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Quilting Terms Glossary |
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TERM |
DEFINITION |
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appliqué |
The sewing technique
for attaching pieces (appliqués) of fabric onto a
background fabric. Appliqués may be stitched to the
background by hand, using a blind stitch, or by
machine, using a satin stitch or a blind hemstitch. |
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basting |
The sewing technique
for joining by hand layers of fabric or the layers
of a quilt with large stitches. The stitching is
temporary and is removed after permanent stitching. |
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batting |
The layers or sheets
of filler placed between two pieces of fabric to
form a quilt. Its thickness varies, and it provides
warmth. |
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binding |
The strip of fabric
used to cover the outside edges and batting of a
quilt. |
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block |
The basic unit of a
quilt top. |
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border |
A strip of fabric that
is joined to the inner quilt to enhance it. |
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echo quilting |
A type of outline
quilting in which the first line of quilting is
quilted in-the-ditch of the appliqué motif. The next
line is quilted 1/4" away from the previous line. |
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hanging sleeve |
A tube of fabric blind
stitched to the top edge of the quilt back through
which a hanging rod or dowel can be inserted. |
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in-the-ditch
quilting |
The stitching that is
made alongside a seam or an appliqué edge. |
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mitered seam |
A 45 degree angle seam |
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outline quilting |
Stitching that is made
outside or inside the seam lines of patchwork or
appliqué. |
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patchwork |
The composite of
pieces sewn together to form a large piece, such as
a quilt. |
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quick cutting |
the process of cutting
fabric into strips and pieces using a rotary cutter,
a thick, clear plastic ruler, and a cutting mat. |
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quick piecing |
The machine-sewing
method for joining fabric, instead of cutting it
into pattern pieces. |
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quilting
|
The small, running
stitches made through the layers of a quilt - top,
batting and backing - to form decorative patterns on
the surface of the quilt and to hold the layers
together. |
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sashing |
The fabric that
separates blocks in a setting, framing them and
making the quilt larger. There are two basic kinds
of sashing - continuous and sashing with sashing
posts. |
|
set or setting |
The organization of
blocks in a quilt top. |
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templates
|
A pattern of a shape
needed for making a quilt block that can be marked
around on fabric by a pencil. Templates are used for
both appliqué and hand piecing. Templates that are
to be used only once can be made out of freezer
paper and ironed onto the fabric to be cut. Sturdier
materials for template making are cardboard or
plastic sheets. Commercial templates are made from
Plexiglas and have printed guides. |
|
tone on tone |
A printed fabric which
from a distance appears to be solid, can be used by
quilters to replace solid colored fabrics in a quilt
design. |
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trapunto
|
A method of hand or
machine quilting where extra batting (padding) is
added behind the top layer of a quilt so that the
area inside the quilting lines puffs out more than
the surrounding surface of the top. Traditionally a
slit was made in the backing and extra batting would
be inserted. |
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value |
Value is the relative
darkness or lightness of a fabric color when
compared to another fabric color. All colors have a
value ranging from light to dark. White fabrics
would be a lighter value when compared to a navy
blue fabric. Quilt blocks are usually designed to
use fabrics with at least two different values,
light and dark, though many blocks also incorporate
the use of medium values. The contrast between the
values gives the block design its impact. Learning
to use value effectively is critical to successful
quilt design. |
