Quilting Lingo

These terms are essential if you plan to become a serious quilter. They will help you understand your quilting peers and be able to explain things a little more fluently. If I've forgotten anything, simply comment and I will add it ASAP!


Quilting Lingo


Quilt - A 'true' quilt is composed of 3 layers, or a 'sandwich'. The three layers are a decorative quilt top - usually pieced from smaller blocks of fabric, a filler layer - usually some sort of batting fabric, and backing fabric. The quilt is then held together using stitches that are either hand-stitched or machine stitched. The quilt is then bound using a thin strip of fabric wrapped and sewn around the edge. There are pictures of quilts I have finished this year here.

Setting - This refers to the way the quilt blocks are arranged. They are normally arranged in a straight or diagonal manner, but there are variations. The above link shows a couple settings I chose to put in my quilts.

Fat quarter - This is an 18"x22" piece of fabric. Fat quarters are especially helpful if you plan to make a patchwork quilt and need many pieces of fabric, in many different colors and designs. Here is an excellent picture of the difference between a fat quarter, and a the same square inches in a strip of fabric.

Fat Eighth - This is a 9"x22" piece of fabric, so a fat quarter cut in half. Like fat quarters, fat eighths are helpful if you plan to make a patchwork quilt.

Fat Sixteenth - This is a 4 1/2"x22" piece of fabric, so a fat eighth cut in half. Like fat eighths and fat quarters, they are helpful if you plan to make a patchwork quilt.

Charm Pack - This selection of fabric contains 5" squares of many different fabrics from a particular line of fabric. They are priced according to the amount of squares in a pack. Normally, there are approx 42 squares per pack, and are about $7-$10 on Ebay. You can buy them in multiple packs, which is what I normally do if I like a particular line of fabric, or if I plan to make a big quilt.

Jelly Roll - This is a selection of fabric that contains 40 2 1/2" x 40" strips. There is usually one strip of fabric for every print that the fabric line offers. They are approx $25-$35 on Ebay.

Dessert Roll - This is a selection of fabric that contains 10 strips that are 5"x45". They are approx. $7-$15 on Ebay.

Honey Bun - This is a selection of fabric that contains 40 strips that are 1 1/2" x 45". There is usually one strip of fabric for every print that the fabric line offers. They are approx. $10-$20 on Ebay.

Layer Cake - This is a selection of fabric that contains 42 10" squares. They range in price from $25-$35 on Ebay.

Turnover - This is a selection of fabric that contains 80 6" triangles and contain 2 of each print in a collection. They range in price from $8-$16 on Ebay.

Stash - Fabrics that quilters, crafters, and sewers have accumulated but have not yet used. A good way to build up your stash is with pre-cut fabrics (like I mentioned above). It's an economical way to get a lot of fabric for little money, and it gives you a variety of fabrics to choose from, for a scrappy quilt. Another way to build up your stash is to buy a lot of solid color fabrics, because you will always need those for backrounds, backing fabric, borders and binding.

Quilt Top - The top of the quilt, or the 'pretty part' of the quilt. This may seem fairly obvious to most of you, but some people get confused as to what is the top and what is the back. I like to do a pieced back, so it's a reversible quilt (multi-purpose!).

Backing - The fabric that will be the back of the quilt. As I said above, I love to do pieced backings of different fabrics, and a lot of times the quilts can then be reversible.

Basting - This is the process by which you attach all three layers of your quilt sandwich together. There are many ways to baste your quilt (i.e. spray adhesive, pinning, etc.) and I will have a tutorial later this week.

Sandwich - No, this is not a tasty delicious turkey with spinach and mayo, although I do love a good sandwich while quilting :). This particular sandwich refers to the three layers that make up your quilt - the backing, batting, and quilt top. I like to think of it as the backing and quilt top being the yummy, oven roasted cheesy bread, and the batting the delicious turkey and mayo :).

Batting - This is the fluffy stuff that goes in-between the quilt top and the backing to make your quilt soft and cuddly. The "meat and potatoes" of the quilt, as I like to call it :). I recommend this brand of batting. This is a large quantity, but they do have it in smaller sizes. I have experimented with polyester batting, and I've found that it's a big no-no in my book. Cotton batting just seems to make things a lot...softer :).




I'll be adding to this post as needed, so if you want to add something, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at skippitydodahquilts@yahoo.com 

Someday...

I would love to have this machine.

  

It's a Janome 1600P-QC. It's a straight stitch machine, so no frills and really simple, but it sews at almost 1600 stitches per minute, with a 9"x5" workspace at the right. It a beast, and it makes my heart flutter just a little :). 

Don't get me wrong, I love my machine...but I'm not sure it can handle the heavy duty quilting that this one can. 

Am I going to be one of those ladies who has two sewing machines?? I swore I would not be a crazy quilter lady with more than one machine...butt...I'm thinking that this is where it's headed.

Do any of you have more than one machine?? If so, What's the purpose for each machine?

