Label Attachment: The Ironing Board or the Sewing Machine?
There are lots of reasons that a label is such an important part of a garment. A designer wants to make sure that customers know who created the amazing piece. Consumers want to know how to care for the item when the time comes to clean it. A lot of thought goes into the label, the information it contains, and how it is attached to the fabric. For most retailers, the choice comes down to sewing the garment label into the fabric or ironing the label onto it. There are benefits to both options.
Sewing In the Labels
Armed with a sewing machine, it is possible to attach labels to all sorts of materials. If you aren’t interested in using the machine, you can always get out a needle and thread and carry out the work by hand. Either way, sewing labels into a fabric can be accomplished with a large variety of materials. You aren’t going to wonder if sewing is the best choice for an item; you’ll know it is. It is a permanent way to add a label to a garment.
On the downside, it’s going to take some time to get the label in place. It’s nice that it will be permanent, but in order to completely secure it, you may find yourself sewing all the way around the label. Because the size of the label is often small, it can be time-consuming work.
Ironing On the Labels
For those who are not skilled with a sewing machine or don’t want to lug it out of the closet, iron-on garment labels are a great choice. You just need a hot iron, an ironing board, and a little bit of time to work on multiple pieces. On the upside, this is an easy way to get a lot of labels on in a short amount of time. Certain items aren’t easy to get through the sewing machine; for example, hats don’t lie flat enough to make it possible to sew on a label. The iron-on alternative is ideal in these cases.
Nevertheless, there is a downside to these. Iron-on labels are not going to be able to work on all material. If you are creating swimsuits or something out of a more delicate fabric, an iron is not going to be the best choice. Other materials may require that you iron a label on and then go back and sew it on to reinforce the connection.
Sewing and ironing are both great options for attaching garment labels. After considering the type of item that needs a label and the material from which it is made, the rest is often personal preference. Ideally, you should pick the method that will work best for you, fitting into your goal for the garment. Think about how permanent you want the label to be, where it is going to go, and which method is going to be more comfortable for you.
