Thursday, November 20, 2014

Personalized Touches: Quilt Guestbook




Details with a personalized touch make a wedding more your own. One often overlooked detail is your guestbook. Having guests add their well wishes to a wedding quilt, creates not just a guestbook alternative, but a family heirloom as well.



Materials Needed:
Fabric - light colors work best (fabric store)
Textile Markers - use markers specifically designed to write on fabric (fabric store or online)
Cardboard

The first step is to wash and iron your fabric. This will preshrink the fabric and make it ready for signatures.

Next you will cut squares of fabric. These can be any size you like. Quilting usually requires a 1/4" seam to sew the pieces together, so add an extra 1/2" to your desired square size. For example, if you want 7" squares, you will cut squares that measure 7.5"x7.5" to get the 1/4" allowance on each side of the square.



Several guests can write on each square, so cut squares for about a third of your expected guest count.

Attach the squares to cardboard with staples to hold the fabric in place as guests write their messages.

On the wedding day, display a sign that directs guests to sign the guestbook quilt. After the wedding, you have all of your guests' messages to sew into a wonderful quilt. There are several online sources with instructions for quilt making. This video provides basic instruction on creating a block quilt with 8" squares.


Photos by Heather Elise Photography

Submitted from our guest blogger-Kristin of Stephanie Rose Events, Fine Wedding Planning & Design, 858-461-8423. We appreciate the contribution to our San Diego Style Weddings Blog. Follow us for her weekly new craft or insight on ways to personalize your wedding!