Need suggestions for a Signature wedding quilt

[coffeebreak]

My daughter gets married in April and I was thinking to do something different..like her. She doesn't want a "guest book" with names...she bought some bottles of wine and will put a blank label on it and a tag (that I am making) saying for those at the table (bottle on every table at the reception) write a little something, or just sign on the blank labe. Then each anniversary they will open a bottle of wine and have the names/memories. Granted...toss the bottle, toss the names but I don't think she has thought about that yet. so... I have.

I was going to get a nice "autograph" book and do some scrapbook embellishments on it and I or her daughter would walk it around to everyone and ask them to sign/write on a page and then give her that on their first anniversary. But...I had the brain storm today...I am a practical person. Everything has to have at least ONE use, preferrably two! So... since I quilt...I will make a quilt for their wedding gift and....get fabric to write on and cut squares and take them around, have everyone write on the fabric squares and then bring it home and create some kind of quilt pattern with her fav colors and give her that for their first anniversary...if not before. This way, they get a quilt they can use (they are moving to Missouri) and the memories of their wedding and their friends.

But...I need some suggestions...on the fabric to use. I have some computer fabric "paper" that I use to make my labels....it is a peel off back and you just put it in the printer like normal paper and it prints out really nice. I could use that and get a permanent ink pen for the writing. I would think I'd want to cut them a little larger than finished size so I'd have room for the assembly seams and maybe if I want to cut them a little smaller...better to have them to big than to small but...how big is big enough? I do have a budget that dictates what I buy, so I'd have to start saving now. That is as far as I have gotten. I think she will have 100-150 people there.

Any suggestions on how to do this? what size should the pieces be? Is there a better option than the computer fabric paper? I have to have a hard surface for writing and a table cloth on the table won't be hard enough for good, legible writting. I thought a small clip board with the fabric on it ... or? And how to take it around the room...hopefully without my daughter knowing about it (I'll tell everyone to keep their traps shut, but you know how that usually ends up with that many people involved!) Do I just go to each table and stand and wait till it gets passed around to people at the table? I am going to try to get a guest list and cross off those that sign and hopefully get everyone...cross them off the list incase some aren't at their table when I am there, or...?

I'd appreciate any suggestions of any kind even on how to make this work and get the signature squares would be greatly appreciated! And if you have any ideas for the pattern to create the quilt..I'll take those to!

[sewlucky]

The May/June 2104 Quilty magazine has a fun (and easy) guest boom quilt in it. By the look of the photos in the magazine, it is just signed with a Sharpie fabric marker.

Quilty Magazine

Terri

[Cat77]

Ok, just adding a few of my thoughts:

- There is also the idea of a recipe wedding book I really like. You'll have to contact all guests beforehand (Your daughter probably has all their email adresses. That's cheaper and faster than snail mail) and tell them to bring an A4 paper (and tell them the page orientation - portrait or landscape) with their well wishes and a family recipe for the newly weds to try.

- I always liked this tutorial. It's for a baby shower but it could just as well be adapted for a wedding quilt, using your daughter's favourite colours.

- If you decide to go the classical guestbook route, you might want to check into individual papers that can later be bound to a book. That way, several people at once can work on it, you can leave the paper plus some pens at the table and check back later or have them bring it to a specified table. That way, you'll get more out of the whole reception as well, as you don't have to wait on people to finish writing their well wishes.

[mpattylou]

Just a thought here...you have to have some way to keep them from writing too close to the edge...we know about the 1/4" seam allowance, but non-sewers don't.

[Sandy Navas]

Just a thought here...you have to have some way to keep them from writing too close to the edge...we know about the 1/4" seam allowance, but non-sewers don't.

You beat me to it - you could use one large piece of fabric and measure off, drawing squares directly on the fabric and allow for seam allowance between them . . . wouldn't it be great if someone could create a preprinted signature fabric? (Maybe it is out there somewhere) . . .

[coffeebreak]

The May/June 2104 Quilty magazine has a fun (and easy) guest boom quilt in it. By the look of the photos in the magazine, it is just signed with a Sharpie fabric marker.

Quilty Magazine

Terri

Funny you send this... my daughters name is Heather!

[coffeebreak]

Ok, just adding a few of my thoughts:

- There is also the idea of a recipe wedding book I really like. You'll have to contact all guests beforehand (Your daughter probably has all their email adresses. That's cheaper and faster than snail mail) and tell them to bring an A4 paper (and tell them the page orientation - portrait or landscape) with their well wishes and a family recipe for the newly weds to try.

- I always liked this tutorial. It's for a baby shower but it could just as well be adapted for a wedding quilt, using your daughter's favourite colours.

- If you decide to go the classical guestbook route, you might want to check into individual papers that can later be bound to a book. That way, several people at once can work on it, you can leave the paper plus some pens at the table and check back later or have them bring it to a specified table. That way, you'll get more out of the whole reception as well, as you don't have to wait on people to finish writing their well wishes.

Cat - I was going to do an autograph book, but I think that will just get set out of the way somewhere and forgotten. I have this thing in me that makes me insist on everything I make has to have at least one use...preferable and usually two. And, my daughter is not really into that kind of thing anyway. I think she'd think "oh good grief, another useless thing to store!" That is why I thought of the signature quilt...at least she will use the quilt! But your mention of individual pages to hand out... I had thought of that and will hand out several squares of fabric with pens... and hope they will return them to me! I want to try to make it a surprise for my daughter but don't hold much hope for that with that many people! I am going to try to get a guest list and check off those I get back and maybe search for others. Long as I get 15-20 squares returned I can do something with them. I would hope those invited to the wedding care enough about her to write and return!

[coffeebreak]

You beat me to it - you could use one large piece of fabric and measure off, drawing squares directly on the fabric and allow for seam allowance between them . . . wouldn't it be great if someone could create a preprinted signature fabric? (Maybe it is out there somewhere) . . .

Sandy - yeah, I figure I will "pencil" one inch in all around the square for the writing space and the one inch will be for seam use or trimming to make equal...b etter to have extra than to have writing off the edges!

[Bjvarizona]

Other folks have suggested that making the quilt ahead of time prevents someone writing too close to the edge and the project dragging out after the festivities are over. I can easily see the enthusiasm being high before the event and waning after. So signing an area on a finished quilt really appeals to me. And they can take it with them along with the other wedding gifts. The blocks can be integrated with regular quilt blocks. Just some suggestions that really appealed to me when I read them. Bjv

[lapeoples]

When I do that type of quilt I iron freezer paper to the back of the area to be signed so it is stable. It helps keep the signature readable and it gives everyone the area they can write in. Doesn't take long and is much cheaper than the printer fabric.