Definitions & jargon
Longarm lingo, translated.
New to longarm quilting? Here's every term you'll run into — from basting to wide backs — explained in plain English.
- Basting
- A longer stitch that helps hold the quilt sandwich together while longarming.
- Batting
- The center of the quilt sandwich. There are several different options available, and each has its own qualities. Cotton, polyester, and 80/20 blend are the most common.
- Backing Seam
- Joining two pieces of smaller fabric together to make a wider fabric for the quilt's reverse or back side.
- Binding
- The finished edge of the quilt. It is a fabric strip wrapped around the outer edges of a quilt to cover and protect the raw edges after quilting.
- Computerized Quilting
- The use of automated machines or software to create quilt designs, allowing for precise and consistent stitching without manual effort.
- Custom Quilting
- The process of stitching unique designs into each area of a quilt, allowing for intricate and personalized patterns that enhance the quilt's overall design. It can involve individual blocks, ruler work, and free motion quilting. This technique often involves planning specific motifs for different sections, making each quilt one of a kind.
- Edge to Edge (E2E)
- A quilting design or pantograph that runs continuously across the entire quilt, from one edge to the other, without stopping or changing to match individual blocks.
- Faux Piped Binding
- A technique that adds visual interest and creates a decorative edge on quilts by using two contrasting fabrics, where the wider fabric peeks out slightly from the narrower one, resembling piping.
- Free Motion Quilting (FMQ)
- The quilter controls the machine head freely in any direction to create intricate designs.
- Loading
- Attaching the quilt top, backing, and batting to the longarm frame.
- Longarm Quilting (Longarming)
- The process of using a longarm sewing machine to sew together a quilt top, quilt batting, and quilt backing (the quilt sandwich) into a finished quilt.
- Pantograph
- A design or pattern used to create a continuous line across a quilt top.
- Ruler Work
- A specialized custom quilting method used to guide exact, repeatable straight lines and curves through the quilt sandwich.
- Sandwich
- The three essential layers of a quilt: the quilt top, the batting, and the backing fabric. Properly assembling these layers is crucial to achieving a warm, comfortable, and visually appealing quilt.
- Scalloped Edge
- A decorative border with evenly spaced, curved indentations along the edges, created by cutting the quilt top into a wavy or scallop pattern before adding binding.
- Trimming a Quilt (Trim)
- Cutting away excess fabric and batting from the edges of a quilt after it has been quilted, ensuring that the edges are straight and ready for binding. This step is essential for achieving a neat and professional finish.
- Wide Back
- Extra-wide cotton fabric designed specifically for quilt backing, typically measuring about 108 inches wide. It allows quilters to cover large quilt tops in one seamless piece, eliminating the need for piecing smaller fabrics together.