There is a certain terminology associated with learning to quilt and reading patterns. It’s not as bad as learning an entire knew language, but there are quilting terms that even the easiest instructions will expect you to know. “Borders” are of course the fabric that surrounds the outer most part of the quilt and “backing” is of course the back side of the quilt. The inner-parts of the quilt, or the fluff of the quilt, is called “batting”.

Now you’re ready for some of the techniques for making the front of the quilt a beautiful heirloom. A “patchwork” is the basic method of bringing different fabric pieces together. The “half-square triangle” is a common beginner’s cut, which simply means take a square piece of fabric and cut it in half in a way that it makes two equal triangles. “Nickel squares” refer to a five-inch square piece of fabric. A signature of a quilting finish is “mitered corners.” Mitered corner is when the borders of a quilt are sewn together at an angle instead of having a perpendicular intersection.

The short cuts, tricks and traditional systems that construct inspiring quilts have even a more extensive vocabulary. For example, a “fussy cat” refers to cutting out completed elements from another piece of fabric and added to your own quilt. A “needleturn stitch” can also be called an “appliqué stitch” when a fabric cut out is sewn under to attach to a background. Truly a beginner’s quilt can be made into quite a delightful treasure for your family if you learn the skills and the popular quilting terms. Start out small and build confidence till your quilts are binded with perfection.