20
Materials & Tools
20 Beginner’s Guide to Quilting
top – are collectively referred to
as a quilt sandwich.Quilt top
The decorative top layer of a quilt
sandwich. This is the part that
features all your patchwork,
appliqué and stitching!Raw edge
The edge of a fabric where it’s
been cut. Many fabrics will fray at
the raw edges if they’re not
hemmed or bound.Reverse appliqué
The opposite of standard
appliqué, reverse appliqué
involves sewing together several
layers of fabric and then cutting
down through the layers to
create a design.Right side
The ‘front’ of a piece of fabric
that shows the design (if it’s
printed). When you’re making up
a pattern, the right side refers to
the side that will face outwards
when the project is finished.Rotary cutter
This bladed tool can cut straight
lines through several layers of
fabric at once. It should always
be used with a cutting mat and
quilter’s ruler.Sashiko
A traditional Japanese form of
running stitch, it’s now a popular
decorative quilting stitch.Sashing
Sashing is a latticework of strips
that separates the blocks on a
quilt top.Seam allowance
The distance that you need to
leave between your stitching and
the raw edge of the fabric. This is
usually ¼in (6mm) for patchwork,
but each pattern should specify
the amount. When cutting out
fabric from a template, the seam
allowance should be added
around all sides, unless the
pattern says otherwise.Setting
Setting is the process of arranging
all the elements of a quilt top –blocks, sashing and so on. A
diagonal setting, for instance, has
the blocks turned at 45º to the
internal edges of a square quilt.Selvedge (selvage)
The tightly woven edge of a bolt
of fabric. It may include
information, such as the
manufacturer and pattern repeat
length. Because the fabric is more
dense along the selvedge it’s best
to remove it rather than to quilt
with it.Sink stitching
(Also: in-the-ditch stitching)
A process that involves sewing
quilting stitches that are either
very close to, or actually lie within,
the seams between blocks and
other sewn-together elements of
a quilt top.Tack
Tacking is the process of loosely
fixing the layers of a quilt
sandwich together before quilting
them by hand or on a machine.
Known as basting in the US, there
are several ways of doing this: with
a basting spray adhesive; with
curved quilting pins; by using
fusible wadding that can be
ironed on; sewing tacking stitches
by hand; or using a specialist
basting gun that secures the
layers in place with plastic tags.
Each method has its advantages
and disadvantages – experiment
to see which you prefer!Tying
Tying is a fast alternative to sewing
together the three layers of a quilt
sandwich. As the name suggests,
it simply involves sewing through
the layers and back up again in
the same place, and tying a knot
in the thread to secure it. The knots
are repeated at regular intervals
across the quilt.Unit
In patchwork, units are small
pieces of fabric that are sewn
together to form blocks.Wadding
Available in different weights,
wadding forms the padded
layer of a quilt sandwich between
the top and the backing.
American patterns refer to
wadding as ‘batting’.Quilting
abbreviations
Learn the lingo with our
at-a-glance guide to
commonly used acronyms
and abbreviations! Keep
this guide to hand while
reading through your latest
project instructions and you
can check it whenever you
come across a term you’re
not sure about.BC = bias cut
BOM = block of the month
DF = double fold
DSM = domestic sewing
machine
FE = fat eighth
FMQ = free-motion quilting
FQ = fat quarter
HST = half-square triangle
LOF = length of fabric
LQ – Long quarter
LQS = local quilt shop
QST = quarter-square
triangle
RST = right sides together
SF = single fold
SOG = straight of grain
UFO = unfinished object
WIP = wo r k i n p ro g re s s
WOF = width of fabric
WOW = white on white
WST = wrong sides togetherWarp
Warp threads run lengthwise along a
woven fabric, at right angles to the
weft. There is almost no stretch or
give in the warp threads of a fabric.Weft
Weft threads run crosswise along a
woven fabric, at right angles to the
warp. Weft threads sometimes
contain a little stretch.Wholecloth
Wholecloth quilts have a top layer
that’s made from one piece of fabric
rather than patchwork. Printed
wholecloth tops can be bought
where you quilt around the design,
or templates are available so you
can quilt a pattern onto plain fabric.Wrong side
The back of a piece of fabric – either
the non-printed side, or the side that
will be on the back once the project
is finished.