How to Speak Like a Quilter

Definitions, Phrases, and Acronyms

I have several readers who have questions about some of the quilting terms I use. Who am I kidding? Those readers are mostly my non-quilting family members who don’t understand a word I’m saying! So, for my family and for those of you that maybe are still learning about quilting, I’ve put together a list of commonly used quilting phrases and acronyms.

A-E

• BOM: Block of the Month
• Bundle: a sample of prints in a designer collection, usually tied up in twill tape or a pretty ribbon (code: I want ALL the fabric, every last piece!)
• Designated Shopper: someone who goes with you to your LQS (see LQS) solely to keep you from buying out the store (usually a spouse)
• Domestic Machine: just a regular sewing machine, sadly not a badass longarm
• Enabler: someone who encourages you to buy a lot of fabric; or even better, someone who buys it for you!
• EPP: English Paper Piecing (don’t let the name fool you, it’s different from PP)

F-K

• FART: Fabric Acquisition Road Trip
• FMQ: Free Motion Quilting
• FQ or Fatty: Fat Quarter
• Frogging: annoying but necessary use of the seam ripper… rippp-it, rippp-it, rippp-it
• Fussy Cut: cutting around details in fabric in order to highlight them in your block, then fussing about the fabric waste
• Happy Mail: when you get new fabric and/or quilting goodies in the mail, usually accompanied by squeeing
• HST: Half-Square Triangle
• HRT: Half-Rectangle Triangle (now you’re just saying shapes)

L-O

• LQS: Local Quilt Shop
• My precious… : your favorite fabric (usually a collection or bundle) that you never actually use but just pull it out from time to time for some heavy petting
• OBW: One Block Wonder
• ONS or One Night Stand: a quickie project that feels good now but has you questioning your quilting identity the next morning
• Orphans: little lost blocks with no homes, usually extra blocks that never got put into a quilt top

P-R

• PIW: project in waiting, not yet a WIP (see WIP)
• PP or FPP: Paper Piecing or Foundation Paper Piecing
• QAYG: Quilt As You Go
• QST: Quarter Square Triangle
• Quilty Bucket List: I want to make ALL the things!

S-T

• SABLE: Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy (you'll be 182-years-old before you use it all)
• Scant ¼ or Scant Seam: just a hair, a scoach short of a 1/4” seam
• SID: Stitch in the Ditch
• Square Up: make sure your block/quilt top has right angles and is the right size (same as True Up)
• Stash: your hoard of fabric
• Studio: for the majority it’s the kitchen table; for the lucky few it’s an entire room
• SUI: shopping under the influence (usually with a enabler)
• TGIF: Thank Goodness It’s Finished!
• True Up: make sure your block/quilt top has right angles and is the right size (same as Square Up)
• Tute: tutorial

U-Z

• UFO: Unfinished Object
• WIP: Work In Progress
• WISP: Work in SLOW Progress
• WIVSP: Work in VERY SLOW Progress (use this term when you don’t want to admit that it’s a UFO)
• WOF: Width of Fabric
• WOMBAT: Waste of Money, Brains, and Time
• Wonky: a quilt block with off-kilter elements… it’s supposed to look that way
• Work Triangle: the setup between your ironing board, cutting mat, and sewing machine; bears some resemblance to the Bermuda Triangle