Signature Memory Quilt - printing on fabric

Remember THIS post? This was a fundraiser quilt for a woman who is adopting a little girl. Each person donated to the adoption fees by purchasing a block. Each block uses a different font and I printed the "signatures" on 6.5" blocks of white fabric.

I attempted to make "snowball" blocks, BUT the resulting quilt doesn't look like snowballs. For the corner triangles I cut up charm squares from Kona cottons.

I've had these charm packs for a couple years or so, and thought this project would be the perfect project to break them out. Now I know that for snowball blocks you should NOT use a variety of lights and darks for the corner blocks - lesson learned BUT, I still think it's very colorful and pretty ;c)

I spent alot of time working with the layout for this quilt, there were around 80 or 90 "blocks" and so I went for 90 blocks in a 9x10block layout.

The problem is that typically you can only print 8.5" x 11" sheets. That means that you could print FOUR 3.5" x 5" photos, TWO 5"x 7" photos but these are too small, and any other size you would have to waste SOO much fabric if using a whole sheet.

So this is how I do it:

Right click on the photo you want to print (my signatures were saved as .bmp photos.) Click print. Then when it asks you what size you want to print click on "custom size."

Then it will let you define the custom size of paper you want to print. Mine were 6.5" x 6.5" for a 6" finished block.

Make sure you are working with CLEAN white fabric backed with freezer paper. I press the freezer paper to the fabric in large sheets, then cut. Once all of the blocks are cut, I will go over the freezer paper one more time with the iron to make sure it is nice and "stuck" to the fabric before it goes through the printer.

TRY not to handle the fabric backed with freezer paper too much before you put it in the printer. I took a business card and picked up the cut blocks trying to keep them flat/straight as I GENTLY laid them into the printer.

I recommend printing a practice block to see what side goes in first/top.

If the freezer paper is not good and stuck, or if it has been handled too much, it will come loose from the freezer paper and jam up your printer. this is NOOOO fun believe me!!!

So just be very careful when you're printing.

I know there is bubble jet set and other solutions you can apply to your fabric to make it "colorfast." I have tried every method in the book, my printed fabric will STILL fade with every wash. I do NOT recommend washing your printed fabric. After all, it is JUST printer ink, it's not procion mx dye and is not intended to actually dye your fabric.

You CAN use the iron-on transfers, but these are sticky and will gum up your needle. I find they are difficult to quilt through and leave an "ugly" residue on the fabric. Another option that I DO like is screenprinting. Walmart will screenprint photos for you and leaves a beautiful smooth finish and is very easy to quilt and extremely colorfast.

Here's the finished top!:

anddddd a side view ;c)

And the hanging sleeve ;c)