Quilting Terms & Acronyms for Beginners
Hi friends, welcome to the second post in my Learn to Quilt blog series. The goal of this series is to help first-time quilters navigate their way through the learning curve. I’m starting at the beginning and covering everything you need to know about quilting. In this particular post, I’m listing and explaining the terms commonly used in the quilting world that you may not know. I’ll continue this series with more in-depth information about the quilt-making process and related concepts in other posts. If you’re looking for a list of tools you need to get started check out my last post. Veteran quilters, what confused you the most when you started quilting? Newbie quilters, if you can’t find the answer you’re looking for below, please let me know!
What Are Quilters Talking About?
So you’ve discovered the rabbit hole that is the online quilting community and as you’re perusing quilting posts on Pinterest and Instagram you see all these acronyms and words being used in ways they should not be used. You just want to make a quilt, not decode a secret language, or waste hours on Urban Dictionary. What are these quilters talking about? Well, I can’t speak for all quilters and their post captions but I can help you understand enough basic quilting terminology to get you through a quilt post or pattern with ease. Below, I’ve compiled a glossary of quilting acronyms and terms that you’re likely to see while reading about quilts. I’ve arranged them in alphabetical order so they can be found as quickly as possible. Read on for instant clarity about all things quilty. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please let me know! I’ve included a form at the bottom of the page to fill out with any questions you have.
2AAT (2 At A Time)
“Two At A Time” in reference to making certain quilt blocks like HSTs (Half Square Triangles) where there are several methods of making the blocks with varying end quantities.
4AAT (4 At A Time)
“Four At A Time” in reference to making certain quilt blocks like Flying Geese where there are several methods of making the blocks with varying end quantities.
Appliqué
A decorative form of needlework where pieces of fabric are hand or machine sewn onto a large piece of fabric.
Backing Fabric
Fabric used as the bottom layer in a quilt sandwich.
Basting
The process of temporarily fixing the layers of a quilt sandwich together so they can be quilted.
Batting
The middle, insulating, layer of a quilt. It is usually made of cotton, polyester, cotton/poly blend, wool, or bamboo but literally anything can be used. Try using a sheet for a lighter weight quilt, or a fleece blanket for an extra cozy quilt. Also referred to as Wadding.
Bias
The bias grain of the fabric often referred to as “the bias”, runs at a 45-degree angle to the selvedge. When working with a woven (non-stretchy fabric), cutting along the bias and using that edge allows for a bit of stretchiness, making the fabric easier to manipulate. Strips of fabric cut along the bias can be joined together to create bias tape.
Bias Tape
Strips of fabric cut along the bias (45-degree angle to the selvedge) and joined together at the short ends to create one long strip. In quilting, it’s used along the edge of a quilt as binding.
Binding
The long strip of fabric and the finishing touch, that goes around the perimeter of a quilt and encloses the raw edges. Binding can be created by joining strips of fabric cut along the straight grain, cross grain, or bias grain. Also the process of sewing that long strip of fabric to the quilt sandwich.
Blocks
The basic unit from which quilts are composed. It can be made up of one or multiple pieces of fabric. Traditionally, blocks are repeated and joined together to make the quilt top. (Database of quilt blocks coming soon!)
Bolts
An industry standard to describe a large roll of fabric. When referring to quilting cotton a bolt usually contains 15-20 yards of fabric.
Chain Piecing
Piecing multiple quilt blocks of the same design with a sewing machine in an assembly-line fashion without cutting the thread between each block.
Charm Pack
A stack of 5” X 5” pieces of fabric sold as a pack. Usually, charm packs are used to highlight a specific collection of fabric. In this case, the pack will include 1-3 pieces of each fabric design from the highlighted collection.
Cones
An industry standard to describe a large spool of thread. A cone usually contains 2500-3300 yards of thread.
Cross Grain
The cross grain of the fabric runs parallel to the weft threads and perpendicular to the selvedge. The cross grain is typically a bit stretchier than the straight grain because the weft threads are typically looser than the warp threads during the weaving process.
Directional Prints
Fabric designs that visually make sense in only one direction.
English Paper Piecing
A method of piecing patchwork where fabric is wrapped around paper shapes and hand-stitched together.
FE or F8 (Fat Eighth)
An eighth-yard piece of fabric cut crosswise from a traditional quarter yard piece resulting in a 9” X 21” rectangle.
FQ (Fat Quarter)
A quarter yard piece of fabric cut crosswise from a traditional half yard piece resulting in an 18” X 21” rectangle.
Foundation Paper Piecing
A method of piecing patchwork where paper with a design printed on it is used as a template for a quilt block. The fabric is stitched directly on to the paper with a sewing machine and trimmed to shape. This method is used to create blocks with complex designs, very sharp points, and perfectly matched intersections.
Free-Motion Quilting
Sewing the three layers of a quilt sandwich together on a domestic sewing machine without the feed dogs engaged. The disengaged feed dogs allow you to freely move the quilt sandwich in any and every direction.
Fussy Cutting
To cut a piece of fabric so that a particular feature or motif from the textile design is centered.
Grain
The orientation of the warp and weft threads in woven fabrics. In quilting, the focus is usually on the three named grains: straight grain (AKA “the grain”), cross grain, and the bias grain. Cutting along different grains results in more or less stretch to the piece of fabric.
HRT (Half Rectangle Triangle)
A rectangular quilt block consisting of two triangles.
