PatternMakr
Launching September 25th, 2026

Something Beautiful is Being Pieced Together

PatternMakr is an all-in-one digital studio for modern quilters. From interactive pattern design to quick fabric math and a community block library, we're building your cozy new home for piecing and quilting.

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Interactive Pattern Studio

Custom quilt block designer with real-time colorway switching & grid sizing.

Coming Sept 25

Quilt Math Suite

Instant precision math for yardage, HST trimming, bias binding & precut fabrics.

Coming Sept 25

Quilt Block Library

Curated collection of traditional & modern blocks with piecing diagrams.

Coming Sept 25

Quilt Radio & BOM

Ambient sewing music channels, daily block challenges & community showcases.

Coming Sept 25
Handcrafted withfor the quilting community.
Launching September 25, 2026

PatternMakr

Handmade Patterns & Guides

PatternMakr

Quilting Dictionary

62 terms, from appliqué to zigzag binding.

62 of 62 terms

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A1 term
AppliquéPiecing

Sewing a fabric shape onto a background fabric to create a design, either by hand or machine, as opposed to piecing shapes together.

B9 terms
BackingQuilting

The bottom layer of a quilt — the fabric on the underside, behind the batting. For anything wider than a fabric width, it's pieced from several widths seamed together.

BastingQuilting

Temporarily holding the quilt sandwich's layers together (with pins, spray, or thread) before quilting.

BattingQuilting

The insulating middle layer of a quilt, sandwiched between the pieced top and the backing.

BiasFabric

The 45-degree diagonal orientation relative to the fabric grain, offering maximum stretch and flexibility.

Bias Tape MakerTools

A tool that folds fabric strips into even, pressed bias tape, often used for binding curves.

BindingFinishing

The fabric strip that wraps and finishes the raw outer edge of a quilt sandwich.

BlockBlocks

A single pieced (or appliquéd) unit, usually square, that gets repeated and joined with others to build a quilt top.

BoltFabric

The large roll a fabric is sold on at the store.

BorderFinishing

A frame of fabric strips sewn around the outer edge of a pieced quilt top before basting.

C2 terms
Chain PiecingPiecing

Feeding pieces through the sewing machine one after another without cutting the thread between them, to save time and thread.

Charm PackFabric

A precut bundle of 5" fabric squares, usually one of each print in a fabric collection.

D2 terms
Design WallTools

A vertical, fabric-covered surface (often flannel or batting) that quilt pieces cling to, used to arrange and step back from a layout before sewing.

Directional PrintFabric

A fabric print with an obvious up/down orientation (like stripes or text) that needs extra care when cutting pieces.

E2 terms
Echo QuiltingQuilting

Stitching a line (or several) that repeats the outline of a shape at an even distance, like ripples.

English Paper Piecing (EPP)Piecing

Hand-piecing fabric around paper templates (often hexagons) and whipstitching the folded edges together.

F7 terms
Fat EighthFabric

Half of a fat quarter, roughly 9" × 21".

Fat QuarterFabric

A quarter yard of fabric cut to roughly 18" × 21" instead of the standard 9" × 42", giving a more useful shape for cutting patches.

Fat Quarter BundleFabric

A curated collection containing one fat quarter of every print in a fabric line.

Foundation Paper PiecingPiecing

Sewing fabric directly onto a printed paper pattern for precise, intricate piecing, then removing the paper afterward.

Free-Motion Quilting (FMQ)Quilting

Machine quilting where the feed dogs are dropped and the quilter guides the fabric freely to stitch curves, loops, and custom designs.

Free-Motion Quilting FootTools

A hopping presser foot that allows the quilter to move fabric freely in any direction for free-motion quilting designs.

Fussy CuttingFabric

Deliberately cutting a patch to center or frame a specific motif in a fabric print, rather than cutting wherever falls.

G1 term
Grain / GrainlineFabric

The direction of woven threads in fabric — lengthwise grain parallel to the selvage has minimal stretch, while crosswise grain has slight stretch.

H4 terms
Half-Rectangle Triangle (HRT)Piecing

Like a half-square triangle, but cut from a rectangle instead of a square — creates elongated, angled triangle units.

Half-Square Triangle (HST)Piecing

A pieced unit made from two right triangles sewn together along their diagonal to form a square — one of the most common building blocks in quilting.

Hanging SleeveFinishing

A fabric tube sewn to the back of a quilt so it can be hung on a rod for display.

Honey BunFabric

A precut bundle of 1.5"-wide fabric strips, useful for narrow strip piecing, delicate sashing, or log cabin centers.

