! š
Click Here to Get Access to the FREE (truly honest) gift tags
Edit: Because my sassy gift labels have been such a huge hit, I created a few more downloadable printables! There is another pretty file just for us crafty creatives with 3 pages of fun labels as well as a Christmas themed file too! I also included a “care” tag so your recipient will know how to take care of their newly sewn quilt/gift when the time comes… thanks to a suggestion from another one of my lovely readers! Thank you!
4. Remember to take Photos!
Make sure that you take photos of the quilt before you gift it – Last but not least… This is for your own records.
I promise you, as tough as this quilt was to make and no matter how much you think you’ll never forget it… take photos. Take lots of photos.
* Quilt folded nicely
* The quilt front and back in its entirety
* A “beauty shot” of it nicely thrown over a pretty chair
* At least one picture with you and the giftee and the quilt, if you can.
Years down the road you’ll be so glad that you did!
If you remember to check off these 4 things to do when you gift a quilt you will have years of your work documented. You will be so happy you have left your legacy of little quilts as best as you possibly can!
Now, go make some more beautiful things! <3
thank you for the reminder!
You’re so welcome! ?
Thanks for the tip, I am just starting and didnāt think to do those things.
great suggestions
Iāve just started quilting. I totally understand the blood, sweat, and time it takes. However, friends & family havenāt a clue. This is why your suggestions are so valuable. Iām thinking of including instructions on how to care for a quilt. Thanks so much!
Hey a care card is a really great suggestion too! Thanks for reading and Good luck on your quilting š I hope you’re loving it… Even the sweaty parts
The care information is critical. Imagine how heartbroken I was when my sister informed me that she washes and machine dries her quilt every single week (hot/hot) and that she threw it away because *somehow* it had become ragged and tattered. I dye-sublimate some simple labels to sew on the back of any gift quilts, but most people donāt have the equipment to do that. Care labels might be something you could consider offering in your Etsy shop.
i recently saw a queen size quilt that i gifted less than a year ago. It looks terrible, as though it had been through a hot wash, hot dry several times. I felt miserable. What should have been an heirloom looks like it wont last 5 years. š
Oh my goodness…. what heartbreak! š that is just awful! I mean, I’m sure the person didn’t know any better but still… I’m working on a care card download coming soon that you can gift with your quilt. a nice way to tell the recipient not to ruin their quilt!
Great ideas! Thanks for all your efforts.
You’re welcome! Thank you for reading them š
I am an old quilter, but I learn something new every day. Thanks for the reminders and for sharing your ideas with us all.
You’re very welcome! I’m happy to share. Thanks for stopping by š
Hope to use these ideas.
Love this!! Thank you! I just started quilting and realized I havenāt put my name on my first 3 quilts (maybe thatās a good thing?) but would like to start. I also love the idea of the card- to let people know you made it especially for them but also the humor? I have told the recipients that the quilt is meant to be used- as a blanket or decoration but that it is theirs and there is no obligation to me so donāt think it needs to be in sight when I visit- I would be much happier to see it on the floor with the kids than wrapped up in tissue in a drawer.
Hi Sally! I completely agree… quilts are made to be used not tucked away in a closet to preserve for decades without the light of day. I love to see a quilt that is loved and hanging by the threads š Good luck with your future quilts! And yes! Put your names on them!
Great tips! Another item I include are washing instructions to help with the care of the quilt.
I also include care instructions. I’ve created a pretty half-page file with care instructions and links to web pages that have ideas about quilt care. I print it on heavy stock paper and include it with each gift. If there are intense colors (I make a lot of modern quilts) I’ll also include a zipper lock bag with a few color catchers. I got this idea from a couple of gift recipients who after the first oohs and aahs began to ask about how to wash it, etc.
Including the Color catchers is a great idea! I always try to wash it a few times myself first before I gift it just to make sure
I also include laundry instructions. I once made a baby quilt and the new Mom called me in a panic because the little guy spit up on the quiltā¦ā¦she was afraid it couldnāt be washedā¦ā¦lolā¦..so i safety pin easy to read, typed info on a slip of paper.
Yes! I had that exact thing happen before too! Perfect additional tidbit for the new quilt owner! š
Great post with nice tips. I actually send stories with my quilts. Because the quilts Iāve made so far have significant meaning, I found myself thinking about the person I was making it for along with the quilting process I was going through.
For my daughter who is an engineer, I found a fabric kit called Fractals with bright colored batiks that were so āher.ā It was my first foray into building a quilt other than using squares. The story kind of wrote itself as I went along.
