When I bought Nuts & Bolts Fabric, I already knew quite a bit of sewing and quilting terminology. But one of the things I've discovered since becoming a quilt shop owner is just how extensive the language of quilting really is!
I've learned SO much since buying the store, and I'm constantly discovering new terms, techniques, and expressions. Some are wonderfully descriptive, others have fascinating histories, and a few are downright hilarious! It got me wondering just how many of these expressions the average quilter actually knows.
So I thought it would be fun to put together a quilting terminology challenge!
Now, we're certainly not attempting to create an exhaustive quilting dictionary. There are far too many terms and expressions to cover them all! Instead, I've gathered a mixture of terminology, ranging from the absolute basics that every beginning quilter should know to some more unusual expressions that even experienced quilters might not recognize.
And because there's so much to explore, we're making this a series! We'll start with fabric shopping and measurements, then work our way through quilt construction, geometric shapes, traditional blocks, specialized techniques, and even quilting slang.
Here's the challenge: Before reading each definition, see if you can explain the term in your own words. If you know it, give yourself a point!
Keep track of your score as you go, and at the end, we'll find out just how fluent you are in the language of fabric shopping.
Ready? Let's get started!
Fabric Shopping & Measurements
Before you can start making a quilt, you need fabric! But if you’re new to quilting, even purchasing fabric can feel a little confusing. What’s a bolt? How much fabric is a yard? And what’s the difference between a quarter yard and a fat quarter?
Let’s start with the absolute basics.
1. Yard — A unit of length equal to 36 inches (3 feet). When you purchase a yard of fabric, you're buying a piece that's 36 inches long by the full width of the fabric. The width depends on the type of fabric you're purchasing. Standard quilting cotton is commonly 42–44 inches wide, while wide back fabrics are often 108 inches wide. Other fabrics may measure 54, 60, or even more inches across. Regardless of the fabric's width, one yard always measures 36 inches in length.
2. Bolt — A length of fabric folded and wrapped around a flat cardboard board or other core for storage and display. Fabric stores commonly display yardage on bolts, unwinding and cutting the amount a customer wants to purchase. The amount of fabric on a full bolt varies by manufacturer and fabric type.
3. Yardage — Fabric sold by length, typically measured in yards or fractions of a yard. Unlike precut bundles, yardage allows you to purchase the right amount of fabric you need for a particular project.
4. Half Yard — A piece of fabric measuring 18 inches long by the full width of the fabric, regardless of how wide that fabric happens to be.
5. Quarter Yard — A piece of fabric measuring 9 inches long by the full width of the fabric. This is different from a fat quarter, even though both contain approximately the same amount of fabric.
6. Fat Quarter — A quarter-yard of fabric cut into a wider, shorter rectangle rather than a traditional 9-inch strip. A typical fat quarter of standard quilting cotton measures approximately 18" × 21–22", making it especially useful for cutting quilt pieces.
7. Fat Eighth — An eighth-yard of fabric cut into a wider rectangle rather than a traditional narrow strip. A typical fat eighth measures approximately 9" × 21–22".
8. Width of Fabric — The measurement from one selvage edge to the other. Standard quilting cotton is commonly around 42–44 inches wide, although the actual usable width may be slightly less.
9. Selvage — The tightly woven, finished edges running along both sides of a piece of fabric. Selvages help prevent fraying and often feature manufacturer names, collection information, and color registration dots.
Want to decode the information printed on your fabric? We have a whole article about reading selvages and what the names, numbers, and colored dots can tell you. Read How to Read a Fabric Selvage ↗
10. Continuous Cut — Fabric cut as one uninterrupted piece rather than several smaller pieces. For example, if you order three yards of the same fabric and receive one piece measuring 108 inches long, you've received a continuous cut.
11. Precut — Fabric that has already been cut into standardized shapes or sizes, such as squares, strips, or coordinated bundles. Precuts can save preparation time and make certain quilting projects easier to begin. Shop our precuts ↗
Precuts have a vocabulary all their own! Charm packs, layer cakes, jelly rolls, and other formats come in different sizes and shapes. For a deeper dive, see our From Squares to Stars: Understanding Precut Fabrics ↗.
