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Quilt Names

Designing quilts is easy, writing the instructions isn’t terribly difficult. Piecing is fun, quilting is a blast. Naming them is impossible for me. Today I was designing the quilt for the February QOV and I cannot come up with a name for it. I have Pandora playing on the computer and thought I’d listen to the words of the songs for a possible quilt name. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far . . and I don’t think any of these are good choices!  And this list took me all day.  My guess is that I need to add some different channels if I want to come up with quilt names.

Red Neck
White Socks
Blue Ribbon Beer
You’re Going to be Sorry You Were Ever Born
My Boyfriend’s Back
Hey Paula
I Want To Marry You
A Pair of Jeans that Fit Just Right

Good thing I was sewing while I was listening, huh?

How do you all come up with names for your quilts?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I’ve designed over 60 quilts and I can’t even name my pets. Sammi Brown has named all my quilts. Love her to pieces.

  3. Judy – I would never guess that you have trouble naming your quilts. I thought Rolling Along was the perfect name for your new QOV quilt for example. I can’t name my quilts because I can never think of a good name. So, all my quilts are nameless.

  4. Judy You might have problems naming your quilts, but you have excellent taste in music. Love those songs. And love your quilts also.

    Sibyl

  5. hi Judy: LOVE the songs. My friend names her quilts after songs. For example…she just finished a black, orange, and purple one. It is “Season of the Witch”…song by Donovon. I try to name mine after food. I’m working on one with LOTS of yellow in it so it’s LEMON ZEST.

  6. I watched Oprah’s interview with George Lucas of Star Wars fame the other day. He talked about naming the characters in the movie. He said whenever he thought of a name, he wrote it down and after a while he had hundreds of names to choose from. And now you are doing the same thing with quilt names. Hmm, great minds think alike! I’d like to see the Blue Ribbon Beer design please……… thanks for sticking that song in my head this morning. 🙂

  7. I love that song, ‘Hey Paula’! Now I feel bad cuz I don’t name my quilts. I better get busy, huh? Right now my pandora station is playing ‘Won’t get fooled again.’

  8. How about “Red Neck in White Socks Drinking Blue Ribbon Beer Looking for a Pair of Jeans That Fits Just Right”…oh maybe that would work better for a country song. 🙂 Sorry, I just could resist.

  9. How about “Red Neck in White Socks Drinking Blue Ribbon Beer Looking for a Pair of Jeans That Fits Just Right”…oh maybe that would work better for a country song. 🙂 Sorry, I just could resist.

  10. I usually try to include the name, or some form of the name of the block being used, or the main color or the setting of the quilt. I will admit that many of my early ones are nameless. I think it is also good for posterity to use some form of the original name of the pattern when you are using one. I did a plaid flannel quilt of bow ties in the magic circle setting and called it ‘Magic Ties’. It was for my father, with whom I have a ‘magic’ family tie and it was, ironically tied rather than quilted although that was not the original plan. I have a Winning Hand quilt done in winter fabrics called ‘Winter’s Winning Hand’ and a Quilt Interrupted done with pinks and purples with hearts in the design and it is called ‘Valentine Interrupted’. Coming up with a completely original name for a new design would be hard.

  12. Quilt names are one thing that runs around my head while I am making a top… sometimes they come easily, and sometimes they don’t. I don’t usually stay true to the pattern name, sometimes I am influenced by the fabric, by the recipient, or by the occasion. I think it would be harder if it were a pattern than a specific quilt. I learned last year that googling the name is sometimes a good idea – I had one all picked out that I thought was PERFECT for the recipient and the quilt and then googled it and found it had some rather x-rated implications. Oops! Good thing I caught that one in time!

  13. Hi Judy, How about listening to some patriotic music for QOV names? Good luck. I love your blog and your quilts.

  14. I agree, Judy. Nothing harder than picking a name. I really stink at it, so I won’t make any suggestions. Just commiserating on an awful task!

  15. I have the same problem naming quilts.
    I keep a master list on my computer of possible names for new quilts.
    When I use the name I leave it on the list but change the font to Italics.
    That way it’s possible to do a series with the same name.
    Nothing is too outlandish to add to the list as branstorming can spark a new idea.

