When I've made a special quilt that involves lots of hand embroidery and applique, I like to make a very special label to finish it off. Winter Playground was no different, and I'd been doodling some ideas fr the label for the past few weeks! I start off by sketching some ideas on paper with a pencil, then when I'm happy with the final design, I draw over the pencil lines using a very fine black Sharpie pen. The label template can then be used by placing a piece of fabric over the template, and using a lightbox and a fine pen, the design can be traced, ready for the hand embroidery. I use a Micron Pigma pen to trace the design onto fabric - the ink is permanent, so you do need a very steady hand. I prefer to use a pen with a very fine nib, size 005, in a pale brown colour. Using 2 strands of embroidery thread, the design is hand embroidered and embellished with applique. As you can see from the pictures below, I've used both a cute little bird and a rather cheerful looking snowman to adorn these labels. I've also used Karen Kay Buckley Bigger Perfect Circle templates to make the circular labels...
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...and here they are, hand stitched in place on the back of the quilt. I've used a fine thread, and the stitches just go into the backing fabric and the wadding, making sure not to go through to the front of the quilt. Now t's time to tidy my sewing studio, ready to decorate it for the festive season!
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