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1-Patch: A quilt that uses the same shape, such as hexagons, diamonds or squares repeatedly.

4-Patch: A quilt block that is divided into four equal divisions.

9-Patch: A quilt block that is divided into nine equal divisions. A 9-patch block looks like a tic-tack-toe grid.

Album quilt: A quilt that is made and each block is different and has been signed by a different person.

Autograph quilt: A quilt that is made and each block is different and has been signed by a different person.

Appliqué: The process of sewing small pieces of fabric onto a larger piece of fabric by hand or machine. These pieces usually have edges turned under. However if you do not turn under the edges, it is called raw edge appliqué.

Appliqué stitch: Another term for blindstitch.

BA: Baltimore Album

Background fabric: The fabric on which appliqué pieces are sewn to.

Backing: The fabric on the back of a quilt.

Backstitch: To stitch in reverse over the previous stitches. This helps strengthen the beginning or end of a seam.

Basting: The process of joining layers of fabric before quilting. You can use long hand stitches, safety pins or a tack gun. You can also baste the turn-under seam allowances of applique pieces before stitching them in place.

Batting: The layer of fiber between the quilt top and the back. This is the part that provides the loft and also the warmth in a quilt. It can be made out of polyester, cotton, wool or silk.

Bearding: This is a problem that is associated with synthetic battings. The loose fibers of the batting can work their way out through the spaces between the threads of the fabric. As more fibers migrate out, they can join and twist to forming little balls.

Beeswax: A wax that you rub on to the quilting/applique thread to stiffen, strengthen and reduce tangling when sewing.

Between: A short needle that is used for quilting. The higher the number, the shorter the needle.

Bias: A diagonal direction to the grain of fabric. The true bias is at a 45 degree angle to the selvage. Fabric cut along the bias requires careful handling as it stretches easily.

Bias binding: Narrow strips of fabric that is cut on the bias of the fabric. The stretchy behavior allows it to easily go around things such as a curved edge.

Binding: The straight-grain or bias strips of fabric that is used to cover the four raw edges formed by the backing, batting and top of a quilt.

Blanket stitch: Another term for buttonhole stitch.

Bleeding: The loss of dye in fabric when it gets wet.

Blindstitch: A handstitch used to secure the folded edge of fabric to another piece of fabric. You use the blindstitch to secure appliqué pieces and to hand-finish the quilt binding.

Block: A single design unit of a quilt top. They are generally square or rectangular design components, but can be other shapes. Blocks are stitched together to form a quilt top.

BOM: Block Of The Month

Border: A strip of fabric that is between the binding and the inner part of the quilt. The border can be pieced.

Bunny Ears: Formed in two corners when stitching a triangle and a square unit together. Bunny ears are, in most instances, trimmed away.

Butted corner seam: Another term for square corner seam.

Buttonhole stitch: A hand stitch used to secure appliqué pieces to the background fabric. The buttonhole stitch is used often for raw edge appliqué.

Calico: Printed fabric that has small repeating designs.

Celtic appliqué: An appliqué technique that uses folded bias strips to produce complex, curved geometric designs.

Chain piecing: To join fabric pieces by feeding them through the sewing machine one after the other without lifting the presser foot or cutting the threads between the pairs. You can also sew strips of fabric together at the sewing machine, then cut them into desired units.

Charm blocks: A collection of small fabric squares.

Charm quilt: A patchwork quilt made from charm blocks. Traditionally, no two charm blocks are made from the same fabric.

Clip: A small cut to help curved edges of fabric to lay flat. You cut perpendicular to the seam allowance edge and stop about 1/16" before getting to the seam line.

COC: Cream On Cream

Comforter: A covering that has been tied instead of quilted.

Crocking: The term used when dye from a fabric rubs onto an adjacent piece of fabric.

Cross-hatching: A network of parallel quilting lines that run in two directions. They may form a grid of squares or a grid of diamonds.

Crosswise grain: The threads in a fabric that run perpendicular to the selvage. The crosswise grain has a little more stretch than the lengthwise grain.

Cutting line: The line on a pattern that you cut your fabric to.

Cutting Mat: A flat piece of rubber like material that is used with a rotary cutter to protect the table surface and to preserve the blade's sharpness.

Darning presser foot: A sewing machine attachment designed to allow the fabric to be guided and moved freely during fee-motion machine quilting.

Diagonal basting stitch: Another term for Tailor's padding stitch.

Diagonal set: Another term for on point.

Directional Print: Fabric with a distinct up and down or side to side pattern.

Design Board: Wall or felt-covered board used in auditioning block components or fabric patterns/colors to plan quilt top design.

Design Wall: A area that allows you to put up pieces of your quilt and see them in relationship to one another.

Easing: The process of adjusting the length of one fabric edge to match the length of another fabric edge while stitching them together.

