Naming your quilt

[Jane P.]

How do you come up with an original name for you newly born quilt??????

[Annette R.]

Sometimes the name of my quilt comes before the quilt is even born, sometimes it says something about the "to be" owner of the quilt. (Jason Loves Green, - made for my nephew Jason) and sometimes the name comes after the quilt is finished. Some of my quilts do not really have names except relating to the recipient such as Chris and Laurie's Wedding Quilt. And occasionally the name relates to the pattern. But for me naming the quilt is often a function of how I think of it as I am making it. Since I usually have a number of projects in progress and try to keep a "to do" list, I need to identify each project. That name may or may not stick. Whatever you name it, if you are happy with your project, it will stick out in your memory and be part of your quilting history. Not sure this answers your question but it is just the way my brain works (or doesn't work as the case may be!!!!! LOL) Ann

[Lorna B.]

Ditto to what Ann said. All those variables go into naming my quilts.

[Jane P.]

Yep Ann, that's pretty much states my process. It's really hard trying to come up with a clever name. I've been calling it my Purple Flower quilt. Not very original, but...that's what it is, a big purple flower. Thanks, I just wondered how others thought through the process. By the way, happy with it, I'm not sure. Many times throughout the making and quilting I was anything but happy with it, but then I would get okay with it. It has truly been a labor and it has it's problems but, as all quilts I make, it has been a learning experience. And learning is always a good thing.

[Judith R.]

It seems when I give a quilt I struggle to come up with a name that will suit the quilt or the occasion. I did two retirement quilts for colleagues. One I called "Gone to the Dogs" since she had two Siberian Huskies and I had made two paper pieced Siberian Husky blocks on the front. The second one I called "Celebrating Retirement" as he was so happy to finally retire after 36 years. I wrote various saying about retirement in the outside borders (e.g. Goodbye tension! Hello pension) so it just came to me that he was celebrating.

But any quilt that I have made and kept for myself hasn't even been named.

[Judith R.]

I find that naming a quilt is very similar to deciding how it will be quilted. During the creation process (be it designing, fabric selection, cutting, sewing, unsewing, quilting, etc.) sometimes the quilt will speak to me and tell me what it wants to be called. Sometimes they do have temporary "working" names that change into the real names as I come closer to the completion. And yes, some quilts are just named by the pattern/block used.

Msjane, maybe your "purple flower" quilt is awaiting you to give it a name of a purple flower, like Lilac or Clematis or Alium, etc. :wink:

[Hannelore N.]

Quick answer: With great difficulty!

[Eileen K.]

This is the hardest part of quilting for me. I can't think of good names for my quilts. :?

[Deborah W.]

I don't name all my quilts. Some of the quilts grow around a name or the name just presents itself. If I can't think of a name, then I do not name it.

[Deborah W.]

I never use to name mine, but then, I realized, how do keep track of all you make, if you don't name them. So now I try to, especially on the ones I give as gifts. Some, kind of come up with their own name, as I am making them. Some, I even post a pic of & ask for suggestions, so it just varies. But naming your quilts definitely helps!

[Jane P.]

Thanks, everyone. I finally posted a picture on facebook and my FB friends named it for me. It'll soon be posted in the quilt gallery.