The Secret Quilters

Apparently, quilters are fluent in a second language—and no one gave us a dictionary! In this episode, Brennen and Mindy decode quilting jargon, from WOF and HST to UFOs, fat quarters, and more. If you’ve ever walked into a quilt shop and wondered, “What did they just say?” this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

Quilters and Quilting Projects

• UFO – Unfinished Object
• WIP – Work in Progress
• FO – Finished Object. 
• Quilt Top – The top layer of the quilt
• Batting – The middle layer that gives the quilt warmth and dimension. 
• Backing – The fabric on the back of the quilt.
• Binding – The fabric strip used to finish the outside edges of the quilt. 
• Quilting – The stitching that joins the quilt top, batting, and backing together. 
• Quilt Sandwich – The top + Batting + Backing

“I Thought It Was Just Fabric”

• Fat Quarter – a quarter yard of fabric cut into a larger, squarer piece rather than a long quarter-yard strip. 
• Fat Eighth – Half of a fat quarter
• Jelly Roll – a bundle of 2 ½ inch-wide-stripes, usually from one fabric collection
• Layer Cake – a bundle of 10-inch squares, usually containing coordinating fabrics from the same collection. 
• Charm Pack – a bundle of 5-inch squares or coordinating fabrics
• Honey Bun – a bundle of 1 ½ inch strips, usually from a single fabric collection. 
• Pre-Cuts – a general term for things like: Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes, Charm Packs, Honey Buns, Fat Quarters

“Measure Twice … Panic Once”

• WOF – With of Fabric
• Selvage – the finished edge of the fabric that prevents it from unraveling
• Right Side and the Wrong Side:
  • Right Side – front of the fabric
  • Wrong Side – back of the fabric
• Grain – the direction of the threads in the fabric
• Bias – the diagonal direction across the fabric

Quilt Block Alphabet Soup

• HST – Half-Squared Triangle
• QST – Quarter-Square Triangle
• Flying Geese – a rectangular unit containing a triangle that looks like a flying goose. 
• RST – Right Side Together: Means placing the right sides, putting the pretty sides of the fabric facing each other, then sewing them together. 

“How Are We Supposed to Put This Together?”

• Seam Allowance – the distance between the edge of your fabric and your stitching line
• ¼ -inch Seam – the standard see allowance used in many quilting projects. 
• Chain Piecing – sewing multiple pieces together one after another without cutting the thread between them. 
• Press vs. Iron
  • A press generally means placing the iron down and lifting it back up
  • An iron moves back and forth. 
• Press to the Dark Side – pressing seams toward the dark fabric
• Press to the Light Side – pressing seams toward the lighter fabric
• Open Seams – pressing the seam allowance open
• BOM – Block of the Month 
• ROW – Row of Month

“Following Directions … Sort of”

• Pattern – the instructions that tell you how to make your quilt
• Block – a single unit or section of the quilt
• Sashing – strips of fabric placed between quilt blocks
• Cornerstones – small squares placed where sashing strips intersect 
• Setting – how the blocks are arranged in the finished quilt
• Background Fabric – neutral or secondary fabric material in a quilt pattern that acts as a backdrop for the main blocks, and it provides a visual contrast to the main block 
• Negative Space – Areas of the quilt where there isn’t a lot of visual activity  
• FMQ – Free-Motion Quilting – Quilting where the quilter controls the movement of the fabric and creates the stitching design. 
• Walking Foot – a sewing machine attachment that helps move multiple layers of fabric evenly. 
• Long-Arm Quilting – using a specialized long-arm quilting machine to quilt larger quilts.
• Domestic Machine – a standard home sewing machine used for quilting 
• Stitch-in-the-Ditch: This is a quilting technique where you stitch in the seam ditch of your quilt piecing. The goal is for the stitching to not be seen because the stitches fall between the folds of the fabric. 
• Echo Quilting – Stitching around a shape or design at a consistent distance. 

Fun Slang

• LQS– Local Quilt Shop
• Notion – any small tool, accessory, or supply used to make a quilt, excluding the main fabric, thread, and the sewing machine. 
• SABLE: Stash accumulation beyond life expectancy
• Stash –  your collection of fabric, notions, and supplies. 
• WOMBAT – Waste of money, batting, and time
• FART – Fabric Acquisition Road Trip