The Anatomy of a Quilt
The Anatomy of a Quilt
First friends, a quilt is not a blanket, and a blanket is not a quilt. By definition, a blanket has only one layer. It can me made from a number of different fabrics like fleece, flannel, wool, or cotton. A Blanket can be knitted, woven, or crocheted. Often a blanket has a hem around the edge where the fabric is turned in twice and stitched down.
A quilt has three layers. First, it has a top layer that is either a whole piece of fabric or multiple fabrics cut into smaller shapes and then stitched together. There is also a bottom layer of fabric. Usually, a whole piece of fabric or large pieces of the same fabric pieced together to make the back of the quilt large enough. The top pieced and the backing fabric “sandwich” a piece of batting. Batting can be made of cotton, polyester, wool, or even bamboo. Some quilt battings are blends of more than one type of fiber. After the batting is sandwiched between the top and the backing, the three layers are stitched (or quilted) together by running the thread back and forth between all three layers. Finally, a quilt has a binding or a strip of fabric that is sewn over the raw edges to hide them and make the quilter stronger.
Pieced Quilt Top: The quilt top is what you are piecing when you follow a quilt pattern. It is referred to as the top because for something to be a quilt and not a blanket, it must have a fluffy inside and a back that sandwiches it all together.
Batting: Batting is the “fluff” that goes between the top of the quilt that you pieced and a large piece of fabric that is used as the backing.
Backing: The backing is the large single piece of fabric, or it may also be pierced, that sandwiches the batting to the wrong side of the quilt top.
Quilt Sandwich: The quilt sandwich refers to the quilt once you have put the top, batting, and backing together, but before it has been quilted. Once it is quilted, it is a quilt.
Binding: The binding is the strip of fabric that is attached to the raw edge of the sandwich/quilt after it has been quilted. It is folded over and stitched again to hide the raw edges and finish off the quilt.