J1 term
Jelly RollFabric

A precut bundle of 2.5"-wide fabric strips, rolled up like a roll of candy.

L2 terms
Layer CakeFabric

A precut bundle of 10" fabric squares.

Longarm QuiltingQuilting

Machine quilting done on a large, dedicated frame machine, often offered as a finishing service by a longarm quilter.

M4 terms
Meandering / StipplingQuilting

An all-over, random, puzzle-piece-like free-motion quilting pattern that fills space without crossing itself.

Medallion QuiltBlocks

A quilt built around a large central design, surrounded by a series of pieced or appliquéd borders.

Mini Charm PackFabric

A precut bundle of 2.5" fabric squares, usually featuring one square of each print in a fabric collection.

Mitered CornerFinishing

A diagonal, folded corner used in binding (or borders) so the strip turns the corner cleanly instead of overlapping square.

N1 term
Nesting SeamsPiecing

Pressing opposing seam allowances in opposite directions so they interlock and lie flat where two seams meet.

O1 term
On PointBlocks

A block or quilt setting rotated 45° so it sits like a diamond instead of a square.

P2 terms
PiecingPiecing

Sewing individual fabric pieces together to build a quilt top, as opposed to appliqué.

PrecutsFabric

Fabric pre-cut into standard shapes and sizes by manufacturers, like charm packs, jelly rolls, and layer cakes.

Q6 terms
Quarter-Square Triangle (QST)Piecing

A pieced unit made from four triangles sewn together, used when you need the straight fabric grain running along all four outer edges of a square.

Quilt LabelFinishing

A fabric label, usually stitched to the back, recording the quiltmaker, date, and recipient of a finished quilt.

Quilt SandwichQuilting

The three layers of a quilt — top, batting, and backing — layered together before quilting.

Quilt TopFinishing

The pieced, appliquéd, or otherwise decorated top layer of a quilt, before it's layered and quilted.

QuiltingQuilting

The stitching that holds all three layers of the quilt sandwich together, whether done by hand, machine, or longarm.

Quilting RulerTools

A thick, clear acrylic ruler marked with grid lines and angles, used to guide a rotary cutter for precise, repeatable cuts.

R2 terms
Right Sides Together (RST)Piecing

Placing two fabric pieces so their printed or finished front sides face one another before stitching, ensuring seam allowances end up hidden on the inside when opened.

Rotary CutterTools

A round-bladed cutting tool, used with a self-healing mat and acrylic ruler, that's largely replaced scissors for cutting quilting fabric.

S9 terms
Sampler QuiltBlocks

A quilt made of many different blocks (often one of each), traditionally used to practice and showcase a range of techniques.

SashingFinishing

Strips of fabric sewn between blocks to separate and frame them before joining into a quilt top.

Scrap QuiltBlocks

A quilt pieced from a wide variety of leftover fabrics rather than a single coordinated collection.

Seam AllowancePiecing

The strip of fabric between the stitching line and the raw edge. Quilting almost always uses a scant 1/4" seam allowance.

Seam RipperTools

A small hooked tool for cutting and removing stitches — every quilter's most-used "un-sewing" tool.

Self-Healing MatTools

A cutting surface made to "heal" after being cut with a rotary blade, protecting both the blade and the table underneath.

SelvageFabric

The tightly woven, non-fraying edge along both lengths of a fabric bolt, usually trimmed away before cutting.

SettingBlocks

The arrangement of blocks in a quilt top — straight, on-point, with sashing, and so on.

Stitch in the DitchQuilting

Quilting directly along an existing seam line so the stitches nearly disappear into the seam.

T1 term
TurnoversFabric

A precut bundle of half-square triangles, typically cut at 6" along the legs, ready for instant HST piecing.

U1 term
UFOBlocks

"UnFinished Object" — quilter slang for any project started but not yet completed.

W2 terms
Walking FootTools

A sewing machine attachment that feeds top and bottom fabric layers evenly — useful for straight-line quilting through thick layers.

Width of Fabric (WOF)Fabric

The measurement across a bolt of fabric from selvage to selvage, typically about 42–44".

Y2 terms
Y-SeamPiecing

A set-in seam where three pieces meet at a single point, forming a Y shape. Common in blocks like Tumbling Blocks.

YardageFabric

The amount of fabric, measured in yards, needed for a project.

Did we miss an important quilting term?

We are constantly expanding our quilting glossary. If there's a technique, block name, or piecing term you'd like added, send us an email at [email protected].

Suggest a Term