" ... several years after the war ended, he sent the quilt back to Dorothea with a letter. He wrote that his wife was a quilter, and knowing how much love she put into every stitch of her creations, he couldn't rest until this quilt was returned to its proper owners."
"I think his wife must have him write that," said Kathleen.
Rosemary smiled. "Be that as it may, Dorothea had her husband's quilt restored to her, and it remained in our family ever since."
Summer looked intrigued. "How in the world did he know where to send it?"
"Well, I'll show you." Carefully Rosemary turned the quilt over to reveal a small section of embroidery. "Dorothea put her name right here."
"'Made by Dorothea Granger Nelson for her beloved husband, Thomas Nelson, in our sixth year of marriage, 1858. Two Bears Farm, Creek's Crossing, Pennsylvania.' " Sylvia sat back in her chair, pleased. "At last, someone who knew how to properly label her quilts."
(from: The Runaway Quilt, by Jennifer Chiaverini)
Labeling a quilt is something I really had to get used to. Years ago, when I nearly had finished a piece I so much wished to have it completed quickly now, I didn't like the idea to take more time to think about a label and to actually make a nice one to fix onto the back.
But over the years I more and more loved the idea to label my quilts. These labels do not only serve as a useful source of information in case a quilt gets lost. I found out that such labels are a beautiful signature and make the quilt even more personal and special. These labels add a heart to the "story" a quilt can tell ( I don't know how to say that better.)
In the beginning of somehow labeling my quilts I only stitched my "M" for Maria and the year in which my quilt was finished.
By now I find it very nice to take the time to tell more : my full name, the location(s) in which my quilt was made, maybe the name of the person the quilt was being made for, maybe any other special circumstances.
Some quilters write down their full address, some add good wishes or a saying, some mention the name of the pattern(s) or where the fabrics came from.
There are different ways to create a label. I love to take a piece of white muslin and write on it with a permanent fabric marker, sometimes - when I'm not too impatient - I stitch my words. It's also a nice idea to sew a special block for the back and to use that for a label. Some say you can buy labels or download and print them, I didn't try that out, it doesn't sound very "personal" to me, but maybe it looks very good.