Echo quilting: A technique of quilting where you outline a piece most often appliqué. The first quilting line is in-the-ditch. The next quilting line is parallel to the first line and approximately 1/4" away. You continue adding new quilting lines.

English paper piecing: A method of hand piecing that uses precut paper/plastic pieces. You baste your fabric around the piece. After basting, the pieces are whip stitched together with the paper inside to hold the accurate shape.

EPP: English Paper Piecing

Fat eighth: A piece of fabric (11" x 18") that is half of a fat quarter (18" x 22").

Fat quarter: A piece of fabric (18" x 22") that is half of a half yard of fabric (18" x 44").

Feed dogs: Mechanical teeth located under the needle plate of a sewing machine that serve to guide or feed the fabric through the machine.

Feedsacks: Material originally used to hold flour, feed, sugar, salt, etc. Now highly prized for authentic reproduction quilts.

Finger pressing: A technique to make a seam lie flat by pinching the fabric between your fingers.

Finished size: The size of a completed block or quilt without the seam allowances.

Foundation paper piecing: A method of machine piecing that uses paper with the pattern printed on it. You sew pieces of fabric to the paper.

Foundation Piecing: A method of machine piecing that uses muslin or light fabric with the pattern printed on it. You sew pieces of fabric to the pattern printed fabric.

FPA: Freezer Paper Applique

FQ: Fat Quarter

Free-motion machine quilting: The process of quilting curved designs by machine.

Freezer paper appliqué: A method to appliqué that uses freezer paper. The freezer paper may be underneath with heat basted seams, or on top as a guide to tuck under the seam as you sew.

Friendship quilt: A quilt made by several people to be given to one person. Each participant usually signs the block they made.

Fringe Foot: This foot produces thread loops on the fabric's surface for a decorative and dimensional appearance.

Frog Stitching: To undo previously done stitches. It is called so for the phrase ... rip it, rip it, rip it ... sounds like a frog.

Fusible appliqué: By using fusible webbing, you can press your appliqué pieces to the background fabric.

Fusible webbing: A plastic like material that is used to heat fuse two pieces of fabric together.

Fussy Cut: Cutting the fabric to capture a certain area of the design in the print.

Grain: The direction of the crosswise and lengthwise threads of a fabric. The lengthwise grain (parallel to the selvage) is the most stable or least stretchy fabric grain.

Grain line: An arrow or line that is printed on a pattern to indicate how the pattern should be laid on the fabric before cutting.

Homespun: A loosely woven fabric, may times a plaid, hand-lomed from hand-spun yarns.

Half Square Triangle: A block with a diagonal seam line. Two different fabrics are on each side of the line, usually forming a light/dark configuration.

HST: Half Square Triangle

In the ditch quilting: Quilting in the seam line.

Invisible machine appliqué: Sewing machine stitch with a narrow-width stitch using nylon thread.

Ironing: The process of moving an iron across the fabric to smooth and flatten it.

Lattice strips: Another term for sashing.

Layering: To lay the backing, batting and top of a quilt together to prepare it for quilting.

Lengthwise grain: The threads in a fabric that run parallel to the selvage. The lengthwise grain is the most stable or least stretchy fabric grain.

Light box: A device that you can use to see through darker fabric to trace from a pattern underneath the fabric.

Loft: The thickness of the batting. Low loft would be thinner than high loft.

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.

Long half: A pieces of fabric (22" x 36") that is cut along the fold of the fabric.

Machine appliqué: The process to use a sewing machine to appliqué pieces to a background fabric.

Matching points: To line up seams between pieces, most often at corners.

Meander quilting: Random lines of stitching that usually do not cross each other.

Miniature quilt: A small-scaled version of a larger quilt.

Mitered corners: Borders or bindings sewn together at the corners in a 45-degree angle versus perpendicular angles.

Mitered seam: A seam that is at 45 degrees and is most often used to join border corners.

Muslin: A plain-woven undyed cotton fabric.

Needle-turn appliqué: A method of hand appliqué where the point of the needle is used to fold under the raw edge as they are stitching to the background fabric.

Needleturn stitch: Another term for blindstitch.

Needle: What you sew with.

Nickel square: Five-inch square of fabric used in making quilt blocks.

NS: No Steam

OG: On Grain

On point: Blocks are arranged where the sides of the blocks are 45 degrees to the side of the quilt.

OTB: On The Bias

Outline quilting: Quilt stitching that follows the outline of a piece.

Overcasting stitch: Another term for whipstitch.

Paper piecing: Quilting technique in which a design is printed onto paper and fabric pieces are stitched together on the paper for accuracy.

Patch: A single fabric shape joined to other pieces of fabric to make a block.

Patchwork: A block that is made up of several small pieces of fabric that are sewn together.

Peanut: A piece of fabric that is 11" x 18" or 9" x 22".

Piecing: The process of sewing pieces of fabric together by hand or machine to make a patchwork.

Piecing stitch: The name of the hand-piece stitching for patchwork.

