Acrylic Template

An acrylic template is a piece of (usually) clear translucent plastic that is designed to be used for cutting out fabric for English paper piecing. Typically they include a specific seam allowance of either 1/4" or 3/8".

Acrylic Templates can be used with a rotary cutter or traced around using a pencil so that fabric can be cut using scissors.

Often used for Fussy (Focus) cutting. See Fussy (Focus) cutting for more information.

Acute Angle

An angle that is less than 90°.

Paper pieces that have an angle less than 90 degrees will have sharp points and special attention should be paid when basting.

Apple core

A curved shape used in English paper piecing with 2 convex curves and 2 concave curves.

Also known as a Double-Ax

Appliqué (Applique)

Appliqué is the art of applying a decoration or trimming of fabric (sometimes called a motif) onto another piece of fabric. 

In Hand Appliqué, the motif is attached using stitches which are made by hand.  

Machine appliqué involves using a sewing machine being used to stitch the motif to a background fabric.

Basting

A term used to describe the wrapping of fabric over a paper template and securing the seam allowance with either glue or thread. See Glue Basting or Thread Basting for more information.

Basting a quilt refers to the process of temporarily securing the three layers of a quilt (quilt top, batting/wadding and backing) using stitches, spray glue or safety pins so that the layers do not shift or move during quilting.

Batting

Batting (or Wadding) is a thick layer of filling used in a quilt to add warmth and loft. Battings can be made of a variety of fibres both natural and synthetic. Some battings are specifically designed for hand or machine quilting only.

Betweens

A type of needle used for hand quilting. A betweens needle is a short, sharp needle designed to go through 3 layers of fabric.

Clamshell

A curved shape used in English Paper Piecing.

Consisting of a large outer convex curve opposite two smaller concave curves converging to a sharp centre point.

Typically clamshells are stitched together into rows and then appliquéd to a background fabric.

Decagon

A shape with 10 sides of equal length. All interior angles are the same.

Diamond

A 4 sided shape used in English paper piecing. All sides are of equal length but interior angles will vary. Also called a Rhombus.

When purchasing diamond paper pieces you may see them advertised by the number of star points that will be created when they are sewn together.

For example:

6 pointed diamonds are diamonds that when sewn together will create a star with 6 points. A six-pointed diamond paper template has 2 interior angles measuring 60° and 2 interior angles of 120°. They may also be sold as, or referred to as 60° diamonds.

Download a set of printable 60° DIAMOND paper templates in 14 different sizes with SVG & DXF files here

8 pointed diamonds are diamonds that when sewn together will create a star with 8 points. An eight-pointed diamond paper template has 2 interior angles measuring 45° and 2 interior angles of 135°. They may also be sold as, or referred to as 45° diamonds.

Die Cutting Machine

A die cutting machine is used to cut different shapes of card or paper using a die.

The die-cutting machine uses a combination of rollers and cutting plates to put pressure on a die and push it through the card or fabric to create a shape with neat and precise outlines.

There are a number of die-cutting machines available the most popular being Sizzix Bigshot and Accuquilt Go! cutting machines.

Digital Cutting Machine

A digital cutting machine is used to cut different shapes of paper or fabric. Digital machines use either cartridges that have been pre-loaded with different shapes or come with accompanying design software for you to design/ draw your own shapes which you can then cut out with your machine.

Dodecagon

A shape with 12 sides of equal length. All interior angle are the same.

DXF file

DXF is a CAD (Computer Aided Design) data file format developed by Autodesk. DXF files make it possible to share drawing data and text-based formats across different CAD applications.

It is used with the Silhouette Studio (Basic Edition) cutting software to import shapes for cutting out EPP paper templates and fabric.

DXF files are included with my digital patterns at no extra cost, for users that only have the basic edition of the Silhouette Studio software for use with their Silhouette Cameo cutting machines.

Equilateral Triangle

A triangle with all three sides of equal length. All interior angles are 60°.

Download a set of printable EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE paper templates in 14 different sizes with SVG & DXF files here

Fussy (Focus) Cutting

Fussy (or Focus) cutting is the cutting of your quilting fabric such a way that a motif or pattern is highlighted. Using fussy cutting mirrors and acrylic templates for your chosen paper shapes will help you to identify which motifs to highlight and what pattern you can expect to achieve with your fussy cuts.

Flat Back Stitch

The flat back stitch (also known as a Farmers Shirt stitch) is a means by which you can sew your basted paper shapes together.

It is usually recommended when sewing curved shapes together.

The pieces to be stitched together are held side by side and joined with slanting back stitches on the horizontal down the seam line.

Flat Half Hexagon

Half of a hexagon shape which has four side. 3 sides are the same length with the final fourth side being exactly twice the length of the 3 other sides.

