Quilting Glossary of Terms

Basic Quilting Terms

  • Appliqué – Sewing fabric pieces onto a larger background fabric to create designs.
  • Backing – The fabric used for the back of the quilt, a single large piece or pieces joined together.
  • Batting – The soft, thick layer between the quilt top and backing, providing warmth and loft. Also known as Wadding.
  • Binding – A fabric strip sewn around the quilt’s edges to give it a finished look.
  • Block – A unit of a quilt design, often square, that is pieced or appliquéd together.
  • Chain Piecing – A method of sewing multiple pieces in a continuous line without cutting the thread in between.
  • Cornerstones – Small squares placed at the intersections of sashing strips.
  • Feed Dogs – Metal teeth on a sewing machine that help move multiple layers of fabric through as you stitch.
  • Fat Eighth – A fabric cut measuring approximately 9" x 42" (WOF). In the UK, it measures 25cm x 112cm (slightly bigger due to metric measurements)
  • Fat Quarter – A fabric cut measuring approximately 18" x 22", this is a half yard but cut in half. In the UK, it measures 50cm x 56cm (slightly bigger due to metric measurements).
  • Grain – The direction of woven threads in fabric: straight grain, cross grain, or bias grain.
  • Selvage – The finished edge of the fabric that prevents fraying.
  • Wadding - The soft, thick layer between the quilt top and backing, providing warmth and loft. Also known as Batting.
  • WOF - Width of Fabric. Normally 42" or 112cm, measured between the selvage edges.


Quilt Construction Terms

  • Flying Geese - A rectangle made up of three triangles.
  • Half-Square Triangle (HST) – A square made up of two triangles.

  • Loft – The thickness or fluffiness of batting/wadding, which affects the quilt’s warmth and texture.
  • Mitered Corner – A technique for creating neatly joined corners when attaching quilt binding.
  • Patchwork – The process of sewing fabric pieces together to form a quilt top.
  • Pressing – Using an iron to flatten seams; often done by pressing them open or to one side.
  • Quarter Inch Seam - This is the common seam width used in patchwork and quilting.
  • Quarter-Square Triangle (QST) – A square made up of four triangles.
  • Quilt Sandwich – The three layers of a quilt (top, batting, and backing) before quilting.
  • Sashing – Fabric strips sewn between blocks to add spacing and structure to the quilt top.

  • Split Square - A square made up of three triangles. Can be identical or non-identical depending on the sewing method.
  • Stitch in the Ditch – Quilting along the seam lines for subtle stitching that blends into the fabric.
  • Tacking – Small stitches or knots used to hold the quilt layers together before quilting.


Quilting Techniques

  • Basting – Temporarily securing quilt layers with pins, spray adhesive, or large stitches before quilting.
  • Big Stitch Quilting – A hand-quilting technique using large stitches for a decorative effect.
  • Fussy Cutting – Cutting fabric to highlight a specific design or motif from a print.
  • Free-Motion Quilting (FMQ) – A technique where the quilter manually moves the fabric under the needle to create designs.
  • Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP) – A quilting method where fabric pieces are sewn onto a paper template for precise results.
  • English Paper Piecing (EPP) – A hand-sewing method where fabric is wrapped around paper templates and stitched together.
  • Trapunto – A quilting technique that creates a raised, padded design by adding extra batting beneath specific areas.
  • Echo Quilting – A method of quilting where lines are stitched parallel to an appliqué or shape to create a shadow effect.
  • Feathering – A decorative quilting motif that resembles a row of overlapping feathers.


Quilt Layout & Design

  • Alternate Blocks – Blocks that create a secondary design when paired with another block style.
  • Border – The fabric strips surrounding a quilt top, framing the central design.
  • Corner Blocks – Small blocks placed at the corners of a quilt border.
  • Medallion Quilt – A quilt layout featuring a central motif surrounded by multiple borders or blocks.
  • On-Point Layout – A setting where quilt blocks are positioned diagonally rather than in a straight grid.
  • Sampler Quilt – A quilt made from a variety of different blocks, rather than repeating one pattern.
  • Scrappy Quilt – A quilt made from a variety of different fabric scraps, creating a colourful and eclectic look.
  • Wholecloth Quilt – A quilt made from a single piece of fabric with intricate quilting designs rather than pieced blocks.


Quilting Tools & Supplies

  • Cutting Mat – A self-healing mat used for rotary cutting fabric.
  • Rotary Cutter – A tool with a circular blade used for precise cutting of fabric.
  • Quilting Ruler – A transparent ruler marked with measurements to assist with cutting fabric accurately.
  • Walking Foot – A sewing machine foot that helps evenly feed fabric layers while quilting.
  • Darning Foot – A special foot used for free-motion quilting.
  • Basting Spray – A temporary adhesive spray used to hold quilt layers together before quilting.
  • Quilting Needles – Needles designed specifically for quilting, available for hand or machine sewing.
  • Thimble – A protective cover worn on a finger to assist in pushing a needle through fabric when hand-quilting.