Crafting A Signature Wedding Quilt: A Couple's Guide

A signature wedding quilt is a creative way to capture the well wishes of loved ones on a special day. This quilt is a unique alternative to a traditional guest book, allowing guests to sign individual quilt blocks with their signatures and messages of love. The process involves selecting fabrics and colours that fit the wedding theme and personal aesthetic, choosing a quilt design, and then assembling the quilt blocks. It is important to choose the right permanent fabric markers and prepare the blocks for signing, ensuring guests understand not to write in the seam allowance. After the wedding, the blocks are assembled into a quilt layout, embroidered with additional sentimental words, and then quilted together. The result is a beautiful and meaningful keepsake that the couple can cherish forever, reminding them of the love and support surrounding their special day.

Choosing the right fabric and colours

The first step in making a signature wedding quilt is to choose the right fabric and colours. This step is arguably the most important, as it will set the tone for the entire project. There are a few things to consider when choosing the fabric and colours for your quilt:

Colour Theory

Colour theory is an important concept to understand when selecting colours for your quilt. The colour wheel, invented by Sir Isaac Newton, is a helpful tool that shows 12 hues, including primary, secondary, and tertiary colours. When choosing a colour scheme for your quilt, consider complementary colours, which are colours that are directly across from each other on the colour wheel, such as red and green, yellow and purple, or orange and blue. You can also try analogous colours, which are groups of several neighbouring colours, or triadic colours, which are sets of three colours spaced evenly apart on the wheel.

Value and Colour

Value refers to how light or dark a fabric is in comparison to another. For example, brown is typically considered a dark colour, but when placed next to black, it becomes a medium shade. The contrast between the two colours determines the value. Lighter fabrics tend to stand out more, while darker fabrics can create a sense of depth. Warmer colours, such as yellows, oranges, reds, and some purples, also tend to stand out more than cooler colours like greens, blues, and some purples.

Pattern and Scale

It is important to vary the size and type of patterns in your fabric choices. If all the fabrics have similar patterns, such as florals, the focus fabric may get lost, and the quilt may look boring. Solids, geometrics, or other patterns with a different scale of pattern can help create contrast and make the quilt more interesting.

Coordinating Colours

When choosing additional fabrics, it is recommended to start with a few fabrics that closely match the colours in your focus fabric. This will give you more confidence in the fabric selection process, especially if you are a beginner quilter. As you become more experienced, you can move away from matching colours and explore more unique combinations.

Fabric Types

Consider the types of fabric you want to use for your quilt. Printed fabrics can help pull a palette together by blending colours and adding movement. Flannel, cotton, and other materials can also be used, depending on the desired look and feel of the quilt.

Personal Preference

Ultimately, the choice of fabric and colours for your signature wedding quilt comes down to personal preference. Choose colours and patterns that you love and that reflect your style. Trust your instincts and have fun with the process!

Selecting the quilt design

When selecting the quilt design, consider the number of blocks you will need. If it is a wedding guest book quilt, making slightly more than half the number of blocks as the number of guests is a good rule of thumb. This accounts for couples or families who may sign a single block. Another option is to make one block per address you mailed an invitation to. For example, if you have 140 guests, you may end up with around 72 blocks.

The layout of the quilt blocks is another important design consideration. You can play around with the placement of the blocks to create a visually appealing composition. In the example provided, the parents' blocks were placed in the middle, while the remaining blocks were arranged based on their colours. You can also add borders between the blocks or a border print around the quilt centre to enhance the overall design.

Additionally, the size of the quilt blocks is a crucial factor in the design process. In the provided example, the blocks were cut into 3.5" white squares and 4" colour squares, which were then trimmed to 5" after signing. You may also need to consider the seam allowance when designing the size of the blocks to ensure the points do not touch the sashing precisely.