I also had fabric squares that were waved at my other daughterās wedding reception in lieu of throwing rice. She asked me in advance if I would make their wedding quilt with these squares. That definitely becomes a story! Especially as I get frustrated with the quilt-making process. I found that I could tell a story about building a marriage by explaining how I made the quilt.
Each quilt really has its own story, doesnāt it?
I love the wedding quilt idea! And yes! Every single quilt has it’s own story. That’s part of the reason for including notes with the quilts because as we spend hours and weeks even working on a quilt a lot of the thought process leans towards the receiver of the quilt. It’s something I think they should know… Not for selfish reasons but because I want them to know how much they are loved!
As sad as it is to have to say, photographing the quilt is necessary for theft purposes! Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people who like to steal quilts (and sometimes even claim that they made them themselves)!!!! You need to have documentation of your hard work to prove that the quilt was made by you, who you gifted it too and when.
This has happened to me. Someone stole a quilt I had made from a shop where it was on display and then actually tried to enter it into a juried exhibit. Luckily, I had posted pictures of it everywhere including social media and some sites that post photos of stolen quilts. About a year later, I got a phone call about a person trying to enter my quilt under their name. Eventually I got the quilt back but if it wasnāt for those photos I never would have.
All good ideas, thank you. I usually don’t like a label but I understand the purpose. I’ve used my machine to embroider (in a contrasting color) the info on the loose binding.
I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with a way to include the value of the quilt. If the receiver doesn’t sew, they have no idea of the cost of the materials, the hours you spent cutting and sewing, or the cost of quilting if you send it out. I’ve seen articles itemizing costs for quilt construction but seem impersonal. Ideas?
Debi, that is a really good point to bring up. You’re exactly right that those who don’t see or quilt have no way of knowing how long a project can take. Especially an intricate one! But of course we don’t sew for the glory, we see because we love the process…. But a little recognition would be nice at times too. – I came up with some “honest gift tags” ( you can search it at the top of my site) it’s a free download and it’s kind of a cheeky fun project to include with the quilt. It won’t explain everything, but it works as a good conversation starter for how much work and love you put into the project š let me know what you think!
Debbi, I love your idea to embroider on the binding. I think this is where I will put wash/care instructions. I love the card idea, but by the time the quilt needs washing I fear that the card will be long gone.
I have made many rag quilts for babies,and toddlers. I attach my business card and a card the same size with the washing and drying instructions printed on it. I attach the cards to the name tag i sew on but can be removed it the owner wants to remove it. I use the little plastic basting tags to attach it to my name tag. I always wash the rag quilt twice before I give it or sell it.
Great ideas and Thanks for sharing. I will include a small card with the gift card and definitely get some labels on my latest quilts. I’m making 3 baby quilts for nieces who are all due the end of June 19.
wow you have your hands full! Good luck with those quilts. I’m sure they’ll turn out beautiful š
Thank you so much for the ideas. I am a very new quilter and have not actually made a quilt yet. My husband got me the quilting/sewing machine I have been wanting the past few years. I started a quilt then got scared. Lol. Was afraid I would mess it up so put it away and decided to start with quilted placemats and table runners. Lol. They are turning out awesome so now I won’t be so scared to do the quilt. I hope. All of these ideas will really help me as my first quilt is being made for my best friend. I will use all of your suggestions.
Belinda
You are absolutely capable of creating a beautiful quilt, Belinda! What a lucky best friend you have! š Just keep moving forward and you’ll be knee-deep in quilts of your own creation very soon.
**I started including a box of color catcher laundry sheets when I gift my quilt.
Red fabrics can be naughty even after you prewash your fabric. ?
I forgot to add. Being a newer quilter, I Include a number to each of my quilts-as to how many I have made. Itās amazing how quickly the number grows!
Hey, that’s a really great idea Catherine! I’m afraid I am in too deep now to start that tradition š
My sister photographed every item she ever made and kept an album with info written on the back of each picture. She also used washable fine point fabric pens to print personal info on each item, either in the body of the piece or along the back edge of the piece. I have followed her ideas, as she taught me so much.
That is really beautiful to make an album of them all. I’m ashamed to admit in the beginning I didn’t document my quilts and I still run across a few of my pieces at friends houses where I have very little memory of them š
Taking photos for anti theft is great but you can also do a little “mistake” somewhere in the quilt and document that along with the photo. I learned that trick from an artist who was having someone try to claim her paintings as their own.
You are exactly right! What an awful thing to have happen… But something that can be prevented with a little thinking ahead!
Thanks a lot for the tips. I’ll put it into practice
THANK YOU
You’re welcome! Glad you found it useful!
