Quilting
Terminology
Appliqué: Stitching
a design onto a piece of fabric in layers.
Background: The neutral fabric in your quilt. Not every quilt has a
background fabric.
Backing: The fabric
on the wrong side of your finished quilt.
Basting: The long
stitches, pins, or plastic tacks used to hold together the quilt top, batting,
and backing while you do the quilting. These are removed as you quilt or when
you are done quilting.
Batt or Batting: The inner layer of the quilt that provides
depth and warmth. Usually cotton or polyester.
Binding: The narrow
strip of fabric that encloses the raw edges of the finished quilt.
Block: One design
element of the quilt top. Pieces are sewn together to make a block and blocks
are sewn together to make the quilt top.
Crutch: A very
helpful guide to help you remember which fabrics go where in your pattern. This
can be done with real fabric or art supplies.
Grain or Grainline: The threads that run parallel to the
selvedge of the fabric are the straight of the grain; the threads that run
across the width of the fabric are the cross grain.
Fat Quarter: A
piece of fabric that has been cut from the bolt as follows: a 1/2 yard piece,
cut crosswise (like a sandwich) to achieve a piece that measures approximately
18" x 22".
Piecing: Sewing
together smaller pieces of fabric to make a block or quilt top.
Quilting: The
stitches that hold together the three layers of your quilt.
Sashing: The strips
of fabric that separate blocks.
Scale: Relative
size, as in a fabric pattern.
Selvedge: The
tightly woven edges along the length of your fabric. *NEVER* use these in your quilt!
Setting: How the
blocks or components of your quilt are arranged to make the quilt
top.
Template: Physical pattern piece,
made of plastic, cardboard, or paper.
Top: The quilt
before you have put it together with the batting and backing.
Value: Lightness or
darkness, usually relative.
© 1997 Catherine
Timmons
If you found this article
helpful, please feel free to print a copy for your personal use. If you would
like to publish it in your quilt guild newsletter or share it elsewhere, please contact me for permission.
