Creativity Abounds

Creativity Abounds

Nap - Fabric that has its fiber brushed causing a different coloration in different directions.

 

Notches – Match points on cutting lines of the paper pattern.

 

Notions - Sewing supplies needed to complete an item.

 

Novelty print - A fabric printed with small whimsical designs, sometimes licensed designs, such as cartoon characters.

 

On Point - Turned so the blocks are at a 45-degree angle.

 

One-patch - Any quilt pattern that uses a single shaped patch. May be squares, triangles, hexagons, etc. repeated in color patterns or random scraps.

 

Orvus - Brand name of a mild veterinary cleaning product often used to clean fine washables such as quilts.

 

Outline quilting - To make quilting stitches which follow the outline of your pieces or applique design. See also echo quilting.

 

 

Paper piecing – 1. A technique using a paper pattern and sewing directly through the paper to create the design.  Also called paper foundation piecing. 

Parallel - Two lines always separated by the same space.

Patchwork - The process of piecing or appliquéing fabric shapes together.

Pattern Repeat - The distance required for one complete design on the length of the fabric.

Piecing - Joining pieces of fabric together to form a block or quilt.

 
Pin baste - To use safety pins or straight pins to temporarily hold together the layers of a quilt in preparation for finish quilting

 

Pin Matching - using pins to align seams or points that have to match.

Piping - Decorative or contrasting strip sewn into a seam line.

Pivot - To turn the fabric while the needle is still in it.

Placket - Any finished opening in an item.

Ply – the number of fabric layers or strands of thread.

Point - The tip of the needle which punches the hole in the fabric.

 

Prairie Points - Folded fabric triangles used to finish an edge.

Preshrink - To treat fabric before cutting or sewing by laundering or steam pressing.

 

Quillow – a quilt which folds into a built-in pocket, to form a pillow

 

Quilt Stencil - A template with grooves cut out in a specific design for marking a quilt design on a quilt top.

Quilt Top - The completed design which is the top layer of a quilt.

Quilter's Quarter - A plastic straight edge (1/4" x 1/4") used to mark the seam line for quilting or cutting.

Quilting - The process of making a quilt or the stitching of patterns into the quilt layers to add strength and decoration to the quilt.

Quilting Frame - A free-standing rectangle on legs that holds a quilt, allowing a section to be stitched, then roll the quilt to another section.

 

Raw Edge - Unfinished or cut edge.

Retayne – Product that is used to prevent dyes from running or bleeding when washed.

Reinforce - To strengthen a section with short machine stitches, fabric tape or tape.

Reverse applique - Designs made by cutting, turning under, and blindstitching a top layer to expose a patch to the underside of the block.

Rip - To remove unwanted stitches.

Roller Foot - Machine foot which grips the top fabric and reduces the creep of the underlayer.

Rotary Cutter- A cutting tool with a rolling razor blade.

Ruffle - Decorative fabric band, gathered or pleated at before it is sewn.

 

Sampler Quilt - A quilt that combines blocks of different patterns, usually as an exercise.

Sandwich - Traditional description of a quilt consisting of a quilt top, batting, and a backing.

 

Sashing - Another name for lattice, or the strips that separate and frame each block.

Satin Stitch - Zigzag stitch with a very short length.

Scrap quilt - quilt made with leftover fabrics from other projects or from salvaged fabric from other items, such as clothing.

Seam Allowance - The width between the stitching line and the cutting line.

Seam line - Stitching line.

Selvage – The warp edges on each side of commercially woven fabric. Sometimes called self-edge.

 

Seminole piecing - A method of cutting joined strips of fabric into sections and re-piecing them with either plain contrasting fabric strips in between, or in staggered rows.

 

Setting - The arrangement of completed blocks forming the quilt top.

 

Shadowing – When a darker colored fabric shows through a lighter colored fabric.

 

Shaft - The lower part of the machine needle that comes out from the needle clamp.

 

Shank - The upper part of a machine needle which is inserted into the needle bar & locked into place.

 

Sharps - Small, thin, very sharp needles used for piecing and doing appliqué.

 

Siggie or Siggy - Short for signature block or signature square.

Spot Tack - sewing at the end of the stitching line by setting stitch length to 0.

Squishy - Slang for an envelope full of fabric, especially one that comes in the mail as a result of an exchange or mail-order purchase.

Stabbing - A stitching technique for quilting using both hands in which you insert the needle into your quilt, pull it out the bottom with your other hand under the hoop, and then push it up from the bottom to the top.

Stabilizer – Material used to reduces stitching problems or provide strength.

 

Stack and Whack Quilt - A method where fabric repeats are stacked and cut in such away that the blocks sewn from the fabric will form kaleidoscope patterns.

Stash - A supply of fabric and notions used for quilting and other sewing projects.

 

Stay - Lightweight selvage, seam tape, twill tape, tricot bias or bias tape to hold the seam or edge as desired.

 

Stippling - Closely spaced tacking stitches or squiggly lines that never cross themselves and never make sharp turns.

 

Stitch-in-the-ditch - Technique of stitching from the right side in the well of a seam.

 
Stitches per Inch - The number of stitches in an inch that a hand quilter is makes when quilting.

Stitching line – Seam line.

Strip piecing - cutting strips of fabric instead of individual shapes and sewing them together in a specific sequence, which is then cut apart and resewn to form a part of a quilt.

Swatch - Small example fabric piece.

 

Synthrapol - Product used to remove excess dye from fabrics in order to prevent bleeding or wicking color into other fabrics.

 

Tack - stitches to hold fabric layers together.

Template - A cardboard or plastic shape used for tracing patterns for piecing or appliqué or for tracing lines to be quilted.

Topstitch - To stitch on the right side.

Topweight - Lighter weight fabrics.

Trapunto – A method to create a dimensional design by outlining stitches that are then stuffed with yarn or batting.

Trim - To cut away excess fabric.

 

Tying - A method of securing the quilt layers with knotted ties across the quilt.

 

Ultraviolet Light (UV) Resistance – Having a UV inhibitor is used to reduce the amount of harmful light rays absorbed by the thread that can affect durability and color fastness.

 

Variegated - Thread that is dyed in multiple colors in sequence so that the thread will uniformly change colors.

 

Wales - The lengthwise ribs on knit fabrics.

Wall quilt - A smallish quilted piece designed and constructed to be hung on the wall for decoration.

 

Warp - Threads perpendicular to selvage, running from top to bottom in the length of the material.

 

Washfastness - The ability to resist color change resulting from laundering.

 

Watercolor quilt - A technique where you use small squares of floral fabrics to create a quilt pattern in the style of an Impressionist painting. Also called colorwash quilting.

 

Well of the Seam - Seam line on the right side of the fabric.

 

Weft – Threads parallel to the selvage, running from side to side.

Welt - Visible part of a bound buttonhole, bound pocket, or welt pocket.

 

White work - A quilt where the entire design is in the quilting stitches, with no patchwork or appliqué.

 

Whole cloth quilt - A quilt where the top is made from a single piece of fabric.

 

Xerox – to make a copy of, does not have to be that brand of copier or printer.

 

Y2K Quilt - A quilt made to celebrate the year 2000. A Y2K quilt is a charm quilt which contains 2,000 different fabric and signature squares.

 

Zigzag - A sewing machine stitch that moves back and forth along one axis while moving in one direction on the other.

 

A-M