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What is a quilted tag? It is a small piece of fiber art, much like an
ATC, except in the shape of a tag. Tags are used on so many things, why not
a quilt?
Tags can be anything you want them to be, let your imagination run wild;
it is a great place to experiment with a new technique. I want to show you
how I did my very first tag and the first time I "went wild."
| To begin, let's make a pattern -- this is not set in stone -- make it
as big or as small as you would like. See the photo for the
measurements I used in this example. Cut your template out of paper so
that you can trace around
it. |
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| You will need two pieces of backing; I used an old sheet, cut an
inch or two larger than the tag pattern. Trace your pattern onto both pieces of backing fabric
and set one aside. Cut one piece of
batting the size of your backing pieces (something thin like
cotton) and set aside.
On a backing piece that has the pattern traced,
piece a CQ block as usual. |
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| Ever wonder what to do with all of those short threads, bits of
ribbon and lace you just hate to throw away? Well, here is a project
for them. Gather up all those bits and pieces, then scatter them atop your
pieced tag. Play with them until you are happy with how they look. |
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| Now what?
Grab a piece of tulle or other netting, lay it over top and stitch
down either by hand or machine. Have fun with this part, make
designs if you want or use fancy metallic threads. I used dark green
in a simple pattern, so you could see it, but hey - the sky is
the limit here. Allow your stitching to be part of the design
or have it blend. |
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| Now is the time to gather some embellishments; eyelash threads
are fun, bits of metallic threads, buttons, laces, bits of jewelry,
motifs, whatever fits your design. |
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| Add your pretties as desired. Just remember not to put anything
within 1/4" - 1/2" of the sewn line, so that you do not
sew over any beads, charms etc. You may not want to add
everything at this time; you will be sandwiching these layers
together. Anything you want to do to hide the stitches on the back, do
now....such as SRE, couching, embroidery. Save your pins and such for
later. |
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| Once you have finished up with your embellishments, it is time to
layer your work. Lay your batting on the table, then your tag (right
side facing you), and cover it with your last piece of backing. |
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| Line up your drawn lines with the stitched lines on your tag,
pin all three layers together, leaving the top (or bottom if
you prefer) open, so you can turn your sandwich right side out. |
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| Stitch along the line; be sure to back stitch at the beginning
and the end of your stitching. Then trim your seams down to 1/4" or so
and also trim the corners. |
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| Turn your tag right side out. Fold under the opening and hand stitch closed. If you choose, you
can embellish the edges with a Blanket Stitch or other stitch of
your liking. At this point, you can add any extra bits of eye candy, such as stick pins,
more beads, buttons, etc. Sew all the way through your layers, as
you would for a quilt, just be neat and hide your thread tails. To
hang the tag, I like to thread a large needle with ribbon and pull it
through, you can make a button hole or use a grommet, too. I am kind
of lazy so I just pull a ribbon through for hanging. |
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Here is my finished project. I hope you enjoy making
these, exchanging them or giving as small gifts of love.
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