Quilting Terms Glossary

Definitions of terms commonly used in the wide, wonderful world of quilting.

Appliqué – A sewing technique for attaching pieces of fabric onto a background fabric, often cut with the aid of a template. Appliqués may be stitched to the background by hand as in needle turn using a blind stitch, or by machine, using a satin stitch or blanket stitch.
Backing – The fabric on the underside of a quilt, made from a single cut of fabric or pieced from various fabrics; the bottom of a quilt.
Bias – A 45 degree diagonal direction on a piece of fabric.
Batik – A type of fabric that is dyed in some areas to create multi-layered pattern and colors; Indonesia is best known for its batik fabric.
Batting – The middle layer of a quilt, which provides warmth and loft.
Binding – The final step in making a quilt, these are the strips that enclose the raw edges of your quilt. You may use pieced binding, which is made from strips of one fabric sewn together in the length needed to go around your entire quilt, scrappy binding, which is made from strips of several different fabrics used in your quilt top, or bias binding, which is made with fabric strips cut on the bias.
Block – A designed unit that, when combined with other blocks, comprise a quilt top.
Bolt – A long piece of fabric, usually 44” wide, that is wound around a flat piece of cardboard.
BOM, Block-of-the-Month - A type of quilt club or program in which parts of a quilt are completed on a monthly basis; usually the material and pattern for a single block is sent each month.
Border – Outer pieces included in some quilt designs that may act as a frame for the blocks it surrounds.
Fat Quarter – A frequently used piece of fabric measuring 18" x 21". This size allows for cutting larger pieces than cannot be achieved from a regular quarter yard cut.
Fat Eighth – An eighth-yard of fabric cut to measure 9" x 21", rather than the typical one-eighth yard cut of 4.5" x 40".
Finished Size – The final size of a completed unit or block without seam allowances.
Finishing – Refers to the piece or pieces that complete a quilt, usually including the binding.
Half Square Triangle – Square units made from two fabrics. May be made using two triangles, or by a quick method using two squares, right sides together and stitched 1/4" on either side of a diagonal line. The square is then cut on the drawn line and yields two half square triangles.
LOF, Length of Fabric – The direction of a fabric that runs perpindicular to the WOF.
Panel – A piece of fabric printed with an image, oftentimes used as a quilt's centerpiece, known as a panel quilt.
Piece, piecing, pieced – A technique in which pieces of fabric are joined by a seam.
Quarter Square Triangle – Often called an hourglass unit. Square made from four triangles.
Quilt Kits – A product that contains the pattern and fabric required to make a quilt, usually without the backing.
Quilt Top – The front of a quilt, usually comprised of several blocks.
Sampler Quilt – A type of quilt in which no block repeats in pattern and typically varies in size.
Sashing – Strips of fabric sewn between blocks and/or rows of blocks.
Selvage, selvedge – The edge of fabric, usually printed with information to identify the collection it belongs to and the manufacturer.
Specialty Cuts – Yardage that is precut to specific sizes.
Template – Shape used as a pattern for tracing shapes for applique or piecing.
Unfinished Size – The unfinished size of a complete unit or block with seam allowances.
WOF, Width of Fabric - The direction of a fabric that runs from selvedge to selvedge on a bolt, usually 44" wide unless otherwise noted.