As with many specialized areas, quilting has a lot of common terms and abbreviations. For your reference, here are some abbreviations that are used in these patterns.
•WOF = Width of Fabric—A cut of fabric that goes from one selvage to the selvage on the opposite side.
•RST = Right Sides Together—In sewing two pieces of fabric together, you place them with the right side of the fabrics facing one another.
•WST = Wrong Sides Together—In sewing two pieces of fabric together, you place them with the wrong side of the fabrics facing one another.
•HST = Half Square Triangle—This is a unit that is made from two triangles of fabric sewn together diagonally.
•QST = Quarter Square Triangle—This is a unit that is made from four 90° triangles of fabric sewn together diagonally.
•SS = Strip Set—This is the result of sewing two or more strips of fabric together. The strips are usually cut the width of the fabric (from selvage to selvage). After sewing these together, they are then cut apart in measured sections.
•WOF = width of fabric
•Sew with a ¼" (0.64cm) seam unless specified otherwise
Fabric Requirements and Preparation
Today’s quilt fabrics are usually from 42" to 45" (1 to 1.15m) wide on the bolt. The patterns in this book assume 40" (1.02m) of usable fabric after removing the selvages, and the projects in this book are designed to use 100% cotton fabrics.
Before cutting pieces for your quilt, there are a few things I recommend doing.
•Remove the selvages from the fabric. This means taking off anywhere from ½" to ¾" (1.27 to 1.91cm) of fabric from the edges. Once you remove the selvages, you have a little less fabric to use for piecing.
•Pre-washing and protecting against color bleeding are not required, but it may save you heartache and disappointment later when/if you need to launder a completed project. Pre-washing, while not absolutely necessary, has it’s advantages. Washing and drying your fabric will take care of any shrinkage and it will remove any excess dye that may remain in your fabric. Taking care of these two concerns at the beginning will alleviate the issues after you’ve completed your project and laundered it for the first time. No need to worry about color-fastness or shrinkage!
•An alternative to pre-washing your fabric is to test for color-fastness. It’s a good idea when your fabric has a strong color, such as reds, deep purples, greens, or blues. Place a small piece of fabric in very hot water for about 15 minutes. If no color has bled into the water, you can consider it color-fast.
•If the color has transferred to the water, you know that this fabric will bleed when it gets wet. You can “set” the color in your fabric by using a laundry product that actually “catches” the color that may come out of your fabric. Quilt shops may carry a product used to set dyes, as well.
Whether you are new to quiltmaking or you are an experienced quilter, do your research on battings.
Wall hangings will probably never be washed. On the other hand, a quilt that will be used as a covering will need to be laundered at some point.
Batting comes in many different sizes and thickness, and different fiber content plays a huge roll in making a right choice for your project. Be sure to read the instructions on the batting to see if it is appropriate for the method of quilting you have chosen. On the label for the batting, you will find useful information such as how far apart the quilting should be, how much the batting will shrink when washed, and whether it is good for hand quilting or machine quilting.
There will be some shrinkage in the batting when you wash your project, so it will have a different appearance after washing. To see what your completed project may look like after it is washed, make up two quilted samples with your batting choice. Leave one unwashed, and machine wash and dry the other sample. Mark each test sample with the name of the batting, its fiber content, and whether it has been washed or not. Keep a collection of batting samples so you’ll be able to choose the right batting for your future projects.
Here are a couple of batting samples; the unwashed one is on the left and the washed one is on the right. You can see the shrinkage between the two pieces and how much the quilting was “scrunched” up by washing and drying it.
Marking Tools, Rulers, and Templates
Marking tools, rulers, and templates . . . there are so many, all with different characteristics.
Always test your marking tools on small pieces of fabric from your project; they often act differently on different fabrics. You can determine how well you can see the marks and experiment with instructions for removal. In some markers, heat or detergents may permanently set the lines. Some come off in the washing process, some are easily removed with steam, and some, like a chalk marker, are simply brushed off. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for removal. If you are not able to completely remove the marks from your sample, select a different marker.
Templates are made by many manufacturers and usually perform very specific tasks. If you need a specific template for a project, ask your local quilt shop to recommend favorites. They are often willing to give you a demonstration on the use of a template. I used the Tri-Recs Tool™ Triangle Ruler by Darlene Zimmerman and Joy Hoffman to make star points. It’s easy to use and gives you the option to make up to a 6½" (16.51cm) star point.
I created paper templates using this commercial template. You can make all star points with the templates beginning on page. I’ve also included a sashing strip template for the Star Crossing quilt on page. Use the instructions for making and using paper templates on page.
There is an abundance of rulers and templates available online and at your local fabric store. I suggest using the same brand for all your straight-edged rulers. That way, you know you will maintain accuracy when changing from one straight edge to another.
In quilt-making today, we are lucky because we have many shortcuts that can help make things faster and, sometimes, more accurate.
One of the shortcuts that I use frequently is the making of strip sets. Strip sets are strips of fabric that are cut from the width of fabrics, sewn together on the length of the strip, and then cut into smaller, usable segments. Sewing strip sets is faster and more accurate than cutting up smaller pieces, sewing them together, and pressing them. It minimizes the chance of the fabrics shifting as you start and stop sewing.
To create a strip set, cut strips from the width of fabric. Sew the long strips together and press the seams open or to the darkest fabrics; whichever you