A common complaint about handcrafted items is that we do not provide enough information about the item for the consumer/recipient. Not only do consumers/recipients not know how to take care of the item, many time they do not know what it is made of. Some people are allergic to certain fibers and need to know the fiber content of an item. For example, if they are allergic to wool, they need to know if wool is present in your item.

Most consumers are uninformed about how to care for handcrafted items and are used to tossing everything purchased into the washing machine. This can be disastrous for a handcrafted item. Always include information about what the item is made of (i.e., cotton, wool, etc.) and how to care for the item (i.e., machine washable, dry clean only, etc.) The easiest way to do this is to use Fiber Care and Content Labels sewn directly onto the item. A hang tag may be attached to the item.

lf you are manufacturing items, you need to use fiber care and content labels on all articles you sell. If you are only giving your items as gifts to friends and family, the recipients would appreciate knowing what your gift is made of and how to care for it.

A Special Note for Quilters: You don't know where your quilt will end up many generations from now, so a quilt label will provide family members and quilt historians with valuable information. A label could be In the form of a block on the quilt front or an inked label sewn or appliquéd on the back. The minimal information provided on the label should be the quilt pattern, the date, the place the quilt was made, and the people who made the quilt.