Plump eighth: A piece of fabric (11" x 18") that is half of a fat quarter (18" x 22").

Prairie points: Folded fabric triangles stitched around the perimeter of the quilt as embellishment.

Pressing foot: The part of the sewing machine that holds the fabric flat against the throat plate during stitching.

Pressing: A lifting and lowering of the iron to set seams and to remove wrinkles. Pressing will not stretch or distort the fabric.

Prewashing fabric: The process of rinsing fabric in hot water to preshrink it and remove sizing.

PWF: PreWashed Fabric

Quarter inch foot: A sewing machine attachment designed to allow scant quarter-inch seams to make a quilt.

Quarter Inch Seam Allowance: The standard seam allowance used to make a quilt.

Quilt: A bedcover made of two pieces of fabric with a filler between them.

Quilt back: The lower layer of a quilt.

Quilt blocking: Process of flattening and squaring up a quilt to create a more uniformly shaped blanket.

Quilt Sandwich: The there layers (backing, batting, and top) that make up a quilt.

Quilt top: The upper layer of a quilt.

Quilter's Candy: A piece of fabric (11" x 18") that is half of a fat quarter (18" x 22").

Quilter's Guild: An organization made up of quilters.

Quilter's knot: A knot used for most hand-sewing tasks.

Quilting: Small running stitches that hold the three layers of a quilt together.

Quilting frame: A freestanding floor apparatus that holds the layers of a quilt together during quilting.

Quilting guild: Community of quilters formulated to encourage quilt making as an art, and to promote fellowship and quilting activities.

Quilting hoop: A small circular apparatus that holds the layers of a quilt together during quilting.

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.

Quilting thread: A heavier cotton or cotton-covered polyester thread used for hand quilting.

Raw edge: The unfinished edge of cut fabric.

Redwork: Embroidery using red thread.

Reverse appliqué: The technique of turning under the edge of one fabric to reveal the underlying fabric.

Right side: The front or top side of the fabric that usually has a print on it.

Rotary Cutter: A tool with a circular blade that is used to cut through multiple layers of fabric.

RST: Right Sides Together

Running stitch: A handstitch used to temporarily sew pieces together. Running stitch can also be used to baste turned-under seam allowances for hand appliqué.

Sampler quilt: A quilt that is a collection of different blocks. Blocks may or may not be the same size.

Sandwich: The quilt backing, batting and top.

Sashing: Fabric strips that separate the blocks in a quilt. The sashing frames the blocks and makes the quilt larger.

Satin stitch: A closely spaced zigzag stitch that can be done by hand or machine. The stitch resembles satin.

Scant 1/4" seam: A seam allowance that is 2 or 3 threads less than 1/4".

Seam: The meeting of two pieces of fabric that is held together with stitching.

Seam Allowance: The fabric between the seam and the raw edge of the fabric.

Selvage: The lengthwise finished edge on each side of fabric.

Set-in seams (also y-seams): Seam intersections of three fabric pieces that form a Y-shape, also called set-in piecing.

Setting-in piecing: The process of stitching a piece in a opening between previously joined pieces.

Sharps: General all-purpose sewing needle.

Slipstitch: Another term for blindstitch.

Square corner seam: A seam that is made when one border is stitched past another at a 90 degree angle. The seam runs parallel to a side of the quilt.

Squaring Up: This is when you use a square ruler to assure all the corners of a block are right angles. This also removes any fabric ears that may be left over from making the block.

Stash: A collection of fabric acquired by quilting enthusiasts.

Stippling: Very close random curved quilting lines. This can be done by hand or machine. This dense quilting flattens the quilted area and leaves the unquilted area raised.

Stitch in the ditch: Quilting stitches sewn along a seam line.

Swaps: Exchanging of blocks or fabric with other quilters.

Template: A firm pattern that can be used as a guide for marking and transferring shapes onto fabric. Templates can be made of paper, cardboard or plastic.

Thimble: A metal or leather finger shied to protect the tips of the fingers while sewing.

Tied quilt: A type of quilt in which yarn or thread ties are used to secure the layers of the quilt.

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.

Traveling: A method for moving the quilting needle from one point to another through the batting.

UFO: UnFinished Object

Walking foot: A sewing machine attachment designed to move the top fabric through the sewing machine at the same rate that the feed dogs move the bottom fabric.

Whipstitch: An overcasting stitch. This method is use to join pieces in english paper piecing.

Whole-cloth quilt: A quilt that is made from one large piece of fabric. The design is in the quilting.

WIP: Works In Progress

WOF: Width Of Fabric (from selvage to selvage)

WOW: White On White

Wrong side: The back or bottom side of the fabric. The side opposite that has the print on it.

Y-seams: Another term for set-in seams.

Yardage: The amount of fabric measured in yards.

Yo-Yo: gathered circles of fabric.

Zigzag stitch: A side-to-side machine stitch that is used to cover the raw edge of appliqué pieces.