Glossary
Appliqué - Sewing small pieces of fabric to a larger background by either hand or machine.
Backing - The bottom layer of a quilt 'sandwich'. Usually 3" to
4" larger than the 'top'.
Basting - Securing 'top', wadding and backing together ready for quilting.
Bias - The diagonal grain of a fabric. This is the direction which has the most stretch.
Binding - A narrow strip of fabric used to finish off edges of a quilt (usually mitred in corners).
Block - A single design unit that when stitched together with other blocks creates a quilt top.
Border - A frame of fabric stitched to the outer edges of a quilt top. Any number and any width of border can be added.
Fat Eighth - A 1/8 yd cut of fabric that measures 9" x 22" (23cm x 56cm).
Fat Quarter - A 1/4 yd cut of fabric that measures 18" x 22" (46cm x 56cm).
Grain - The direction in which the thread runs in a woven fabric.
Mitred Binding - A corner finished by folding and stitching at a 45 degree angle.
On point - A block turned by 45 degrees.
Pieced Quilt - A quilt composed of 'patches' (or blocks).
Scrim - The 'bits' in wadding that hold it together. 'With Scrim' wadding is good for machine quilting.
'Without Scrim' is better for hand quilting.
Selvedges - The finished edges running the length of the fabric yardage.
They should always be removed.
Sashing - A piece of fabric interspaced between blocks.
Sashing Posts - When blocks have sashing between them, the corner squares are known as sashing posts.
