Quilt Glossary
Quilts or bedcovers has a wide usage. Find here terms related to quilt
processing and general terms.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-A
Acid-free tissue paper
A tissue paper made without chemicals that would destroy the fabric fibers.
Air erasable pen
A type of temporary marking pen which usually disappears within forty-eight
hours.
Album quilts
Friendship quilts assembled from individual blocks, each executed and
signed by a different person.
Align
To match raw edges, fabric pattern or matchpoints.
All purpose zig zag foot
Zigzag foot with a small indentation on the bottom.
Amish quilts
Quilts made by members of the Amish or Mennonite Community. The quilts are
characterized by solid dark and bright Colors with intricate, beautiful hand
quilting designs.
Applique
Small fabric shapes placed on a background fabric and stitched on by hand
or machine. Motifs include flowers, animals, houses or any rendering of a
picture.
Arrow
Symbol on pattern pieces indicating lengthwise grain, direction of
stitching, or direction for folding pleats and tucks.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-B
Backing
The back or bottom layer of quilt.
Backstitch
A stitch taken backwards to reinforce the beginning and end of each seam.
Bar tack
Hand or machine stitch to reinforce areas of stress-( zipper, pocket
opening, end of buttonhole).
Baste
To sew with long stitches to hold one or more pieces of fabric together,
temporarily.
Bias
True bias is a line at a 45 degree angle to the selvage.
Binding
A long strip of fabric, usually bias, that finishes the raw edge of a
quilt.
Butt
To match the edges or folds so they touch.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-C
Calico
A 100 percent cotton fabric used for quilting. Usually a small floral
design.
Canned Air
Pressurized can of air used to clean sewing machines and camera lenses.
Casing
Hem or tuck through which elastic or ties are threaded.
Clapper
Wooden tool used in pressing.
Clipping
Cutting into the seam allowance so the fabric lays flat.
Coil
Narrow, synthetic coil that secures a zipper. Same as the zipper teeth.
Cording
Narrow, corded piping inserted into a seam.
Couching
Sewing a decorative cord, thread, or yarn to the surface of the Fabric by
zigzagging over the cord with machine or overcasting by hand.
Crazy Quilts
Quilts made with random sizes and shapes of fabric, usually Silks and
velvets. and finished with intricate embroidery to decorate the surface.
Crimping
Technique for easing fabric into the seamline.
Crossgrain
The threads that run from selvage to selvage.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-D
D Dart
Stitched fabric fold, tapering at one end, used to shape flat fabric to the
contours of the figure.
Dominant color
The main color of a quilt.
Dropped shoulder
Design with shoulder extended over the top of the arm.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-E
Echo quilting
Quilting stitches that follow the outline of the blocks' basic design and
are then repeated, like ripples, every 1/4" in concentric lines.
Edgestitch
Topstitching 1/16" from the edge or seamline.
Extended facing
Facing cut in one piece with garment section.
Eyelet
(a) Small round opening in fabric. (b) Small metal ring.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-F
Facing
Piece of self-fabric or lining, generally folded to the underside of
garment.
Fat Quarter
A 1/4 yard of fabric cut 18" x 22".
Feed Dogs
Pointed metal or rubber bars located under the presser foot That move the
fabric backward and forward.
Flat finish
Finishes, such as overcast, zigzag, serged, raw edge, and seam Tape which
are flat.
Flounce
Circular shaped ruffle.
Fly placket
Any placket which conceals fasteners-zipper, hooks and eyes or buttons and
buttonholes.
Fusible Web
A web like material which melts when you apply heat and moisture.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-G
Gather
To pull excess fabric into a seamline.
Glover's needle
Needle with a wedge point used for sewing fur and leather.
Gore
Garment section; usually larger at the bottom than the top.
Gorge line
Diagonal seamline that joins the collar and lapel.
Grading
Reducing bulk of seams by trimming the individual seam allowances at
different widths.
Grain
The direction threads are woven in a fabric. The lengthwise grain runs the
length of the fabric. Crosswise grain runs from selvage to selvage.
Grommets
Large metal eyelets.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-H
Hawaiian Quilts
Quilts made up of one piece of fabric, folded and cut into a large overall
design of leaves or flowers and then appliqued onto a background fabric.
Hemline
The lower edge of the garment.
Hue
The graduation or variety of color.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-I
Interfacing
Fabric placed between the garment and facing to add body, strength or
shape.
Interlining
Fabric layer applied to the wrong side of the garment or lining for warmth.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-J
Join
(a) To stitch together.
(b) A seamline
Quilt Glossary with Initial-L
Lap Quilt
A small quilt usually under 60 inches square.
Lapel
Turned back facing at garment edge between the first button and neckline.
