Encyclopedia

    Some panels come with patchwork or applique printed on the fabric like these red and white applique blocks.  Other panels depict scenes such as the nostalgic one on the blue background below.     Panel sizes vary.  The brown floral panel was sold as a table runner.   Panels are great for trying… Continue reading Panels

    Paper piecing is a technique used in piecing. The fabric is sewn to a paper pattern. When the block is completed, the paper is ripped away. This method is extremely accurate and easy. It is often a good method for beginning quilters to learn. In the photos below, you can see the back… Continue reading Paper Piecing

Quilters like to sew straight seams because these are easy to manage. At times, a more difficult inset seam is needed to complete a pieced block. Sometimes a partial seam can be used in place of the inset seam. Partial seams are straight seams that are sewn part of the way. Later, when all pieces… Continue reading Partial Seams

Patchwork is a term that describes the piecing in the quilt top often made up of different sized shapes. In this photo, patchwork piecing can be seen in the many stars in this quilt. The stars are separated by pieces of plain fabric with no patchwork.  In the photo below, patchwork squares are separated by… Continue reading Patchwork Piecing

    The term pattern has multiple meanings in the quilting world. Printed patterns can give quilters the directions they need to compete a project. Pattern can represent the design printed or woven into the fabric or the design quilted on fabric. A single quilt block can be referred to as the quilt pattern. The way… Continue reading Pattern

Piecing the quilt refers to the sewing together of fabric pieces to form a quilt top.  Quilters can piece by hand or by machine.  Quarter inch seams are the most common seams used for piecing quilt blocks. If you would like to find out more about piecing visit our Beginner Basics section.  You’ll find links… Continue reading Piecing Quilt Blocks

Pigma pens (fabric pens) are waterproof and fade proof. These recognized archival instruments are the best type of pens to use on fabric when collecting signatures or writing quilt labels. You can find pigma pens in art supply stores and at quilt and fabric shops. If you would like to purchase one of these pens, click… Continue reading Pigma Pens

If you are planning to machine quilt your project, then you will want to pin baste using safety pins. Safety pins are used in pin basting because (when closed) they will stay put when maneuvering your quilt through your machine. If you use thread to baste your quilt sandwich, the thread can get caught on… Continue reading Pin Basting

Not all straight pins are created equal. When I go to the store and see packages of “quilters’ pins” I want to scream. Who decided these yellow headed pins were for quilting? These “quilters’ pins” have large shafts therefore making it more difficult to puncture through many layers of fabric. This causes some distortion at… Continue reading Pins

  Do your points match? Most quilt blocks have points or corners in the design. When piecing a block it is easy to ‘cut off’ a point. Sometimes the corners of the shapes will fall short of the seam lines and not match up. Most of the time this will not interfere with the overall… Continue reading Points

The small areas between the sashings are called posts. They can be squares or rectangles.  Posts might be cut from the same fabric or all different fabrics.  Often they are used to produce a secondary design OR to unify different blocks in a quilt. In the pink quilt above, the blue and yellow squares are… Continue reading Posts

  Prairie points are three dimensional designs that can be added to your quilting. Often they are used in a border treatment. They are made by folding and pressing fabric and then sewing the finished points to your quilt. First cut a square and then fold it in half.  Next fold the corners down to… Continue reading Prairie Points

There are many types of precut fabrics available, nicknamed Precuts. Quilters like to use these because they’re PreCUT!    NOTE:  to enlarge the video, click the PLAY button, then click the full-screen icon at the bottom right of the video. TRANSCRIPT: Precuts – LearnHowToQuilt.com Encyclopedia “Precuts”There are many types of precut fabrics available.  Quilters like… Continue reading Precuts

A presser foot holds the fabric while you sew on your sewing machine. Under the presser foot and fabric are feed dogs that move the fabric through your machine. On most machines, the presser foot can be changes to best fit the sewing job. For example, a zipper foot allows you to sew close to… Continue reading Presser Foot

    The primary colors are red, blue and yellow.