A flat half hexagon is created by drawing a line from one corner point of a hexagon to the opposite point.

Half hexagons can be used to "square up" the outer edge(s) of a hexagon quilt.

Feather Stitch

Similar to the Flat Back Stitch above, the pieces to be stitched together are held side by side.

Small looped stitches are worked diagonally, alternating between the left and right side of the seam line.

Glue Basting

There are two types or methods of glue basting used in English Paper Piecing.

The first method is used instead of thread basting to secure your fabrics to your paper templates. It uses a water soluble temporary glue, often presented as a pen with a thin tube of solid glue inside. The glue within these "pens" is refillable and it can come in a range of different colours.

A thin line of glue is applied to the paper template (avoiding the very edge of the template) and the fabric is folded over and and held in place by the glue. The coloured glue will dry clear.

The second method of glue basting is used when you intend to appliqué a finished EPP motif to a background fabric. Appliqué glue is a water soluble temporary liquid glue that is applied to the turned seam allowance of your EPP motif. It can be used in lieu of pins for holding your EPP motif in place whilst you stitch the motif to the background fabric.

Half Hexagon

Simply put, a Half Hexagon is exactly that, half a hexagon.

There are two different half hexagon possibilities:

Half Hexagon (Flat)

Half of a hexagon shape which has 4 sides. 3 sides are the same length with the final fourth side being exactly twice the length of the 3 other sides.

A flat half hexagon is created by drawing a line from one corner point of a hexagon to the opposite point.

Flat Half Hexagons can be used to "square up" the outer edge(s) of a hexagon quilt.

Download a set of printable FLAT HALF HEXAGON paper templates in 14 different sizes with SVG & DXF files here

Half Hexagon (Pointed)

Half a hexagon shape which has 5 sides.

A pointed half hexagon is created by drawing a line from the midpoint on one side of a hexagon to the midpoint on the opposite side.

Pointed Half Hexagons can also be used to "square up" the outer edge(s) of a hexagon quilt.

Hexagon

A regular hexagon is a six-sided shaped with all sides and internal angles of equal size. The internal angles of a regular hexagon are 120°.

The regular hexagon is the perfect starting shape for anyone new to English Paper Piecing.

Download a set of printable HEXAGON paper templates in 14 different sizes with SVG & DXF files here

Honeycomb

The honeycomb is a shape that is used in the iconic Lucy Boston "Patchwork of the Crosses" quilt.

It is a six-sided shape with sides of equal length. Unlike a regular hexagon, the internal angles are not all equal.

Honeycombs are measured using their side length so purchasing 1-inch honeycombs means that all sides will measure 1-inch.

Isosceles Triangle

An isosceles triangle is triangle with 2 opposite sides of equal length. The internal angles of these two sides are also equal.

Jewel

Jewel shapes are part of the 60° family of paper templates.

A jewel is a 5-sided shape with 3 sides shorter sides of equal length and the remaining 2 long sides are also of equal length. The long sides are exactly double the length of the 3 shorter sides.

Jewels are typically measured by their shortest edge length. For example 1-inch jewels will pair with 1-inch hexagons. 6 jewels can be stitched around a central hexagon to create a 6-pointed star or pointed hexagon flower shape.

Kite

A kite is a 4-sided shape with 2 pairs of equal length sides.

The most common Kite used in English paper piecing is a 60° kite. 6 Kite pieces can be stitched together to make a regular Hexagon.

When purchasing pre-cut Kite papers, the size given usually refers to finished size of the Hexagon that will be created once 6 pieces are sewn together.

Lucy Boston

Lucy M. Boston was an English author who wrote novels for both Children and Adults.

She was also an accomplished needlewoman and during here lifetime created a number of original patchwork quilts.

Probably the most iconic of her quilts for EPP enthusiasts today is her "Patchwork of the Crosses" quilt which features 56 beautifully "fussy" cut medallions made using Honeycomb and square paper pieces.

Magnets

Magnets are sometimes used in lieu of clips or fingers for holding paper pieces together whilst they are being sewn together.

There are a few options available on the market, the most well-known being the Sew-Tite brand.

Milliner's Needle

A favourite amongst seasoned English paper piecers, the Milliner's needle as the name might suggest, is traditionally used in hat making. (They are sometimes referred to as Straw Needles because so many hats used to be made of straw!) 

They are a long fine needle with a round eye and this makes them quite easy to thread. 

Mosaic Patchwork

An alternative name for English paper piecing. Originally, EPP quilts tended to be made from a single repeated shape such as the Hexagon, giving the finished work the look and appearance of a mosaic.

Needles

There are 100s of different needle variations available out there and choosing the wrong needle to work with can lead to poor results and much frustration.  

