Applique

Including text on art quilts is very easy to do. There are many options from which to choose. As none of these pieces are to be laundered, all of them will hold up well. If adding text to a utility quilt, I would recommed using appliqued lettering because the fabric and stitching can withstand use. For the applique on the quilt above, I used a manual die-cutting system. The dies are similar to these from Scrapbook.com and the machine is from Spellbinders. (If you click on these links and make a purchase on their site I receive a small commission. It does not change the price you pay.) An electronic die cutting system, such as the Silhoutte or Scan N Cut, affords you more options in sizing and types of fonts to cut.

Lutradur and TAP

There are times when you may want to print and iron on the text, rather than sew it on. For that application, I would recommend Transfer Artist Paper. The text on the quilt pictured above uses TAP. Remember to mirror what you are printing so that it appears properly on your project. The sheets are to be used with an ink jet printer. Another great printable surface is Lutradur. It does not have an adhesive applied to it, which means you’d have to sew your printed piece onto your quilt. Alternatively, you can iron a fusible web to it or apply another type of adhesive, such as matte medium. Read the instructions that come with your chosen method to ensure that it can be applied to polyester. It is always a good idea to make test samples before adding anything to your artwork. Also, any type of additive will change the hand of the product and may make sewing through it a bit more difficult.

In Stitch

Lastly, including embroidered text or incorporating it into the quilting stitches are other ways to have letters and numbers appear on a quilt. This is a subtle way to add text without drawing attention away from the focal point of the quilt. Oftentimes, whilst quilting the piece, I will stitch the name of the quilt and date completed onto the quilt or binding. The quilt pictured above has the name quilted onto the top left-hand side of it.

Memorializing in Stitch

The quilt below, Pulse, has the names of the victims from the Pulse nightclub shooting quilted along each of the quilting lines. The intention of including their names is as a memorial to those who were killed; sewing their names so they would not be forgotten. The close-up black section, also pictured below, shows the words “Love is Love”.