Some of the terminology for quilting that you will find useful is given below:
Accent quilting - can add pattern that works with, but follows, different lines to those of any patchwork.
Achromatic color schemes - using black white and grey only
Album quilts these use a mix of blocks pertinent to the maker, the recipient or an event, and are usually gifts for specific events or circumstances
Amish Quilts these are very simplistic and orderly and always functional
Analogous color schemes neighboring colors on a color wheel
Anchor fabric this is used when piecing to hold the fabric pieces together when machine piecing
Appliquι not specific to quilting, but often used on quilts this is the use of smaller pieces of fabric, often making a figure or character, stitched to the face fabric of the quilt. Sun Bonnett Sues are examples of these. Various stitches can be used visible or invisible
Backing fabric as you would expect, this is this is the base fabric
Bargello quilting use of fabric strips to give the look of a wave
Basting is a way of holding the three sandwich layers together on a temporary basis. You can tack, pin or use sticky spray
Batting is the middle or wadding layer of your quilt sandwich
Bearding is when the batting fibers come away and find their way through to the face or base fabric it happens more with polyester wadding.
Beaswax coating on thread makes it stronger and prevents it from knotting.
Betweens are quilting needles, and they are very short. Sizes 9, 10 or 12 are generally used the 12 being longer than the nine.
Binding is used to create the quilt edges. It is essential to cut binding on the bias to avoid pulling out of shape.
Blanket stitch originally used to edge blankets and prevent fraying, it is also used as a decorative stitch for securing pieces of appliquι
Block a section of patchwork, usually, but not always, square
Border fabric strips used between blocks and or on the top bottom and sides.
Cats ears a block style also known as prairie points
Chain sewing- a continual thread to sew pieces together without finishing off and re-starting
Chain stitch is an embroidery stitch that resembles a chain.
Charm quilts have only one shape which is used repeatedly, but never using the same fabric more than once
Cheaters Cloth fabric which looks like it is made of patchwork, but which is actually printed
Cool colours blues or greens
Crazy quilt quilt using irregular fabric pieces stitched to foundation fabric and then decorated.
Cross hatch parallel lines marked on the quilt to help hand stitching.
Cross hatching uses straight lines on a grid diamonds or square or rectangles can be used.
Dimensional appliquι this stands in relief from the quilt cover, either stuffed or not.
Echo quilting lines of quilting that repeat around the edge of a piece or design
Fat Quarter is a yard and a half of fabric cut in half to enable a square piece 18 x 22
Foundation blocks are blocks that are made up of any number of small pieces of fabric. The finished block is then joined to other finished blocks to create the patchwork face. Try and keep the fabric, if possible, to have the straight grain on the edge of the block.
Frames can be small circular hoops for hand sewing or large rectangular frames for holding bigger quilts.
Friendship quilt made to be given to friends or family and often having messages or using swap fabric
Grain the line of fiber running perpendicular to the side selvedge
Hawaiian appliquι A technique for applying very detailed design pieces onto quilt fabric.
Hoops large frames to hold the quilt for hand or machine stitching
Lap quilting quilting squares as complete pieces,
and then joining the pieces when they are all made
Lattice strips strips bordering the blocks
Loft the spare between face and the backing fabrics high lofts mean warmer, thicker quilts
Meandering or stippling style this is a style of filling in areas of quilt with stitch, but none of the stitching should touch. So you cant cross over a line you have already stitched
Marking marking the quilt by tracing or freehand to indicate where to stitch the quilt. Tailors chalk or wax is often used soap also works.
Medallion quilt a quilt with a central design from which the rest of the design follows outwards
Millenium quilts - or Y2K quilts to commemorate the year 2000
Miters a method of measuring diagonals and angles
Monochromatic all one color
Motif stitching gives a pattern which can be done on plain or patch work quilting. Motifs allow the quilter to incorporate names, hearts, animals, flowers, in fact any object, or, an abstract pattern.
Muslin a very thin plain fabric, often used as a foundation fabric for piecing blocks
No knots No knots are to be seen when quilting. The trick is to pull the knot through to the batting layer so that it can be hidden. When you finish you will also need to lose your knot in the centre batting. As with a starter knot, wrap the cotton a couple of times round the needle, check your last stitch hole, and pop the needle back in, and pull it through so that the knot stops in the batting, then cut the thread close to the fabric.
Off hand usually the left hand which guides the needle from underneath the quilt
Outline stitching is, as you would expect, intended to provide an outline, and achieved by stitching about Ό away from the seam. By doing this, the quilt is strengthened, as you get, in effect, a double line of stitching, and the other advantage is that the stitching is inside the cut edge and no seal allowance is needed.
Paper piecing using paper to attach pieces in a block. The paper is usually numbered or lettered and the pieces are matched, stitched to the paper and the adjoining pieces.
Piecing stitching pieces of fabric together or called patchwork
Quilting Thread is single strand of very strong cotton and glazed to help it pass through the batting.
Rocking this is the popular method if you rock the needle back and forth you should be able to get about 4 or 5 stitches on at one go.
Sampler showing a number of different quilting techniques
Sashing fabric strips that separate blocks
Satin Stich side by side stitching
Selvedge the edges of the fabric where the weave was finished.
Seminole quilting creating large pieces of fabric with pieces so that the joined fabric can then be cut and used with shapes repeated.
Sewing in the ditch refers to stitching very close to a seam where the stitches are barely visible.
Sharps fine needles for joining pieces and stitching on appliquι
Stencil using a pre made shape for transferring designs and motifs
Template a shape for cutting pieces made of plastic, paper, sandpaper.
Warm colors orange, red, yellows and tans