Class 1 helpful quilting terms

General Quilting Terms
Appliqué: A cutout piece of fabric that is sewn onto a larger background piece of fabric.
Backing: The back or bottom layer of a quilt. Backing should be 2 inches larger all around the quilt top.
Basting: Large running stitches used to temporarily secure pieces of fabric together. These stitches are removed after the permanent stitches are in place.
Batting: The middle layer of a quilt. It provides Insulation, warmth and thickness.
Bias: The diagonal direction on a piece of fabric in relation to the crosswise and lengthwise grain. Quilt pieces cut on the bias will stretch and distort easily.
Binding: The fabric strip used to bind the edges, enclosing or covering the raw edges of a quilt.
Border: Strips of fabric that are used to frame a quilt top.
Grain: The direction of threads woven in the fabric.

Crosswise Grain: Refers to the threads running from selvage to selvage. Pieces cut on the crosswise grain will only stretch a little.

Lengthwise grain: Threads running parallel to the selvage. Pieces cut from the lengthwise grain are least likely to stretch.
Loft: The height or thickness of batting. A high loft batting is thicker and generally used for tied quilts and comforters. A low loft batting is thinner and gives a flatter, more traditional look to the quilt.
Piecing: Sewing the pieces of a quilt design together to form a quilt block or an entire quilt top.
Quilt block: Fabric pieces sewn together to make one unit of a quilt. Blocks are sewn together to form a quilt top.
Quilt top: The decorative part of a quilt that is layered on top of the batting and backing.
Quilting: May refer to the actual stitching together of the three layers of the quilt. May also refer to the entire process of making a quilt.
Sashing: Strips of fabric in a quilt top that separate the individual quilt blocks.
Selvages: The two finished, lengthwise edges of the fabric. These are tightly woven and should not be used in the quilt…cut them off.
Template: A pattern that is made from durable material. We will use template plastic. We will be very careful to make them accurate. Mark these as directed in our lessons to ensure you will use them properly. Templates for machine quilting are cut with the ¼ inch seam allowance. Templates for hand piecing are cut at the sewing line.


Color terms
Hue: Color.
Color wheel: Organized model of color.
Analogous colors: 3 colors in a row on the color wheel.
Complements: Colors opposite each other on the color wheel.
Split compliments: Go opposite the color and then take the two colors on the sides of the compliment color.
Primary colors: Red, yellow, and blue.
Secondary colors: Mixes of two primary colors.
Tertiary (Intermediate) colors: Mix of a primary and a secondary color.
Tint: Color with white added.
Tone: Color with grey added.
Shade: Color with black added.
Intensity: Brilliance of the color – pure colors are more intense.
Warm colors: Yellow to red and red violet. These will advance in the quilt.
Cool colors: Yellow-green down to blue and violet. These colors will recede in the
quilt.
Monochromatic: One color combination
Value: Defines the light and dark aspects of color. This is used for establishing depth in
a quilt.
Value finder: Look at the fabrics through a red plastic piece or copy the fabrics in black and white next to each other.
Relativity: The value of a color is relative to the colors around it. Colors change as soon as they are placed with other colors.
Mood: Colors can alter mood.
Visual texture: The print on the fabrics.

Focus fabric: The main fabric for a quilt. The one that speaks to you as you walk by. Study it. Find a bolt of fabric for each color used in it. Lay them out. Now find a tint lighter or a shade darker or tone of all the colors used in the fabric. Lay them out. You may like the colors that don’t match perfectly better. See if they add focus to the fabric.

Collections/medleys: These may be small or large. You may fall in love with them at first sight. Look to see if there are enough darks, brights, lights, and medium values to choose from. You can always add other fabrics to enhance the color scheme and harmony.

Class 1 Fabric Selection

Fabric Selection… Key words are Color and Value.

Find a “Focus Fabric” which is a fabric that you LOVE! The colors and design please you when you look at it. It sparks your creativity. You build your other fabric choices around this fabric. If this fabric is a print with different colors used in it then do what my mother does… “Find a bolt of fabric for each color used in it. Lay them out. Now find a tint lighter or a shade darker or tone of all the colors used in the fabric. Lay them out. You may like the colors that don’t match perfectly better. See if they add to your focus fabric.” Remember that the Value of the fabrics is relative to the other fabric values that surround it. That’s why the variation in tints, shades and tones may help your Focus Fabric look better. Take a Value finder with you if needed to make sure that there is a good variation in values you have chosen.
Many quilting stores and online fabric sellers have fabrics listed in Medleys or Collections. You may wish to purchase a Collection that you like. Take a good look at the fabrics to make sure there is a good variation in values from dark to light. You should purchase other fabrics to enhance the Medley if it does not vary the values.
If you have the time buy only ¼ yard of each fabric to start. Take them home, try them together…do a paste up and see how you like them as they play on each other.

Now that you have a good idea of the fabrics you want to use in the quilt remember this:
You want at least 5 fabrics to choose from as you put together your sampler blocks. Remember the texture of these fabrics should vary…not all small prints. If you choose to use fabric that is plaid or stripe buy extra fabric.
Background fabric. You want something that won’t detract from your other fabric choices. Remember the samples you saw in class. It needs to contrast enough from your fabric choices that your work will stand out and not blend into nearly nothing.
Sashing in-between the blocks sets them nicely apart in a sampler quilt. What fabric would you use for this? It can be one of your 5 but doesn’t have to be. It could be a 6th. The sashing looks nice if it is also the inside border.
Now an outside border. Remember that the sashing and borders create a FRAME around your blocks. What color of a frame would enhance the art inside it?
Batting, backing and binding are needed.
Purchase enough fabric that you don’t run out. I have posted your fabric needs already. Remember that fabrics go out of print and finding more at a later date may not be possible.