HST (Half Square Triangle)
A square quilt block consisting of two triangles.
Jelly Roll
A roll of 2½” X 44” strips of fabric sold as a pack. Usually, jelly rolls are used to highlight a specific collection of fabric. In this case, the pack will include 1-3 strips of each fabric design from the highlighted collection.
Layer Cake
A stack of 10” X 10” pieces of fabric sold as a pack. Usually, layer cakes are used to highlight a specific collection of fabric. In this case, the pack will include 1-3 pieces of each fabric design from the highlighted collection.
Loft
The thickness of batting. Using a batting with a higher loft will give more dimension to your quilt and will highlight your quilting. Typically, wool and polyester batting have a higher loft. Cotton batting usually has a lower loft.
LQS (Local Quilt Shop)
“Local Quilt Shop” as opposed to a big name chain store.
Nesting Seams
Pressing the seams of quilt blocks in particular directions before piecing together in order to reduce the bulk of seams and to help block intersections align.
Notions
Tools, small objects, and accessories used in sewing. Including (but not limited to) needles, thread, pins, seam rippers, etc.
Piecing
Sewing multiple pieces of fabric or blocks together.
Pressing
Using an iron to manipulate the seams of a unit, quilt block, or quilt top to help it lay flat after it’s been sewn together. Not to be confused with ironing. When pressing it’s important to not move the iron around as if you would iron clothing. Moving the iron around while applying pressure could slightly distort or stretch the unit or block, resulting in inaccurate piecing. Simply place the iron in the area you want to press, apply pressure, then lift the iron.
QST (Quarter Square Triangles)
A square quilt block consisting of four triangles.
QAYG (Quilt As You Go)
“Quilt As You Go” a method of piecing patchwork directly onto the backing and batting layers of a quilt sandwich.
Quilt Sandwich
The three layers of a quilt: the top, batting (or wadding), and the back in a stack, together.
Quilt Top
The top layer of a quilt sandwich. Can be made of one fabric, a pieced patchwork design, or and appliqué design.
Quilting
Sewing the three layers of a quilt sandwich together. This can be done by hand, on a domestic sewing machine, or on a longarm quilting machine.
Quilts In The Wild
A popular hashtag on social media that showcases photos of people taking their quilts outside and/or on adventures.
RST (Right Sides Together)
“Right Sides Together” in reference to sewing two pieces of fabric together. In traditional patchwork piecing you sew the pieces together with their front or “right” sides facing each other.
Sampler Quilt
A quilt made up of multiple, unrepeated, usually large blocks. Often, each block is designed by a different quilter.
Sashing
The sections of background color fabric between quilt blocks.
Scant Quarter Inch
A seam allowance that is ever so slightly less than the normal ¼” to compensate for the loss of fabric within the folds of the seams. For a more in-depth breakdown read this helpful blog post by Andrea Tsang Jackson of 3rd Story Workshop.
Seam Allowance
The amount of fabric allowed for seams when sewing two pieces of fabric together. In quilting, it’s important to maintain a ¼” seam allowance throughout the project so that when you are sewing blocks together points and intersections line up properly.
Selvage/Selvedge
The “self-finished” edge that runs the entire length of the fabric and is parallel to the warp threads.
Setting Seams
When you press your seams flat, just as they were sewn, before pressing them open or to the side. The idea is that this helps the stitches sink into the fabric, allowing your seams to be pressed as flat as possible in the next step.
Square Up
Trimming a block to give it straighter edges so it’s easier to piece together with the other blocks in a quilt top. For example, sometimes when I make half square triangles they are not perfectly square. So I trim off a tiny bit on each side to make sure it is a perfect square. The same can go for any pieced block. Sometimes pieces get cut a millimeter too long or too short (because we’re humans not robots) and then things don’t match up perfectly when sewn together. So, to make things a bit more neat and tidy, I’ll occasionally “square up” a block by trimming edges to make them straight and making sure the whole block is the proper square, rectangle, triangle, or whatever shape it’s meant to be.
SQST (Split Quarter Square Triangles)
A square quilt block consisting of three triangles.
Spool
An industry standard to describe a roll of thread. A spool usually contains 600-1500 yards of thread.
Straight Grain
The straight grain of the fabric, sometimes referred to as simply “the grain”, runs parallel to the selvedge and warp threads. The straight grain is the least stretchy of the grains because the warp threads are typically are tighter than the weft threads during the weaving process.
Strip Piecing
Piecing long strips of fabric together.
Wadding
The middle, insulating, layer of a quilt. It is usually made of cotton, polyester, cotton/poly blend, wool, or bamboo but literally anything can be used. Try using a sheet for a lighter weight quilt, or a fleece blanket for an extra comfortable quilt. Also referred to as Batting.
Walking Foot
A special foot for a domestic sewing machine to help feed the quilt sandwich through the machine and avoid bunching and puckers.
Warp
The threads that run parallel to the selvedge in woven fabric and are held in high tension during the weaving process.
Weft
The threads that run perpendicular to the selvedge in woven fabric and are threaded over and under the warp threads during the weaving process.
WOF
“Width of Fabric” referring the measurement from selvedge to selvedge. Quilting cotton is usually 40”-45” wide.
Can’t find the term you’re looking for?
Please let me know! I want this glossary to be as helpful as possible. If you’re looking for a specific explanation I’m sure someone else out there is too! Fill out the form below and I’ll add it to the list.
More Learn to Quilt Blog Posts
Free Quilt Patterns