When selecting the quilt design, it is also essential to think about the quilting itself. This can be as simple or complex as you like, depending on your time and skill level. In the example provided, the quilting was done down the middle of the sashing strips in both directions, creating a simple yet effective texture.

Picking the right markers

There are several recommended markers that tick these boxes. The first is the Marvy Uchida Fine Point marker in black. This marker has been praised for its ease of use and dark colour. Another option is the Pigma Micron archival ink pen, which also has a very fine point. This pen is made in Japan and can be purchased in a 0.8mm tip size, which is ideal for fabric signing. If you're looking for something even bolder, the Pigma pen also comes in a 1mm tip size, which will show up clearly and boldly on the fabric.

If you're looking for something more readily available, Sharpies are a good option. They can be found easily and are known for their permanence, even on fabric. They come in a variety of colours, so you can choose one that suits your fabric colour. Keep in mind that some colours may bleed, so it's a good idea to test them out on a similar fabric first. Another option that can be found at Amazon is the Pentel Arts Gel Roller for Fabric, which comes in a 1.0mm bold line width and permanent black ink.

When choosing a marker, it's important to consider the colour of your fabric. For light-coloured fabrics, a black marker will show up clearly. For yellow fabric, for example, the black ink of the Pigma Micron archival ink pen worked especially well. If your fabric is dark, you may want to opt for a silver or gold marker, which will stand out against the fabric. It's always a good idea to test the markers on a similar fabric first to ensure that they don't bleed and that you're happy with the colour and thickness of the line.

Preparing the quilt blocks for signing

The first step in making a signature wedding quilt is to design the quilt blocks that will be signed by your guests. Decide on the size and shape of the blocks, as well as the fabric and colours you want to use. It's important to choose a fabric that will hold up well to writing, such as Kona Cotton. You can cut the fabric into squares or triangles, depending on your preferred design.

Once you have your fabric cut to size, you'll need to prepare it for signing. One method is to use freezer paper, which you can iron onto the back of each block to make it easier for guests to write on. Cut the freezer paper into squares slightly smaller than your fabric blocks (for example, if your fabric blocks are 5" x 5", cut the freezer paper into 3" x 3" squares). Place the shiny side of the freezer paper down onto the wrong side of the fabric and use a dry iron to press it into place.

Another important consideration is choosing the right fabric markers. Permanent fabric markers are best, as they will ensure that the signatures and well-wishes don't fade over time. Test out a few different options to find the one that writes smoothly and shows up clearly on your chosen fabric. A fine-point marker in black is a good option, as thinner markers tend to bleed less and produce darker, longer-lasting lines.

If you're concerned about guests signing in the seam allowance, there are a few things you can do. One option is to provide pre-made quilt blocks for guests to sign, so you can control the placement of the signatures. Alternatively, you can create a sample fabric square with margins marked off to indicate the seam allowance, along with a sign asking guests to avoid writing in that area.

Finally, on the day of your wedding, set up a designated signing table with plenty of quilt blocks, markers, and a sign explaining what guests should do. It can be helpful to have someone in charge of facilitating the signing process and ensuring that the signed blocks stay safe and clean.

Putting the quilt together

Once you have all your signatures, it's time to put the quilt together. First, you'll want to gather all your blocks and figure out the best layout. Consider the number of signed blocks you have and the colour palette of the signatures. You can fill in any gaps with your own blocks, adding sentimental words, Bible verses, or embroidered designs.

For the layout, you can follow a simple rectangle pattern, such as 8 blocks by 9 blocks, or get creative with a star quilt, log cabin quilt, or sampler quilt. Once you're happy with the layout, you can add borders between the blocks if you like the look of it. Then, piece them all together as you would for a standard quilt.

Consider adding some quilting to your design. While it may not be necessary, it can add a great texture to your quilt. Simple quilting down the middle of the sashing strips in both directions should do the trick without taking away from the signatures.

Finally, add any desired borders and your signature wedding quilt is complete!

Frequently asked questions