12. Wide Back Fabric — Extra-wide fabric, commonly measuring 108 inches across, designed primarily for quilt backing. Wide back fabric can eliminate or reduce the need to piece together multiple lengths of standard-width fabric. Shop wide backs ↗
13. Remnant — A leftover piece of fabric, often from the end of a bolt, that is too short to be sold in the store's usual cutting increments. Remnants are frequently sold at a discount and can be wonderful for smaller projects or scrappy quilts.
14. Cutting Increment — The smallest measurement in which a fabric store sells cut yardage. For example, a shop might sell fabric in quarter-yard increments, meaning customers can purchase ¼ yard, ½ yard, ¾ yard, 1 yard, and so on. Other shops may offer eighth-yard increments or different minimum cuts.
15. Fabric Panel — A piece of fabric printed with a complete design, picture, or arrangement of motifs intended to be used as a unit or cut into sections. Panels are often used as quilt centerpieces, wall hangings, or the starting point for smaller sewing projects. Browse fabric panels ↗
Fabric Types & Textures
Now that we’ve covered how fabric is measured and sold, let’s talk about the fabrics themselves! Some are smooth and crisp, others soft and fuzzy, and their different properties can affect how they sew.
16. Quilting Cotton — A woven cotton fabric commonly used for patchwork, quilt tops, and many other sewing projects. Quilting cotton is typically medium-weight, relatively stable, and easy to cut, press, and piece accurately.
17. Batik — Fabric traditionally decorated using a wax-resist dyeing process, in which wax is applied to selected areas before dyeing to create patterns. Modern quilting batiks are often produced using variations of this process and are known for their rich colors, layered designs, and distinctive appearance. Many quilting batiks also have a tighter weave than ordinary quilting cotton. Browse our batiks ↗
18. Flannel — A soft woven fabric that has been brushed on one or both sides to create a fuzzy surface. Flannel is popular for cozy quilts, baby blankets, pajamas, and other projects where warmth and softness are important. Because flannel can shrink and fray more than some quilting cottons, extra care may be helpful during preparation and sewing. Shop flannel ↗
19. Minky — A very soft, plush knit fabric, usually made from polyester. Minky is especially popular for baby blankets, quilt backs, and cuddly projects. Its stretchy construction and slippery or fuzzy surface can make it more challenging to sew than woven quilting cotton. Explore plush fabrics ↗
20. Fleece — A soft knit fabric, commonly made from polyester, with a brushed or raised surface. Fleece is used for blankets, jackets, and other cozy projects. Unlike flannel, fleece is generally a knit rather than a woven fabric, and its edges typically do not fray in the same way.
21. Cotton Lawn — A lightweight, finely woven cotton fabric with a smooth, soft feel. Lawn is commonly used for garments but can also be incorporated into quilts, particularly when a lighter, softer fabric is desired.
22. Linen — A woven fabric made from fibers of the flax plant. Linen is known for its natural texture, breathability, and tendency to wrinkle. It can be used in quilting and home décor, although its handling characteristics differ from standard quilting cotton.
23. Canvas — A sturdy, usually plain-woven fabric often made from cotton or cotton blends. Canvas is commonly used for tote bags, upholstery, and other projects requiring greater durability. It is generally heavier than standard quilting cotton.
24. Double Gauze — A lightweight fabric made from two thin layers of gauze joined together at intervals. Its soft, airy texture makes it popular for baby blankets, garments, and lightweight quilts. Double gauze can shift and distort more easily than ordinary quilting cotton.
25. Solid Fabric — Fabric with a uniform color and no printed design. Solids are extremely versatile and can be used as backgrounds, borders, or primary design elements in both traditional and modern quilts.
26. Blender Fabric — Fabric with a subtle print, texture, or color variation that coordinates with more prominent prints. Blenders help tie fabric collections together and are useful for backgrounds, borders, and piecing. Shop our Blenders & Basics collection ↗
27. Tone-on-Tone Fabric — Fabric featuring a printed design in colors that are close in hue or value to the background. These subtle prints can add visual texture without competing with more prominent fabrics.
28. Low-Volume Fabric — Fabric with a light or subtle overall appearance, often featuring small prints on white, cream, or other pale backgrounds. Low-volume fabrics are frequently used as backgrounds or to create visual breathing room.