One way to piece batting

Until we figure out the technical difficulties for a quilted coaster video tutorial I was going to put up, here is a tutorial on piecing batting. Enjoy!

Are you looking for a way to use all those scraps of batting you have laying around, but can't seem to throw away? Well yesterday I pieced a couple scraps of batting for a quilt I have in the works (along with the millions of other projects I have).

First, you will want to make sure your pieces are the same size (cut them if need be), but also make sure that the finished piece will be large enough for your quilt. You will then want to line up the two straightest sides together (I recommend using the sides that were factory cut).  I don't sew together more than two pieces, although it is your own prerogative.

I couldn't get a better picture than this, but you can see that I made large whip-stitches to join the two straight edges. **I've heard to use hand quilting thread, but I've found that machine quilting thread works just as well**. I used contrasting thread at the end to show the stitches a little better, but you should use thread that blends in well with the batting.

This particular piece (60" square) took me about an hour, which isn't too bad in the grand scheme of things. I've also heard you can piece batting with a sewing machine, using the zig-zag stitch. But, I like hand-stitching things, so I prefer this method.

I started piecing batting because the batting I use has increased to almost $11 a yard (sad-face). So, I need to get every penny I can out of every square inch of batting I buy.

Have any of you pieced batting? Either hand-stitched or machine?










**Hand quilting thread and machine quilting thread - The difference between the two is that hand quilting thread has a resin on it to help the thread move through the fabrics by hand much easier. Hand quilting thread should NEVER be put on the sewing machine to sew with the machine, as the resin will come off the thread and clog your machine.**

FAQ

What kind of sewing machine do you use?

I have a Kenmore 18221. I do all my piecing, quilting, and any other sewing project on this machine. I don't have a longarm or a quilting frame, and I don't send my quilts out to be quilted for me. It's all done on this baby. I call him Channing Tatum (you know, the actor?) because my husband thinks I'm having an affair with my sewing machine :). I would highly recommend this machine to any beginner learning how to quilt, and also to the advanced quilter looking for a good machine at a low price. It's made by the same people who make Janome (the highest rated machine in the U.S.) so that should give you some indication of how much of a great value it is.

EDIT - As of March of this year, I acquired a Janome Memory Craft 6300. It's really amazing, and I'm so glad I made this investment. Don't get me wrong, I loved my Kenmore, but I feel like I wasn't challenging myself enough and rising to my full potential. The MC 6300 gives me so many options with applique, binding, and decorative stitching, plus little features like the auto-thread cutter, which saves me so much time!  

What kind of batting do you use?

Warm and White and Warm and Natural from the Warm company. I use warm and white for smaller projects (i.e. table runners, wall hangings, etc.) and Warm and Natural for baby quilts, lap quilts, etc. It's a great, low loft batting, easy to piece together, plus the Warm and Natural has no dyes, fillers, or perfumes which I LOVE. I buy it at Joann's with a coupon, and have been considering buying it by the roll (40 yards). It would be a much better value and would save me trips across town to the store.

EDIT - I recently just bought my first 40-yard roll of batting, and I love it! It saves me so much time, having it right on hand, and I don't have to drive 20 minutes one way to buy packaged batting, and I'm saving a ton of $$$ by buying it in bulk! Love it!

How much fabric do you buy for your stash at a time?

I buy A LOT of pre-cuts. Charm packs, jelly rolls, layer cakes, etc. They give me a great color selection and are a lot cheaper than buying it by the yard. But I do buy some fabrics by the yard - background fabrics like muslin, Moda marble fabrics, or if there is a great sale on something I'll buy a yard or two of the fabric.

Where do you get your thread?

I buy the majority of my thread from Connecting Threads. I love their product! At only 2.49 a spool it is a GREAT value, and it's the big 1200 yard spools! I have also bought hand quilting thread from Joann's, and some multi-color thread from Heavenly Stitches, LLC.

What fabric do you use for the backrounds in your quilts?

Normally, I use muslin or Moda Bella Solids, or Moda Marble fabrics. I usually buy a lot of it at a time. The bella solids and the marble fabrics can be found in the pre-cut fabrics from Ebay, and muslin tends to be pretty cost-effective.

Do you pre-wash?

I only pre-wash flannel. I don't pre-wash 100% cotton, and I really don't want to debate it :) lol!

What do you do with your quilts?

I have never made one for myself. Although I've been meaning to for awhile, I make quilts for family, friends, and I've been attempting to sell some on Etsy.

EDIT - I just recently made my first quilt that I will be keeping! I'm so glad I decided to keep it, and it now rests on my quilt rack at home :).

How do you wash/dry your quilts?

I have a front loading washer, which makes washing my quilts a lot easier. I wash them in cold water with Gain detergent. I then dry them on high heat with a fabric softener sheet.

Have you taken any quilting classes?

Not yet, but I would love to. I'm mostly self-taught through YouTube, other blogs, and books.

I want to start quilting, but I don't know where to begin. What do you suggest?

