Quilting Acronyms

Do you use any fun quilting acronyms in your daily lingo? Whether you have been quilting for years or are new to it, there are many quilting acronyms to keep track of. That is why I wanted to discuss some fun and helpful ones that I have heard and want to share. Let’s test your knowledge of these acronyms and let me know in the comments below how many you have heard of before. Also, let me know which I missed as I am sure there are more.

ATF: Addicted to Fabric.

Maybe I can just browse the quilt store. *Walks out of the store with 10 yards of fabric*

BOM: Block of the Month.

Sign up for a block-of-the-month program and you’ll have a new quilt block to work on each month for a set number of months.

B2B: Border to Border.

Border to Border designs don’t need any fill or trim as the pattern pieces fit in perfectly.

BOGO: Buy One Get One.

If you don’t know what BOGO means, then you probably haven’t seen any ads lately because BOGO is everywhere. An example is buying one spool of thread and getting another one for free.

BSS: Basic Sewing Supplies.

Basic sewing supplies include all generic materials that you would need for any quilt project like a needle and thread for example.

D/R.

D/R stands for double and roll. That is the large rot fabric rolls are cut into more manageable sized pieces usually 10, 12 or 15 yards.

DWR: Double Wedding Ring.

The double wedding ring is a specific pattern for a quilt that is often made to be given to someone getting married or celebrating a wedding anniversary.

FART: Fabric Accumulation Road Trip.

A slightly stinky acronym for such a fun part of quilting. The fabric accumulation road trip is when you set out to find the perfect fabric for your project or just to add to your stash.

FOB: Fear of Binding.

Oh yes, the fear of binding is quite real. After all the hard work of completing the face of your quilt and adding batting, the final step is to bind the quilt. This will give your quilt the perfect finished look.

FQ: Fat Quarter.

Fat quarters are roughly 18” x 22” in size. They are called a fat quarter because they have a taller height than a normal quarter of a yard which is 9” x 44”.

LQS: Local Quilt Shop.

We all love to stop into our local quilt shop to find the perfect fabric for our current or next project. Maybe you’ll run into some fellow quilters while you’re in there and discuss your favorite textiles you have recently purchased on your last FART.

MAFIA: Men Against Fabric in Abundance.

The men in your life who are not in the quilting world might not understand why you have so much fabric that you haven’t used. What can you say? You never want to run out of fabric during a project or die of boredom. It’s ok though, I understand.

OBW: One Block Wonder.

Using a single block repeated across an entire quilt is how you create a one-block wonder.

PFC: Professional Fabric Collector.

Just tell the MAFIA that you’re a professional fabric collector next time they ask why the fabric store has an extension at your home.

PHD: Projects Half Done.

Next time someone asks if you have a PHD say “Yes, I do.” We all have a few half-done projects that need to be completed, but sometimes it’s hard to fight the urge to start something new when you’re feeling inspired.

PIGs: Projects in Grocery Sacks.

No, we’re not talking about the animal. The projects in grocery sacks are PHDs in disguise. If it’s in a grocery sack maybe no one will know. Plus, you might as well get another use out of a grocery sack.

QAYG: Quilt as you go.

Quilt-as-you-go is a great method to use at home if you don’t want to take your quilt somewhere to be quilted. Quilt-as-you-go techniques allow you to use your home machine to attach topper pieces with batting and backing so you can get a complete quilt without getting anything stuck in your machine.

QMWL: Quilt More, Work Less.

Quilt more, work less is the best way to live life.

ROT.

Rolled on a tube is when the fabric comes from the mill on big rolls. These rolls are usually 60-120 yards.

SABLE: Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy.

While you might call yourself a PFC, others might say you have a stash accumulated beyond life expectancy. Guess you better make sure to leave your stash to someone in your will.

TGIF: Thank God it’s Finished.

There is no better feeling than completing a complicated project. It will have you saying “TGIF!”

UFO: Unfinished Objects.

Any project you have lying around that is uncompleted is considered a UFO. Do you have multiple UFOs in your space or just one? Maybe you need to track down some more fabric to complete a UFO.

WIP: Work in Progress.

You might be thinking, “What is the difference between a UFO and a WIP?” Well, a WIP is a project that you are still working on and have the motivation and supplies to complete. UFOs on the other hand might require more fabric or you have just completely lost interest in the project.

WOF: Width of Fabric.

It’s always important to know the width of a fabric you will be using for a project. This way you can calculate how much you need to buy based on the design you are going to execute and can avoid any prolonged UFOs.  

WOMBAT: Waste of money, batting and time.

Every so often you will be working on a project and no matter how hard you try, it will not turn out the way it was intended. In that case, it was a WOMBAT.

WST: Wrong Sides Together.

When putting the wrong sides together you’ll end up seeing the stitching. The wrong sides together are when you sew the fabric together with the non-printed sides facing each other.

WTF: Where’s the fabric?

As soon as you walk into any store your first thought is, “Where is the fabric?”

Next time you find yourself at your LQS grab some of your favorite Jaftex quilt fabrics. There is no harm in adding to your SABLE. Enjoy using some of the new acronyms you have learned and get working on your UFOs.

Have a great week.