29. Directional Print — Fabric featuring a design with an obvious orientation, such as words, stripes, trees, or animals facing a particular direction. Directional prints require extra attention during cutting and piecing when consistent orientation is desired.
30. Border Print — Fabric featuring a decorative design that runs along one or both edges or repeats in bands across the width of the fabric. Border prints can be used for quilt borders, clothing, table runners, and other projects where a continuous decorative motif is useful.
31. Novelty Print — Fabric featuring recognizable objects, characters, animals, hobbies, or themed designs rather than primarily abstract or traditional patterns. Novelty prints are popular for children’s quilts, holiday projects, and personalized gifts.
32. Large-Scale Print — Fabric featuring relatively large printed motifs. Large-scale prints can make beautiful focal fabrics, but quilters may need to consider how the design will appear when cut into smaller pieces.
33. Small-Scale Print — Fabric featuring relatively small motifs, such as tiny flowers, dots, or geometric designs. Small-scale prints are often useful for piecing because the design remains recognizable or visually balanced in small fabric pieces.
34. Fabric Collection — A coordinated group of fabrics designed to work together, typically released by a manufacturer under a shared collection name. Collections often include a combination of focal prints, smaller supporting prints, and coordinating colors.
35. Colorway — A particular color combination in which a fabric design or collection is produced. The same printed pattern may be offered in several different colorways, allowing quilters to choose the version that best suits their project.
A Few More Terms You’ll Encounter While Shopping
Here are a few additional terms worth knowing when reading fabric labels, browsing collections, or planning how much fabric to purchase.
36. Fabric Repeat — The distance between repeated occurrences of a printed design. Large fabric repeats can affect cutting requirements, especially when matching patterns or positioning specific motifs.
37. Fussy Cutting — Carefully cutting fabric to feature a particular part of its printed design. For example, a quilter might center a flower or animal within a square rather than cutting randomly from the fabric. See fussy cutting tutorial ↗
38. Fabric Grain — The direction of the woven threads in a fabric. The lengthwise grain runs parallel to the selvages, while the crosswise grain runs perpendicular to them. Grain direction can affect how fabric stretches and behaves during sewing.
39. Bias — A diagonal direction across woven fabric. The true bias runs at a 45-degree angle to the lengthwise and crosswise grain and generally has more stretch than either straight-grain direction. Bias-cut strips are particularly useful for binding curved edges.
40. Usable Width of Fabric (UWOF) — The portion of the fabric’s width available for cutting after excluding selvages and any other areas that shouldn’t be used. A fabric measuring 44 inches from selvage to selvage may have a smaller usable width, which can affect the number of pieces you can cut from a strip.
So, How Well Do You Know Fabric Shopping Lingo?
We’ve made it through 40 terms covering fabric measurements, shopping terminology, fabric types, and more! Give yourself one point for every term you could explain before reading its definition.
Your Fabric Shopping Lingo Score
0–10: Curious Beginner — You’re just getting started, and there’s a wonderful world of fabric to discover!
11–20: Building Your Vocabulary — You’re learning the basics and getting more comfortable navigating the quilt shop.
21–30: Savvy Fabric Shopper — You know your way around a bolt of fabric and understand many of the terms you’ll encounter while shopping.
31–37: Fabric Vocabulary Pro — You’ve picked up an impressive amount of fabric knowledge!
38–40: Certified Fabric Linguist — You practically speak fluent fabric! We might need to start asking you for definitions! 😂
Now I Want to Hear From You!
How many terms did you know? Drop your score in the comments below! I’d love to see how everyone does, whether you’re brand new to quilting or have been sewing for decades.
And what fabric-related term or expression have you heard that we didn’t include? This isn’t an exhaustive list, and I’d love to learn more from you!
Coming Next: Quilting Basics & Construction
In Part 2, we’ll explore the terminology used in quilt construction, from seam allowances and nesting seams to sashing, batting, binding, and more. Whether you’re making your first quilt or have been stitching for decades, I hope you’ll join us!
Happy quilting!
From all of us at Nuts & Bolts Fabric ❤️
0 comments