Do you have a system when you lay out a quilt, shuffling blocks before deciding on the final cut? Maybe once you have the perfect lay out you have to move your blocks from the design wall, bed, floor or wherever your design area of choice is at the time. Frustrating? Yep! I’ve resorted to post it notes in the past to label blocks, or little scraps of paper with numbers scribbled on and pinned to the various blocks to try and retain the order as they are piled up for piecing at a later date. Sometimes they just get piled up as I would be all blasé with myself thinking that of course the pile wouldn’t get disrupted and all would be fine when I eventually came to sewing the blocks in my preferred order only to discover that it’s not and I don’t remember & so it begins again…..sound familiar…?
Let me introduce my quilt block tags to you…..
These helpful little re-usable labels are just fab, bringing order to quilt blocks waiting in line to be stitched into a top :) Once I have perfected my layout design, I pin on a label, always at the top left of the block for orientation so when I finally get to lay them out to sew together I’m not wondering which way up they were. Yay.
I am sure this is not an original idea and you can probably buy these somewhere? Anyhoo, I have saved some sheets of block labels just for you, ready to print, laminate, cut out and using a hole punch make a hole in a corner, attach a pin, find a cute tin to store them in so they are safe for the next quilt and you’re ready to rock! love that! I made enough for a quilt that is 12 blocks x 12 blocks - which should be plenty for most projects. I hope you find these useful too – do drop me a line to let me know :)
Happy block labeling :)
xxx
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
what a super clever idea–i’m always using the post-it note thing and they tear. wish i’d seen this yesterday so could have printed it up and sent with my daughter so she could laminate them. hopefully she’ll print and lamintate some for me and my good quilting buddy. thanks so much for sharing and have a great day!!
p.s. the little tin you used is sooooo perfect–block worker :)
Thanks Nova!
what a great idea :) and as for the tin …….. too cute !!
Grr, have just written scribbly bits of paper to keep track of blocks. If only I had found this week earlier. Very handy Nova, I will remember to download them for next time. Thank-you
Thanks, Nova! What a great idea (and why didn’t I think of it before?). Thanks for doing the work for us :)
you rock! I was just thinking about trying to make some of these the other day, and here you are with the whole “here’s one I prepared earlier” number, lol. I bought myself a laminator for Christmas and am always looking for a reason to use it. My husband calls me “The Laminator” (cue Arnold Schwarzanegger voice!) ;o)
You’re welcome :)
I’m so happy that they are helpful to you all too xxx
Thank you sharing your great idea.
I am so glad I found you and the block tags! What a fantastic idea. Much better than the post-its I’ve been using. Thank you so much. 8-]
First I want to thank you for sharing, much appreciated. Second, does one laminate the page first and then cut out all the tags or will the tags fall away from the laminate, making it necessary to laminate each tag separately. I feel a bit stupid but it did cross my mind. Thank you again, a great idea.
What a great idea…thanks for the idea and for the labels!!!
Marta for Italy :-)
Just found your great blog – I am going to make these for my quilting friends for Christmas – so excited!!! Thanks so much, what a great idea!
This is a fabulous idea. I made a set for myself and one for my cousin. We quilt together for charity and these will be an enormous help. Thanks for making my quilting day easier.
I can’t wait to make these. Yay!
Thanks so much! I just found and printed these!
Love your blog and your style!
Thank you so much. Never thought to laminate them. Or to put them with the safety pins! Blessings
Wonderful idea. Thank you. Going to make some ASAP.
Thank you so much i always tear little pieces and write on them
as an ex-preschool teacher i feel qualified to answer a laminating question (i laminated everything except the kids- they were too lumpy). laminate the page first then cut them out. they will serve very well unless you are quilting under water. 8-)
and , btw, nova, very smart move! so far i’ve only made doll quilts and baby quilts , so haven’t needed much of a system. i am soon embarking on a large quilt project and i think your system sounds brilliant!
THANK YOU. These are wonderful. Linda
Glad I found your site. I am a brand new to quilting. Still trying to decide my first quilt to make. If you have any suggestions or easy patterns for me to begin with , I would appreciate all advice. I am learning the lingo a little and am anxious to get started. Getting all helpful tips I can find before I begin.
What a great idea! It is so kind of you to share with us! I’ve already printed them and will be laminating them when I finish here! U R Awsome!