  16. It seems with most of the quilts I’ve ‘named’, I’ve stuck with either the name from the pattern in the magazine or book or some rendition of it. A few I have given a specific name to which either includes the recipients name or something from the block or fabric pattern or a combination of those things. Ex. “Under the Oaks” is a lap-size, friendship star block with lattice, but the fabric had lots of earth-tone leaves and I love oak trees. Another was a small cathedral star wall hanging that I used a really starry print in all the fabrics, so I named it “He Knows Them All By Name” with reference to Psa 147:4.

  18. You have good names for all quilts so far and another will come along for this one too!
    Off the subject…have you used any of your frozen wheat bread balls yet? Just finished a full batch and when it says make balls and let them rest 20 min, I sealed 3 for the freezer. Hope that was right. We went to an Amish store yesterday and got all the ingredients…it is snowing out now and I feel so much like a pioneer. Am going to figure what it costs per loaf. The dough is really dark…? Maybe it is the Blackstrap Mollasses! Thanks for all the inspiration.

  19. i’ve been quilting probably somewhere near 25 years and don’t name my quilts — until this past week. i’m working on one of those long ago UFOs that is made with masculine plaids & stripes, and needed to find a good border in my stash but without much luck. ran across a brown “wooden plank” print that kept the quilt quite manly looking and decided it would work just fine. as i finished it and had it laid out to decide on quilting design, the word “lumberjack” popped into my head. so for once in my life i do have a quilt that i’ve named.

  20. Hi Judy
    I always say my quilts “tell” me their names. As I am working on them the name just seems to “pop” into my head.
    How about “Trooping the colors” ? My husband tells me that very British military – but I thought it might fit.
    Cheers
    Linda

  21. Oh Judy! You’re a hoot!!!! My vote is for “A Pair of Jeans that Fit Just Right.” hahahahahaha. Can’t quit laughing long enough to type………. Methinks you might want to listen to some other type of music?!?

    I’m not very good at picking names either, but I’ll be interested in seeing the advice others give in the comments.

  22. Laughing so hard the tears are running at your “quilt names”! I think that maybe you should move off of that Country channel. Maybe some light Opera would be more positively stimulating! ROFL!!

  23. I have trouble picking out names, so….sometimes I don’t name them!!! (Of course, I know that isn’t an option when you are making a quilt for a book or a pattern, but since most of mine aren’t in that category, they stay nameless!!!)

  25. I love naming my quilts, just like I loved naming my kids! From the moment I start deciding on a layout a few names start popping into my head. Some sound good at the beginning, but then by the end I don’t think that they fit the quilt’s personality and choose another. It all seems to work itself out by the end 🙂

  26. Only a few of my quilts have names, and I just realized that those quilt names were inspired by the recepient of the quilts. There is ‘Wild Thing’, a batik log cabin made for a graduation present for a friend’s daughter. I made my son a red, white, and blue quilt when he was 16. The name of that quilt is ‘Give Me Liberty’.

  28. Once I decide on a pattern and start pulling fabrics, it all speaks to me and all of a sudden I have a name and that’s what I call it all the way to the last stitch. Hmmmm…. don’t know how to help you. I figured your fabrics and pattern spoke to you, too. ;>}

  30. Sounds like it is red, white and blue. How about Horray for the Red, White and Blue. Would fit for QOV.

  31. What about continuing the inspiration from military songs or mottos? I am an army spouse, so I am only familiar with the service. From the Army song, “Rolling Along,” “Hi, Hi, Hey!,” and “Where E’er We Go” (I want to use this title for a quilt based on all of our many duty stations) make great titles. How about “Duty Calls”or “Freedom Rings.” Try listening to the songs inspired from 9-11 or the songs from the other services.

  34. There’s an opportunity for a naming contest here.

    I hadn’t even considered naming my quilts, though, like my sewing machines, some of them seem to acquire names on their own. Most of the time, there’s something I call them (baby quilt, practice quilt, FMQ quilt) but it doesn’t amount to a name. If I decided to show one, I supposed I’d need to.