These are two books I would recommend if you've never quilted before. The Quilting Answer book as an answer for every question you could ever think of, and a solution for every problem you could ever have. I bought it from Half.com. 1-2-3 Quilt offers some really easy beginner projects, and some great tutorials on binding, piecing, and quilting your quilt. I bought this book from Jo-ann Fabrics, and it can be found on their website.

Do you have any tips for stippling?

Yes. If you plan to stipple, use a darning foot, and make sure you have a straight stitch plate on top of your feed dogs. I don't do a lot of stippling, mostly because I like the structure of the straight lines, but it's nice to do on baby quilts. Another thing to remember is to practice, practice, practice. I'm still practicing, and I'm sure once I perfect it I'll do it more often.

EDIT - I recently discovered the new-fangled invention called a longarm quilting machine! I LOVE it! I'm so glad I started quilting this way, and I will be quilting all my projects this way from now on! I highly recommend using this method!

How do you find so much time to quilt?

Well, I'm a student at the community college, and I don't work, so whenever I have a free moment, I do a little here and a little there. Although I have been trying to cut back on the weekends to give some much needed attention to my wonderful hubby :).

Where do you buy your fabric?

I buy all of my quilter's cotton from a local quilt shop. I also buy all my pre-cuts from Ebay. I don't buy any quilter's cotton from Jo-ann's. I've found that either the fabric is so cheap and it falls apart, or it's so over-priced and not worth what they're selling it for. I highly recommend going to a local shop and I try to buy Moda and other high quality fabric.


I think that pretty much covers everything. If you have any questions just leave a comment, send me a message, or email me at skippitydodahquilts@yahoo.com

Happy quilting!

Sewing Machine Lingo

It's confusing. Not only is it confusing, but everyone just starts talking in this strange language, while you're looking at them like they have a third eye. And they just keep going.

So! Here is a list of terms and definitions EVERY quilter, sewer, and crafter needs to know before reading any tutorial or post by any quilter.


Sewing Machine Lingo
Presser foot - The foot that you will be attaching to your sewing machine. It holds the fabric onto the sewing machine so that your needle can feed through the fabric

Walking foot - A type of presser foot used to feed fabrics through the sewing machine evenly. This prevents the fabrics from shifting, and is essential for quilting. You can use this foot for piecing and straight-line quilting ONLY. There is an accurate picture of what a walking foot looks like here.

Straight Stitch foot - A type of presser foot used for straight-stitching ONLY. When using this foot, you want to always have your needle in the center position, or risk having your needle hit the foot and break! There is an accurate picture of a straight stitch foot here.

1/4 inch seam foot - A type of presser foot used for piecing fabrics with 1/4 inch seams. This foot is essential for quilting, but I've found it to be very useful for every-day sewing. There is an accurate picture of this foot here.

Feed Dogs - This is the mechanism that feeds your fabric through the machine, and they look like metal teeth and are located on the sewing machine, just below the presser foot. The only time you will not be using the feed dogs in sewing, is when you use a darning stitch. There is an accurate picture of feed dogs here

Darning Foot - A type of presser foot used in quilting. It allows the sewer to sew freely, holding down the fabric only when the needle is being brought up through the fabric. There is an awesome video demonstrating free-motion quilting using a darning foot here and a picture of a darning foot here.

This list will be added to as needed. If you think of anything I may have left out, simply leave a comment and I will be sure to add it!

Welcome!

So I suppose it's about time I get into the blogging world of quilting! I've been following several quilting and sewing blogs for awhile, and I'd love to share them with you!!



Crazy Mom Quilts - She's been quilting for 10 years, and is absolutely amazing! She has some great tutorials for quilts, tips and tricks, some really great quilt-alongs! Check her out!

Red Pepper Quilts  - She's a quilter out of Australia (I think??). Her designs are absolutely out of the world, and so is her quilting! She does a lot of straight-line quilting, which I love! She has an Etsy store where you can purchase her patterns and quilts!

Diary of a Quilter - I just recently started following her, so I don't know much about her yet, but she has some awesome quilts! I've followed some of her tutorials and they are so easy to understand!

Moda Bake Shop - This is probably my favorite blog to follow! It's an extension of the Moda Fabrics company. They choose quilters to post different 'recipes' of quilts and different crafts made from Moda pre-cut fabrics. It is an awesome blog, and I would highly recommend any new quilter/sewer to follow it!

P.S. I Quilt  - She's a self-taught quilter (like me!) and she is totally modern, funky, young and hip! I love the way she takes a new spin on an old craft!



So, what have you all been working on lately?

I've been working on quilting this quilt for my niece, who's 13th birthday is coming up.

Isn't it totally awesome! I'd like to think it's bridging that gap between frilly-girly and funky-girly. I remember those days, where I was starting to really hate my light pink canopy bed, but pink was still my favorite color.

When the binding is ready to be put on, I will be posting a quick and easy tutorial for the 'binding-challanged' of the world. Don't worry, I was there too!

Until then, if you have any questions, you can add me as a friend on Facebook, here or you can follow me on twitter, here. 

Happy Quilting!