Lattice
A strip of fabric that separates and frames each block in a quilt. it can
also be called sashing.
Loft
The thickness or puffiness of a quilt batting.
Log Cabin
A block that has a series of strips that are placed around a central
square. One diagonal half of each block is colored with light fabrics and
the other diagonal half with dark fabrics.
Lone Star
This quilt pattern is composed of many small fabric diamonds assembled into
eight larger diamonds that form a star.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-M
Medallion Quilt
A quilt assembled around one large central motif, with one or more borders
to finish the quilt.
Miter
To join two edges at an angle (usually a 45 degree angle) creating a
diagonal seam frequently located at a corner.
Mm - Millimeters.
Muslin
An off-white woven cotton fabric.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-N
Nap
Fabric that has its fiber brushed in one direction causing a different
coloration. Velvet and corduroy are two examples.
Notches
Matchpoints on cutting lines of the paper pattern.
Notions
Sewing supplies and equipment needed to complete a garment.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-P
Parallel
Two lines evenly spaced.
Patchwork
The process of piecing or appliquéing various fabric shapes
together.
Pattern Repeat
The vertical distance required for one complete design on the fabric.
Piecing
Joining two pieces together to make one piece wider or longer.
Piping
Decorative or contrasting strip sewn into a seamline forming a decorative
edge.
Pivot
To turn the fabric with the needle inserted into it.
Placket
Any finished opening in a garment.
Ply
Used to describe number of fabric layers or thread strands.
Preshrink
To treat fabric before cutting by laundering or steam pressing to prevent
shrinking later.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-Q
Quilt Stencil
A plastic sheet with grooves cut out in a specific design, for use in
marking a quilt design on a quilt top.
Quilt Top
The completed patchwork design which is the top layer of a quilt.
Quilter's Quarter
A plastic rod (1/4" x 1/4" x 8") used to mark the 1/4"
seam line for quilting or cutting.
Quilting
The process of securing all three layers of a quilt together with small
running stitches.
Quilting Frame
A free-standing rectangle on legs that holds a quilt, allowing several
people to stitch a section, the roll the quilt to another section until the
whole quilt is finished.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-R
Raw Edge
Unfinished or cut edge of a garment.
Reinforce
To strengthen a section with short machine stitches, fabric tape or tape.
Rip
To remove unwanted stitches. Using a small seam ripper, clip the needle
thread every fifth stitch, then pull the bobbin thread out. We prefer to
think of this as "reverse stitching".
Roller Foot
Special machine foot which grips top fabric and reduces underlayer creep.
Rotary Cutter and Mat
A cutting tool with a round cutting blade to be used with a mat.
Ruffle
Decorative fabric band, gathered or pleated at the edge or in the center
before it is sewn to the garment.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-S
Sampler Quilt
A quilt that combines blocks of different patterns, making it a perfect
quilt for beginners to learn both piecing and applique techniques.
Sashing
Another name for lattice, or the strips that frame each block.
Satin Stitch
Zigzag stitch of any width with a very short length.
Seam Allowance
The width of fabric between the stitching line and the cutting line.
Seamline
Stitching line.
Selvage
Finished edges on each side of woven fabric. Sometimes called self-edge.
Spot Tack
Knot made by machine at the end of the stitching line by setting stitch
length to 0.
Stabbing
A stitching technique for quilting using both hands in which you insert the
needle into your quilt, pull it out the bottom with your other hand under
the hoop, and then push it up from the bottom to the top. The stitches are
uneven and crooked on the underside when the stitching is done this way.
Stabilizer
Tissue paper, nonwoven materials, or water-soluble materials which reduce
stitching problems.
Stay
Strip of lightweight selvage, seam tape, twill tape, tricot bias or bias
tape to hold the seam or edge as desired.
Stitch-in-the-ditch
Technique of stitching inconspicuously from the right side in the well of a
seam or next to a seamline.
Stitching line
Seamline.
Strip piecing
A method of creating quilts by taking long strips of fabric and sewing them
together in a set sequence. This newly combined material is then cut apart
and resewn to form a part of a quilt. A good example is Rail Fence.
Swatch
Small fabric piece.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-T
Tack
Permanent stitches to hold fabric layers together.
Topstitch
To stitch on the right side of the garment.
Topweight
Lighter weight fabrics suitable for blouses and dresses.
Trim
To cut away excess fabric.
Quilt Glossary with Initial-W
Wales
The lengthwise ribs on knit fabrics.
Warp
Threads parallel to selvage.
Well of the Seam
The seamline on the right side of the fabric.
Welt
Visible part of a bound buttonhole, bound pocket, or welt pocket.
Quilt
Glossary