I choose to use 2 different types of needle for my English Paper Piecing: I use a Sharps Needle for basting my fabrics to my papers and a Milliners (or Straw) Needle for sewing my shapes together.

Sharps Needles

A sharps needle is a medium length needle that as the name suggests is very sharp! It is the most common of all hand sewing needles and as such, is readily available in most sewing and quilt shops. They have a short round eye which makes them easy to thread. 

As they are a shorter length and not as fine, I find they do not bend under the pressure of the paper and they pierce my papers with ease making thread basting one of my favourite parts of the EPP process.

Milliners/ Straw Needles

As the name might suggest, Milliners needles are traditionally used in hat making. (They are sometimes referred to as Straw Needles because so many hats used to be made of straw!) They are a long needle with a round eye and this makes them quite easy to thread - as I get older, this is becoming more and more important to me!

I like the longer length of a milliners needle, it bends slightly in my hand and I feel I have more control over the point of the needle and am therefore able to take the smaller stitches necessary when sewing my pieces together.

My main piece of advice would be that if you decide to buy only one type of needle, invest in a good quality SHARPS needle. My favourite needles are made by John James and Tulip.

Finding the right needle for you may take some trial and error but starting out with a packet of mixed sizes would be a great option.

Notions

A collective term used to describe the various tools used in the production of EPP quilts.

Obtuse Angle

An obtuse angle is one that is greater than 90° but less than 180°

One Patch Patchwork

One patch patchworks are EPP quilts made from a single shape which tessellates leaving no gaps.

Examples of shapes that can be used in one-patch patchworks are: Hexagons, Squares, Equilateral Triangles, Applecores and Clamshells.

Patchwork

Needlework in which small pieces of fabric in different designs and colours are sewn together.

Papers

As the name suggests, English Paper Piecing uses paper templates to provide shape and stability to our fabrics so they can be sewn together.

Although somewhat of a misnomer, "paper" templates for EPP can be made from a variety of substrates including freezer paper, lightweight cardstock, heavyweight fabric stabiliser, water soluble stabiliser and Mylar plastic to name but a few.

PDF

PDF stands for the Portable Document Format, used to display documents in an electronic form independent of the software, hardware or operating system they are viewed on.

All digital quilt patterns from Hexadoodle Quilts (hexadoodle.com) are delivered as PDF files.

I recommend that you download the free ADOBE Acrobat Reader DC software in order to be able to view and print these patterns accurately. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software is the free global standard for reliably viewing, printing, and commenting on PDF documents.

Pointed Half Hexagon

Half a hexagon shape which has 5 sides.

A pointed half hexagon is created by drawing a line from the midpoint on one side of a hexagon to the midpoint on the opposite side.

Pointed Half Hexagons can also be used to "square up" the outer edge(s) of a hexagon quilt.

POTC

An abbreviation for the famous Lucy Boston "Patchwork of the Crosses" quilt.

A quilt made using honeycomb and square paper pieces.

Quilt

noun: A decorative textile item usually created for use as a bed covering. A quilt technically consists of a fabric upper layer (also called a Quilt Top), a middle layer (usually made from Batting or Wadding) and a back fabric layer or backing.

Quilts can also be made for hanging on the wall or turned into items of clothing, bags and home décor items such as mug rugs, placemats, cushions/ pillows and table runners.

verb: to quilt something is to secure the 3 layers together with a decorative stitch. Quilts may be quilted by hand or machine.

Quilter's Knot

A small knot that is added to the end of a piece of thread to prevent the thread from being pulled through.

When used in hand sewing, it prevents the thread from being pulled all the way through the fabric layers and the subsequent seam from coming undone.

When used in hand quilting, the quilter's knot is buried between the layers and prevents a) the knot from appearing on the right side of a quilt and b) the quilted details from coming undone.

Quilting

i) The activity of making quilts; or

ii) The decorative stitches used to secure the layers of a quilted item together

Reflex Angle

An angle that is greater than 180°.

Not often used in English Paper piecing as the resulting template will have in inner point which is hard to baste and stitch accurately.

Rhombus

A 4 sided shape used in English paper piecing. All sides are of equal length but interior angles will vary. More often referred to as a Diamond in English Paper Piecing.

When purchasing diamond paper pieces you may see them advertised by the number of star points that will be created when they are sewn together.

For example:

6 pointed diamonds are diamonds that when sewn together will create a star with 6 points. A six-pointed diamond paper template has 2 interior angles measuring 60° and 2 interior angles of 120°. They may also be sold as, or referred to as 60° diamonds.

Download a set of printable 60° DIAMOND paper templates in 14 different sizes with SVG & DXF files here

8 pointed diamonds are diamonds that when sewn together will create a star with 8 points. An eight-pointed diamond paper template has 2 interior angles measuring 45° and 2 interior angles of 135°. They may also be sold as, or referred to as 45° diamonds.