  35. Took me a while for my eyes to clear from laughing so hard at your list!!!!! Whatever you come up with for a name, keep those wonderful ideas coming!! Doreen

  36. Some quilts name themselves, usually the ones I’m making for someone. The others are harder. I have asked for suggestions on my blog. I dont’ think I’ve ever used any suggetions verbatum, but sometimes those comments get me to see the quilt differently so I can come up with somthing that fits. Or in a last resort, I’ll ask my husband and daughter. Sometimes they are pretty creative (not always in a good way!).

  37. I usually call them the same thing the designer gave the pattern unless something just popped into my head while working on it. The quilt I made for the missionary using your Paint Sticks pattern I have called The Road Less Traveled and I just made a Peaches and Dreams out of mint blue and brown fabrics I can’t help but call Chocolate Mint. Sometimes I get creative but not often. Thanks for sharing with us. Your patterns are great!

  38. I’ll bet if you change to Cookie & the Cupcakes you could come up with a name!!!!!

    • I had that same thought! Have one of their’s in my player right now. Also have Andre Bocelli, Celtic Woman, ABBA, Susan Boyle with them.

  39. “Melody”(above) suggested looking up military themes. I googled “John PHilip Sousa” and “military song titles” and found these: Liberty Loan, Pushing On, Riders For The Flag, By The Light Of The Polar Star, Star of Light, Anchor and Star, Stars and Bars, Salutation, Strike up the Band to name a very few.

  40. I too have a hard tiime naming my quilts. I’m better with other people’s sometimes though because I haven’t been working with it forever and the names come more easily. I like the Red Neck, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer one that Alycia suggested. The soldiers would love it no matter where they are from!!

  41. I think you and I may be listening to the same channel! I usually try to name quilts based on their intended destination (i.e. if it’s a gift – something significant or meaningful to do with the recipient). However, if it is not a gift – just a new design, then it gets much harder. I listen to music/contemplate the design/look for name inspiration in the design itself. Good luck – maybe a good night’s sleep will help.

  42. I’m with you on this. I never seem to be able to come up with anything when its time to name a quilt. Mostly I just name them DONE!! ha

  43. My problem with creative names is that I forget them…so I stick to block and/or color names. Those I can remember.

    I’m having some of your bad water heater luck tonight–it died on us today and we’ve got the plumber out now replacing it. I just did replace the one in Big Canoe in November that makes 2 in 3 months!

  44. The only things missing in your list are “Mama” “Pickup Truck” and “Prison” – LOL!!!
    Maybe you should widen the scope of your genres?????

    Just kidding – couldn’t resist. You always pick great names and I’m sure this one will be perfect!

  45. I let them tell me who they want to be! ie; When my first quilt for a contest was in the final stages of being quilted, I would take it everywhere with me, so I could work on it every chance I got… I knew I would have no chance to work on it between dinner and leaving to go out of town the next evening so I packed it carefully in the trunk of the car. When I got up in the morning… The troubled teenager, the car and the quilt were all gone… Stolen! After reporting it, and suggesting places that the teen might have headed, I paced the floor, and worried. Once I got the call that the car had been recovered after having been involved in an accident, I had a new name for my quilt… Originally intending to name it “Stolen Moments” in honor of the time I had to steal from my daily life in order to quilt it… It was actually christened “Stolen Hours” in honor of the panic stricken time I spent worrying about it! (The car could be replaced, and the teenager punished, but the competition was less than 48 hours from photo submission deadline!)
    All of my quilts acquire their names in honor of an event or situation I associate them with.

  46. Guns and dogs are all that is missing from these country songs! Too funny. And I thought the ranch naming practice would help you!

  47. Since you’ve found “your paradise” what about Paradise Found or Texas Heaven or Rancher’s Freedom. See I’m not good at names either!

    hey what about Yellow Jacket Trails for the trails on your ranch. Okay I’ll quit now!

  49. I read of a woman who would name her quilts whatever her husband would say when he first saw them. One was called “That’s Nice, Honey.”
    She may have discontinued that practice by now… 🙂

  50. I read of a woman who would name her quilts whatever her husband would say when he first saw them. One was called “That’s Nice, Honey.”
    She may have discontinued that practice by now… 🙂

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