What a great article! A few years ago I was kicking myself for being guilty of #4 . . . NOT taking enough photos. So, when a friend of mine asked me if I ever combined my love of quilt making with my passion for time lapse photography . . . I came up with this solution (to include with my gifted quilts):
https://www.quiltinginthefastlane.com/
I thought it would be a great way to show people how their quilts were made!
That’s really cool Todd!! Thanks for sharing.
I have had my “heirloom” quilts appraised and include a copy. I have found that non quilters appreciate the information. I always hope the information will keep it from becoming a dog bed. Yes, that has happened. Luckily? ? it was a lap sides quilt that I only had about $100.00 invested. Needless to say, they won’t be gifted another.
ouch! That hurt me to my soul… quilts made into dog beds are such a tragedy. Though I know a lot of dogs that are treated better than most humans, so perhaps it was a compliment? Still, not the intended recipient!
An Appaisal is a really good idea to include with your gifted quilt!
Thank`you so much for the free downloads for quilt care and history!
My friend has asked me to make a quilt using a very old quilt top that belongs to her family. I have decided to hand quilt it and my husband is helping me by building me a quilting frame and stands! I am really excited! i also remembered that I have a quilt top made by my great grandmother, so I plan to complete it as well.
Your info on the 4 things was very helpful. I’m so glad I ran across this!
What a sweet gift from your husband! That is going to be a huge help in hand quilting! Good luck!
I am new to quilting and I have been doing all 4 of these just by accident sInce my 1st quilt. I just came across an adorable quilting care instructions that really makes the quilt gift a treasure that is 8×10 that I place with a ribbon around the entire quilt. It looks so special and the person receiving one of my quilts then knows they are given something with love. Pure joy and the pictures of all of my quilts remain as memories to friends and family. Everyone should consider these 4 tips whether gifting or not a beautiful quilt. You are making memories 1 piece of fabric at a time.
Cynthia! Yes! You said it perfectly!
Great ideas! My mom, sisters and I like to hand quilt our quilts, which is a labor of love for sure. Years ago, we started cutting out a small fabric heart for each of us – we give it a quick kiss and put it in between the layers before quilting. That way our ‘love’ is in the quilt. These became even more special to my kids after my mom passed away.
Chrissy, I absolutely love this idea… it is such a sweet thoughtful addition to each quilt!
What a wonderful place to begin with quilting or even as a season quilter, I seriously look forward to many tips and tricks of the trade! My sister discovered that many quilts do have a storyline but many people are not aware of the history or reason behind the quilt! Thank you for sharing your tips on labeling and history for Quilts made by hand!
I think Iām going to like it here!
You are quite welcome š I’m glad you found the advice helpful!
I like the idea of making a āmistakeā in a quilt so you have that to identify in case of a dispute in providence. Iām ahead of the game with this as I make many mistakes!
Yes! I hate that it is even a thing you have to consider… but I’ve never had to intentionally make my mistakes either! š Lucky us?
Thank you so very much for your helpful suggestions. I have given most of the quilts I make away and never thought to include instructions on how to wash them or even to include my name somewhere on them. I made one for one of my twin daughters a year ago for a bridal shower gift and am making another one for her twin sister this winter and will definitely include your wonderful ideas! Thanks so very much!!
Hi Cindy! I’m so glad you found the tips helpful!
Dear Christen.
Thank you for the valuable tips.
I have made a picnic quilt for a friend’s daughter as a wedding present. I shall definitely remember all the hints from you and your quilters.
I am South African and a number of years’ ago we could buy fabric with the image of Mandela’s smiling face. I was told that soon it would be taken off the market because of copyright. So I bought a few meters and every quilt I make I applique his lovely face either on the front or the back of my quilt. It makes me feel so good. No matter what, everyone will know that this is a South African quilt!
Bless you all.
Aw! I love the little token you add to each of your quilts! It is even better than a signature š You have inspired me
I have a very old quilt that was my great grandmothers (lots in a trunk also) I have on my bed. I switch out quilts twice a year so i can enjoy them. Wish they had tagged the quilts so i knew who made them. I am the monarch in my family and started makin quilts for my children. I will use these tips wisly.
I’m so glad you found the information useful and I’m so glad you change out the quilts. Such a wonderful tradition and treasure to have of your family š
My Mother told me you are to sleep under any quilt that you are going to gift. I do this to all of mine. Might not be in my bed but usually fall asleep when I am putting the binding on it. So I consider it had been slept under.
That is such a sweet sentiment! I’ll have to remember that one! <3