Right Side

Refers to the side of the fabric that has the design printed onto it.

When a pattern calls for pieces to placed "RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER" it means for the pieces to be held or placed so that the printed sides of the fabric are touching each other.

"RIGHT SIDE UP" means that the printed side of a fabric should be facing you when you are working with it.

Seam Allowance

Seam allowance is the area between the cut (raw) fabric edge and the proposed stitching line on the pieces of material being sewn together. The stitching line in EPP is the edge of the fabric wrapped template.

Typical seam allowances used in EPP are 1/4" wide or 3/8" wide.

Sharps Needle

A sharps needle is a medium length needle that as the name suggests is very sharp! It is the most common of all hand sewing needles and as such, is readily available in most sewing and quilt shops. They have a short round eye which makes them easy to thread. 

As they are a shorter length and not as fine, I find they do not bend under the pressure of the paper and they pierce my papers with ease making thread basting one of my favourite parts of the EPP process.

Straw Needle

An alternative name for a Milliner's needle.

As the name might suggest, Milliners needles are traditionally used in hat making. (They are sometimes referred to as Straw Needles because so many hats used to be made of straw!) They are a long needle with a round eye and this makes them quite easy to thread - as I get older, this is becoming more and more important to me!

I like the longer length of a milliners needle, it bends slightly in my hand and I feel I have more control over the point of the needle and am therefore able to take the smaller stitches necessary when sewing my pieces together.

Tacking

Securing fabric using long, removable stitches. Also known as BASTING

Template

A shape made of metal, plastic, or paper, used for making many copies of a shape or to help cut fabric accurately.

Thread

Thread is used to stitch our fabric wrapped pieces together. It can also be used for tacking or basting our fabrics to our paper templates. When I first started English paper piecing, I used whatever thread I had on hand for both of these tasks.

This is still pretty much the case today but over the years I have added to my extensive thread collection and a number of factors have influenced my buying decisions. I still use a variety of threads in my work, but my choice of which thread I use is now determined by a number of factors.

I try to match the colour of my thread to the fabrics that I am stitching. If I am stitching a dark piece to a lighter piece, I favour using a thread coloured to match the darker piece.

The threads I use most often are:

Gütermann Sew-All Cotton Thread (basting, piecing and appliqué)

Maison Sajou Fils au Chinois (piecing and appliqué)

Wonderfil DecoBob (piecing and appliqué)

If you are just starting out, I recommend using a 50 weight 100% cotton sewing thread which is readily available at most sewing and quilting stores.

Thread Basting

Securing fabric using long, removable stitches. Also known as TACKING.

In EPP, fabric can be wrapped around a paper template and secured in place using stitches instead of glue. For paper templates with edge lengths less than 1-inch, the tacking stitches can be made through just the folded fabric seam allowances meaning that they do not have to be removed. For paper templates with edges larger than 1-inch, typically the basting stitches are made through BOTH the fabric AND the paper template. This prevents the paper template from falling out of the work before it has been stitched on all sides.

When preparing to quilt, thread basting is used to hold all 3 layers together to prevent those layers from shifting during the quilting process which can result in puckering (or folds) on front or back of the finished item.

Triangle

A shape with 3 sides.

Wadding

Wadding (or Batting) is a thick layer of filling used in a quilt to add warmth and loft. Waddings can be made of a variety of fibres both natural and synthetic. Some waddings are specifically designed for hand or machine quilting only.

Whipstitch

Also known as Oversew or Overcast stitch.

To sew pieces together with the stitches passing over an edge. In EPP, you place two pieces RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER and using small overcasting or whip stitches, stitch the pieces together by catching 2 or 3 threads of fabric on either side.  

Care must be taken NOT to stitch through the paper template.

W.O.M.B.A.T

A quilting acronym that stands for Waste of Money, Batting and Time.

We all have those projects that when we are finished, we are disappointed with the outcome. Try not to be too hard on yourself and look at the lessons you have learned during the process of making the item. Know that there is someone out there who will love what you have made and consider donating the finished item to friends, family, your quilting guild, a local charity or any other good cause.

Wrong Side

Refers to the opposite side of the fabric that has the design printed onto it.

When a pattern calls for pieces to placed "WRONG SIDES TOGETHER" it means for the pieces to be held or placed so that the unprinted sides of the fabric are touching each other.

"WRONG SIDE UP" means that the printed side of a fabric should be facing AWAY from you when you are working with it.

Y-seam

Y-seams are where three fabric edges meet at a single point and when stitched together form a "Y" shape.

Y-Seams are also known as Inset Seams or Set In seams.