Of the many terms used in quilting, most are familiar to those who sew. For instance, basting, applique, bias and binding are a very few. There are many terms devoted to the fabric itself, such as bonded or sized fabric, calico, muslin, Pima cotton and selvedge are among those pertaining to fabric. A new fabric term is called "fat quarter". It is 1/4 of a square yard of fabric (about 18" X 22") and worked well for "Piecing" (putting together) a quilt. A template is a piece of cardboard or plastic used to cut pieces in like shapes.

The special language of quilting includes other languages and history lessons in themselves. There is French, Italian, and Japanese influence in some quilting terms. For instance when fabric is taken from the loom with no further things done to it it is called griege goods meaning "gray cloth"(unadorned). Many quilters like to make the "old standby" quilts. An Amish quilt is in the tradition of the Amish who reside in Pennsylvania and in the Midwest. Their quilts are noted for solid color, no patterns, geometric shapes and wide borders around the edge. A "Crazy Quilt" is made of leftover fabric, has no design or pattern and usually uses a muslin background for the pieces to be sewn on to. An improvisational quilt is just that - improvised by freeform and freehand designs. Different parts of the country have various names for the same quilts. A quilting frame is a free standing frame of wood or plastic pipe that holds the layers of fabric while being quilted.

The term quilting refers to the act of sewing the layers together, the top (the designed side), the batting (the layer in the middle) and the backing (the back layer). Quilting frames are used only for hand quilted pieces. Today, most quilts are done by machine.

Quilts can be used to decorate a bed, or a wall. Many quilts are beautiful enough to be displayed as art. Our ancestors considered quilts a necessity for keeping warm and their work was good enough for the quilts to last hundreds of years. Quilts are family heirlooms and handmade ones should be treated with great care. Books and magazines are devoted to new and different quilt patterns and are readily available to those who want to quilt.