Value: Defines the light and dark aspects of color. This is used for establishing depth in
a quilt.
Value finder: Look at the fabrics through a red plastic piece or copy the fabrics in black and white next to each other.
Relativity: The value of a color is relative to the colors around it. Colors change as soon as they are placed with other colors.
Mood: Colors can alter mood.
Visual texture: The print on the fabrics. These should be varied throughout the quilt.

YOU WANT GOOD QUALITY COTTON OR COTTON BLEND FABRIC
If you are going to spend hours working on a quilt you want it to last and not fall apart.

Class 1 Fabric Preparation

Fabric Preparation

Determine if the fabric is colorfast
The first thing you need to do is make sure the color in the fabric does not bleed out.
A. Cut a 2 inch square swatch of each fabric.
B. Immerse each swatch, one at a time, into a clear glass of warm water.
C. If the water stays clear the fabric is colorfast and it is OK to use.
D. If color runs, wash the entire piece of fabric in washing machine with no detergent. Test the fabric again.
E. If it still runs then you will need to set the dye. To set dye immerse the fabric in full strength (undiluted) white vinegar (approx. 1 gallon for 3 yards). Rinse thoroughly two or three times in clear water. Re-test in a glass of water. If fabric still runs DO NOT USE IT in the quilt.

Now you have three options…
Pre-washing: Cut each corner diagonally 1st…this will cut down on fraying during the washing and then you know later if the fabric has been pre-washed. Separate lights from darks. Place fabrics in warm water with detergent and wash. Do not use fabric softener. Using the detergent will reduce the chemical irritants in the fabric. You may wish to rinse several times if you are worried about the chemicals. Tumble dry until slightly damp. Iron.
Preshrinking: Cut each corner diagonally 1st…this will cut down on fraying during the drying and then you know later if the fabric has been pre-shrunk. Separate Lights and darks. Place fabric in warm clear water. Remove from water and tumble dry until slightly damp. Iron.
Neither: If you choose to use your fabric without preshrinking or pre-washing then your quilt will shrink the first time it is washed. The fabric will shrink 1 ½ to 3 % when it is washed. This gives the quilt a more antique/used look.

Straighten Fabric if needed: You can straighten fabric by gently pulling along the bias. It may be easier to straighten after it’s been washed or shrunk.


***If you had to treat a fabric to make it color fast you have to either preshrink or prewash all the other fabric in the quilt***

Don’t use the selvedge fabric in the quilt…it doesn’t give like the rest of the fabric.

Class 1 Block assembly

Important…
For a great finished quilt be exact in drafting, templates, cutting, and sewing!!!

Assembling the blocks.
1. Make sure you have a ¼ inch (6mm) seam allowance on your machine or marked off with masking tape. Many new machines can do this by adjusting the location of the needle and using the edge of the foot as a guide. If not, use the masking tape method. Be exact in all sewing.
Masking tape method: Get a piece of paper. Draw two lines on the paper ¼ inches apart. Cut the paper on one of the lines. Place the paper on your unthreaded machine with the uncut line under the needle. Take a piece of masking tape and place it along the edge of the paper. Sew along the line of the paper to make sure it is straight and adjust the paper and tape if it’s not straight. Adding several layers of tape will provide a good guide to keep your seams ¼ inch.
2. Use matching thread or a neutral color like white or cream. I usually use a thread the color of my background fabric if it’s the lightest fabric in the quilt. Cotton or a cotton/poly thread. Don’t use quilting thread on the machine.
3. Lay block out beside your machine. This helps you keep it in order as you sew.
4. Use pins to keep the fabric steady and take your time for perfection. Don’t be afraid to pick out and do over if it’s not perfect. This is especially important on curves, stars and Point-to-Point sewing.
5. Chain the block pieces through to save time and thread. * I use a backstitch to lock each piece at the start and end as I sew. Some books say you don’t need this but I have seen different. When you are done with the chain then trim each piece apart, iron (see directions), and lay out again before sewing the second round. Make sure everything is in the right order and direction. Stand back and make sure you have not turned anything the wrong direction.
Iron/Pressing: Iron seams towards the darker fabric or the side you want to stand out. Seams stay closed. Stagger seams to avoid large bumps under the block. Be gentle! Being aggressive in ironing or using too much steam can stretch or misshape your fabric.
6. Continue assembling the block until it’s finished. Make sure important points are lined up as you go along in the assembly. The time to pick out is when you see it’s not lining up, not after the block is finished and you are unhappy with it. Press flat on the top side.
7. Use the 12 ½ inch square to check the blocks after each is complete. Make sure they are all cut to the exact same size before you start adding bindings and borders. They should be 12 ½ inch for the blocks we are making. If one is more than ¼ of an inch off you might want to do that block over as cutting all the blocks smaller will multiply and your quilt will turn out smaller than you had planned. Cutting some blocks smaller may ruin the effect of some designs. Example…a block like a star that has points that would be sharp at the edge of the block would no longer have those points if trimmed ¼ inch.
***Sew 12 to 14 stitches per inch. Shorter stitches are necessary when using quick sewing methods that won’t allow you to backstitch. Example: Sewing longer strips that will be cut into smaller squares or triangles. ***