| Applique Fabric cutouts (any shape) stitched onto a piece of background fabric either by hand or by machine. Useful products for applique include basting spray and fusible webbing. Applique stitch (also needleturn stitch) Stitches sewn by turning the raw edges of applique cutouts under to sew the pieces to a background fabric. Backing The underside fabric layer of a quilt. Background fabric Foundation material for appliqued quilt components. Applique cutouts are positioned on background fabric then stitched in place. Basting Joining the three quilt layers (quilt top, batting and backing) together using quilting safety pins or long hand stitches prior to quilting. Batting Fluffy middle layer of a quilt typically made of cotton, polyester or wool. Batting is sandwiched between the top and backing layers of the quilt. Bearding When fibers from the batting layer migrate through the top or the backing of a quilt. Bias The diagonal cross-grain of woven fabric. Fabric cut along the bias requires careful handling as it stretches easily. Binding Strips of fabrics used to cover raw quilt edges along the perimeter of a quilt. Binding is added after borders are attached, and batting and backing is basting into place, and the quilting is complete. Blanket Stitch Decorative stitch used to finish edges of applique cutouts. Blocks Basic units of a quilt top and are generally square or rectangular design components, but can be other shapes. Blocks are stitched together to form a quilt top. Borders Fabric strips stitched along the outer edges of a quilt top to frame the design. Bunny Ears Formed in two corners when stitching a triangle and a square unit together. Bunny ears are, in most instances, trimmed away. Chain Piecing Sewing strips of fabric together at the sewing machine, then cutting into desired units. Continuous Curve Quilting Technique in which a quilting pattern is transferred to the quilt top via a marking pen, chalk, etc., then quilted by following the transferred pattern with stitches. Darning foot (also free-motion foot) Sewing machine foot attachment used for free-motion quilting. Design board Wall or felt-covered board used in auditioning block components or fabric patterns/colors to plan quilt top design. Echo quilting Quilting stitches that repeat the design of the fabric or appliqued piece. Fat quarter 18" x 22" pieces of fabric, ready-cut and available folded and often in color and print coordinated bundles from quilt, fabric and some craft shops. Compare this quarter-yard cut to a 1/4 yard of fabric cut from a bolt and you'll see it has a more "fat" square-ish shape. In comparison, a 1/4-yard cut off the bolt measures 9" x bolt width (typically 33" or 44"). Feed Dogs Mechanical teeth located under the needle plate of a sewing machine that serve to guide or feed the fabric through the needle. Finger pressing Pressing fabric with fingers, a technique often used to press seams out of the way while sewing. Finished size Measurement of a completed block or quilt. Free-motion foot see "darning foot" Free-motion quilting A "no-marking" approach to machine-stitched, freeform quilting designs. Designs may include vines, leaves, flowers, stars, boats, toys, holly, geometric designs, or the fabric itself may inspire a pattern. A darning foot (or free-motion foot) is recommended for this type of quilting. Fusible web Iron-on product that works like glue for appliqueing fabrics together. With this product, fabric cutouts are fused in place onto a background fabric, then the raw edges of the cutouts are covered with stitching. Fussy Cut Cutting complete design elements such as animals, characters, buildings, etc. out of printed fabrics to add detailed shapes to a quilt top using applique methods or in a center of an individual block. Half-square triangle Square of fabric cut along the diagonal rendering two triangles. Layering Process of assembling the backing, batting and top of a quilt prior to basting the layers together in preparation for quilting. Long-arm quilting machine A large quilting machine that quilts the top, batting and backing with a variety of designs and patterns in a relatively short amount of time compared to quilting on a regular sewing machine. Professional long-arm quilters and quilting services are available if you don't have accessibility to a long-arm quilting machine. Mitered corners Borders or bindings sewn together at the corners in a 45-degree angle versus perpendicular angles. Needleturn stitch see "applique stitch" Nickel square Five-inch square of fabric used in making quilt blocks. Pacific International Quilt Festival The largest juried quilt show on the West Coast showcasing a spectacular collection of over 800 quilts and works of wearable and textile art. The show features astounding works in the quilting arts and a wide array of workshops and lectures presented by world-renowned instructors. A 300 booth Merchants Mall can be found with the best in fabrics, notions, machines, wearable art and everything for the quilter, artist and home sewer. It is held in Mid-October each year at Santa Clara Convention Center in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Paper piecing Quilting technique in which a design is printed onto paper and fabric pieces are stitched together on the paper for accuracy. Patchwork A basic quilt construction method achieved by stitching cut fabric pieces together. PIQF see "Pacific International Quilt Festival" Prairie points Folded fabric triangles stitched around the perimeter of the quilt as embellishment. Quarter-inch seam allowance Standard measurement in quilting between the seam stitch line and the raw edge of the fabric. Quilt blocking Process of flattening and squaring up a quilt to create a more uniformly shaped blanket. Quilting Stitching the three layers of the quilt together. Quilting guild Community of quilters formulated to encourage quilt making as an art, and to promote fellowship and quilting activities. Quilt label Piece of fabric with information printed on it. The label is typically stitched to the back side of the quilt as a way to preserve a quilt's history for future generations. Labels usually include the quiltmaker's name, the date it was made and any other pertinent information. Quilt marking Procedure of chalking a design onto the quilt top prior to quilting in order to provide a stitching guide. Quilt show Local, national or international shows where quilts are entered in contests and judged based on predetermined factors. Raw edge Unsewn cut edge of fabric. Reverse applique An applique technique in which you stitch around the design then cut away the top layer of fabric inside the stitches to reveal the fabric underneath. Rotary cutter and mat Quilting tools used in tandem with a hard plastic quilt ruler for cutting fabrics. A rotary cutter has a circular blade that rolls along fabric placed on the mat. Usually marked with a one-inch increment grid, the mat is used for measuring and serves as a base for cutting, protecting the work surface and preserving the blade's sharpness. Sashing Fabric strips that frame and separate blocks in a quilt. Set-in seams (also y-seams) Seam intersections of three fabric pieces that form a Y-shape, also called set-in piecing. Stash Collection of fabric acquired by quilting enthusiasts. Stippling Method of machine quilting that covers an area of the quilt by employing a meandering, puzzle-piece shaped stitch line that never crosses itself. Stitch in the ditch Quilting stitches sewn along a seam line. Templates Shapes cut from cardboard, paper or plastic used to make multiple units of a pattern for quilt blocks or applique. Templates may also be used to transfer quilting pattern lines to a quilt top. Tied quilt Quilt with layers that are tied together with yarn or thread at spaced intervals as an alternative to quilting. Trapunto A design technique where the batting is thicker in selected areas of the quilt, creating an elevated or stuffed appearance. One method for creating a trapunto effect is to cut a small opening on the backing fabric underneath the desired area of the quilt, stuffing in a small amount of batting and stitching the backing fabric back up to hold the extra batting in place. Two-color quilt A design featuring only two fabrics colors in the quilt. Popular fabric color combinations for this technique are blue and white, and red and white. Walking foot Used for machine quilting, a this attachment feeds the top fabric through the machine, enabling the top fabric and bottom fabric to move evenly through the machine for consistent stitches. Whole cloth quilt Quilt with an uncut top (a whole piece of cloth). This type of quilt is usually heavily quilted. Y-seams see "set-in seams" |
Quilters Glossary
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