Editing Quilt (section)

==Techniques==

=== Patchwork and piecing ===
{{Main|Patchwork}}

One of the primary techniques involved in quilt making is [[patchwork]], sewing together geometric pieces of fabric often to form a design or "block". Also called piecing, this technique can be achieved with hand stitching or with a [[sewing machine]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://worldquilts.quiltstudy.org/americanstory/quiltsare/patchwork|title=Patchwork|last=International Quilt Study Center & Museum|date=2013|website=World Quilts: The American Story|access-date=March 21, 2017}}</ref>

===Appliqué===
[[File:Quilt block applique flower detail.jpg|thumb|Quilt block in appliqué and reverse appliqué]]
{{Main|Appliqué}}

Appliqué is a sewing technique where an upper layer of fabric is sewn onto a ground fabric. The upper, applied fabric shape can be of any shape or contour. There are several different appliqué techniques and styles. In needle-turn appliqué, the raw edges of the appliquéd fabric are tucked beneath the design to minimize raveling or damage, and small hand stitches are made to secure down the design. The stitches are made with a hem stitch, so that the thread securing the fabric is minimally visible from the front of the work. There are other methods to secure the raw edge of the appliquéd fabric, and some people use basting stitches, fabric-safe glue, freezer paper, paper forms, or starching techniques to prepare the fabric that will be applied, prior to sewing it on. Supporting paper or other materials are typically removed after the sewing is complete. The ground fabric is often cut away from behind, after the sewing is complete, to minimize the bulk of the fabric in that region. A special form of appliqué is [[Broderie perse]], which involves the appliqué of specific motifs that have been selected from a printed fabric.  For example, a series of flower designs might be cut out of one fabric with a vine design, rearranged, and sewn down on a new fabric to create the image of a rose bush.
[[File:Dessert Quilt.jpg|thumb|Dessert quilt]]

===Reverse appliqué===
Reverse appliqué is a sewing technique where a ground fabric is cut, another piece of fabric is placed under the ground fabric, the raw edges of the ground fabric are tucked under, and the newly folded edge is sewn down to the lower fabric. Stitches are made as inconspicuous as possible. Reverse appliqué techniques are often used in combination with traditional appliqué techniques, to give a variety of visual effects.

=== Quilting ===
{{Main|Quilting}}

A key component that defines a quilt is the stitches holding the three layers together—the quilting. Quilting, typically a running stitch, can be achieved by hand or by sewing machine. Hand quilting has often been a communally productive act with quilters sitting around a large quilting frame. One can also hand quilt with a hoop or other method. With the development of the [[sewing machine]], some quilters began to use the sewing machine, and in more recent decades machine quilting has become quite commonplace, including with [[longarm quilting]] machines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://worldquilts.quiltstudy.org/americanstory/quiltsare/quilting|title=Quilting|last=International Quilt Study Center & Museum|date=2013|website=World Quilts: The American Story|access-date=March 21, 2017}}</ref>

===Trapunto===
{{Main|Trapunto quilting}}

Trapunto is a sewing technique where two layers of fabric surrounding a layer of batting are quilted together, and then additional material is added to a portion of the design to increase the profile of relief as compared to the rest of the work. The effect of the elevation of one portion is often heightened by closely quilting the surrounding region, to compress the batting layer in that part of the quilt, thus receding the background even further. Cording techniques may also be used, where a channel is created by quilting, and a cord or yarn is pulled through the batting layer, causing a sharp change in the texture of the quilt. For example, several pockets may be quilted in the pattern of a flower, and then extra batting pushed through a slit in the backing fabric (which will later be sewn shut). The stem of the rose might be corded, creating a dimensional effect. The background could be quilted densely in a [[Stippling|stipple]] pattern, causing the space around the rose bush to become less prominent. These techniques are typically executed with wholecloth quilts, and with batting and thread that matches the top fabric. Some artists have used contrasting colored thread, to create an outline effect. Colored batting behind the surface layer can create a shadowed effect. Brightly colored yarn cording behind white cloth can give a pastel effect on the surface.

===Embellishment===
Additional decorative elements may be added to the surface of a quilt to create a three-dimensional or whimsical effect. The most common objects sewn on are beads or buttons. Decorative trim, [[Piping (sewing)|piping]], [[sequin]]s, found objects, or other items can also be secured to the surface. The topic of [[embellishment]] is explored further on another page.

===English paper piecing===
[[File:Starting to sew a quilt.jpg|thumb|upright|English paper piecing]]
{{Main|English paper piecing}}

English paper piecing is a hand-sewing technique used to maximize accuracy when piecing complex angles together. A paper shape is cut with the exact dimensions of the desired piece. Fabric is then basted to the paper shape. Adjacent units are then placed face to face, and the seam is [[Blanket stitch|whipstitched]] together. When a given piece is completely surrounded by all the adjacent shapes, the [[Tack (sewing)|basting]] thread is cut, and the basting and the paper shape are removed.

===Foundation piecing===
{{Main|Foundation piecing}}

Foundation piecing is a sewing technique that allows maximum stability of the work as the piecing is created, minimizing the distorting effect of working with slender pieces or bias-cut pieces. In the most basic form of foundation piecing, a piece of paper is cut to the size of the desired block. For utility quilts, a sheet of newspaper was used. In modern foundation piecing, there are many commercially available foundation papers. A strip of fabric or a fabric scrap is sewn by machine to the foundation. The fabric is flipped back and pressed. The next piece of fabric is sewn through the initial piece and its foundation paper. Subsequent pieces are added sequentially. The block may be trimmed flush with the border of the foundation. After the blocks are sewn together, the paper is removed, unless the foundation is an acid-free material that will not damage the quilt over time.

===Intarsia===
Rarer and less well-known are quilts made by men in a military setting. They are made of [[broadcloth]] which is cut into elements abutting each other as [[intarsia]] and then over-sewn. Front and back of the work are in principle identical and the quilts reversible, except in cases where elements of appliqué, embroidery or trapunto have been added on the front, which is quite common in more elaborate or illustrative pieces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/soldiers-and-sailors-quilts-attest-to-long-adventurous-careers/news-story/599ff4293138280983c620da472450e6|access-date=May 9, 2024|url-access=subscription|title=Soldiers and sailors quilts attest to long, adventurous careers|author=Christopher Allen|author-link=Christopher Allen (critic)|date=April 27, 2024|newspaper=[[The Australian]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gero|first=Annette|title=Quilts: The Fabric of War 1760–1900|year=2024|publisher=The Beagle Press|isbn=978-0947349721}}</ref>