Labels: the frosting of the sewing world?

This is a sponsored blog post with Dortex Labels*

For me, labels are the cherry on the top of a craft project. They’re the perfect way to add a little personalisation, whimsy, humour or even just a more ‘professional’ touch to a make. Or in the case for my Ninni culottes- just marking the ‘back’ of the garment! There are so many nice brands creating brilliant labels but the thing that drew me to the Dortex labels was the ability to personalise them, the large range of types and the an environmentally conscious approach to label making. I was really excited about trying them out and road test their labels before sharing my thoughts with you. I’ve been showed some sneak peeks with you on Instagram and there’s a couple in particular that you guys were loving!

I tried out the: Cottonera Premium, Corinera Brass, Corinera natural leather and the Satinera labels. The Cottonera and Satinera are your more traditional fabric labels. The Satinera is made from recycled polyester (rPET) and has the design printed on the label which mean you can get a wide range of designs/colours. I uploaded my blog logo for these.

The Cottonera is your typical woven label, made in 100% cotton with the design made from weaving the different colour threads. For this one I used their font and image selection to design my own labels to add to hand made gifts. I really like both of these and it was actually really easy to customise the labels using the website. And even after that I was emailed by the customer services team with advice on my label choice/my design to make sure I got the best looking labels. And as I know lots of people will appreciate this, the labels came in a biodegradable plastic bag and a super handy metal tin.

But really, the thing I was desperate to try the second I looked at their catalog was the Corinera range! These are their laser-engraved labels and hangtags made from natural and recycled materials. This includes metal (silver/brass), wood, leather or artificial leather/FloraPap (vegan). And all made without any hazardous substances. I don’t know about you but I’ve never seen labels like these before? I knew exactly what I was going to use them for when I placed my order!

I bought the Brass labels to add an extra-lux touch to my handmade coat and I love it. It’s so pretty! And it really makes me think of those luxury high end coats you buy. Such a great way to elevate a make- if anything deserved a metal label it was my By Hand London Rumana coat. Other things you could use these labels in are zipper pouches- inside or outside, they would add such a fancy touch! These also come in Silver and Bronze and are priced around £2.50 per label if you order 10 (pricing varies depending on your order quantity). I’m really excited about having these in my stash and am already planning to add them to my next coat (whenever that might be!)

When it comes to the leather ones, the real leather ones should only be used on products that don’t need to be washed. If you’re planning to wash the garment they recommend the artificial leather (around £1.70 per label if you order 10).

I got these in a small square with holes pre-made and a slightly larger version. It’s hard to say which one I love more out of the Corinera labels because honestly these are brilliant. I’ve had so many compliments on these. So far I’ve used the small square one more than the larger one- adding a very Lucy and Yak inspired touch to my Hey Day Dungarees, and to hand knit gifts. I love the small size which makes it unobtrusive but still very much a personalised touch. I love how it really completes this little baby cardigan I knitted for my new nephew- I think they’ll be a regular feature on my knitting projects! I plan to use the larger ones for trousers, Levi’s jeans style (probably for Taufiq’s next Jedediah trousers).

I genuinely love these labels! They’re so unusual and work so nicely with hand made projects. I’m lucky that Taufiq made me a lovely new logo but even if you don’t, they have loads of pre-made motifs that you can use to personalise them. The specialised labels are a bit on the pricey side but I think they would make a lovely gift or a treat for yourself. All I need to do now is not be precious about them! I’m 100% one of those people who hoards things in boxes because they’re “too special” to use! But these look so good I’m sure I’ll be able to break that habit.

What do you think? Have you ever seen labels like these before?

Love,

*Sponsored post to showcase and test out the range of labels offered. Thoughts and opinions are my own.