Half Square Triangle You can make a half square triangle with two different triangles of fabric. To make this, do the following: 1. Take two fabric squares, right sides together. 2. Draw a diagonal line from one end to another end on the lightest fabric. 3. Stitch a seam 1/4" away from the line of the diagonal. 4. Cut the blocks separately on the diagonal line. 5. Press and square up the blocks. Hand Dyed Hand dyed fabrics have a mottled look, creating soft and subtle gradations in the fabric. Hand Quilting Stitch This stitch is a tiny, smooth, running stitch. You will use it in sewing all three layers of the quilt sandwich. Hanging Sleeve For display purposes, a sleeve or tube is sewn on the back top of the quilt. It is approximately 3-4" wide and attached during binding. Hera Hera is a small tool used for pressing seam allowances. Homespun Homespun is a hand woven fabric. Large, thick threads are used for making this. Weaves are generally looser. Homespun may not always be hand woven – just made to look hand woven. Hoop A quilting hoop is similar to an embroidery hoop, but larger. It is used for keeping the layers of a quilt smooth and rigid while quilting. It is more comfortable than the quilt frame. It is made of either wooden or plastic. Invisible Stitch This hand stitch is usually used for binding and appliqué. The needle will slide 1/8" to 1/4" through the folded edge of fabric and then will take two or three threads of the base fabric. Invisible Thread This is a very fine and thin nylon thread which is used in quilting or attaching appliqué. It is also known as a transparent thread. Label A label is often attached to the lower left corner of a quilt, giving information about the maker, date, place, care of the quilt, etc. Linings Linings are the back layer of a quilt. They are usually plain. Linings can be either one large piece or many pieces that are sewn together. Loft Loft is a term used to refer the height, thickness and flexibility of quilt batting. Low loft batting is thin and high loft batting is thick. Long Arm Quilting As the name suggests, it is a kind of machine quilting which is done with the help of a long arm machine. This is mostly used for commercial purposes, as long arm machines are huge. Machine Quilt In this method, you will use sewing machine and walking foot in the place of traditional needle and thread for quilting. Mercerized Cotton In this process, yarn is dipped in a solution of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) and kept it under tension for some time. This kind of cotton treatment will make the yarn stronger and more radiant. It will take dye better, producing deeper colors. John Mercer, an English calico printer, invented this method in 1844. Mitered Join two seams to form a 45 degree angle. Motif Motif is a figure or design used on appliqué and quilt blocks. It can be either a very simple drawing or express some theme. The method of applying such designs is also known as motif. Muslin Muslin is a 100% cotton fabric that has not been dyed before. You will find it in different qualities, thread counts, bleached or unbleached. It is commonly used as a foundation fabric for crazy quilting, quilt backing, and background fabric for appliqué. Needle It is a small piece of metal with one eye at the end, where the thread will be guided through. It is used for stitching or combining pieces together. It is also used as a term to define the ease of a needle gliding through fabric. So, when anyone complains, “It needles badly,” it means the gliding of the needle is not going smoothly. Needle Turn In this method of appliqué, you will turn under a piece of seam allowance with a needle so the piece is stitched to the background fabric. On-point Setting It is the arrangement of blocks in such a manner that each block turns at a 45 degree angle to the vertical and horizontal edges of the quilt. Pieced Block You will need to cut a fabric into individual pieces and then sew them again together in a particular design to make a quilt block. Piecing This is a method of making a larger whole piece of fabric. To attain this, you sew two pieces of fabric together along a common sized edge. Pillow Tuck In order to provide the thickness of pillows under the quilt, extra length is planned. This is called pillow tuck. 8 to 11" is regarded as a standard pillow tuck measurement. Pin Basting Pin basting is used to hold all of the layers of a quilt together. Curved safety pins are usually used for this purpose. Normally, pins are spaced approximately 3-5" apart and removed during or after quilting. Prairie Points Prairie Points are used as edging. Fold the squares of fabric into triangles for making prairie points. You can sew them into other seams also. Pre-Washing Fabrics are usually washed before cutting and sewing. Pre-washing is done to avoid shrinkage and color bleeding. Pressing This is different from the ironing we do for our clothes. In pressing, you will need to maintain the motion of lifting the iron up and down on a pieced block for setting the seam. Quilting Terminology Quilting Terms C to G Quilting Glossary H to P Quilting Terms Q to Z Tools Types Machine Quilts Fabric Guide Caring More Quilting Tips Quilting Machine Benefits Quilt Sandwich Quilt Pattern Tips Large Quilt