While I have been quilting for a hand-full of years, I still consider myself a beginner....an intermediate beginner on a good day. Anywho....I have come across some different types of quilt-tops and I'm wondering if I could get a definition from someone more daring than I out there.

I know what scrap quilts are, crazy quilts, the term patchwork, applique....that stuff I know.

What are rag quilts? I Spy Quilts?? Biscuit Quilts? Sew and flip (other than sew and flip on foundation)?? Folded (3D) quilts??

I know about Block of the Months and Mystery Quilts. Do quilt/fabric shops have other types of specialty quilts similar to these two or is that it?

I just thought this could be a fun discussion.


One last thing....I get the idea of Paper Piecing though I have never tried it, are there different types of paper piecing? Also...wouldn't paper piecing also fall under foundation piecing??

foundation piecing and paper piecing are the same thin, and there is english paper piecing, but I don't really know the difference. I think one of them you sew through the paper, and the other you just fold it over and you can reuse the paper...

here are a couple of links to rag quilts and I spy quilts, they explain it better and in more detail that I could.

http://www.knitandtonic.typepad.com/SimpleRagQuilt.pdf

http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltin.../ispyquilt.htm

I don't know what sew and flip or folded quilts are, but you could just google it...

One thing you will find with quilting is that in different parts of the country and world there are different names for the same thing and different names for pieced blocks.

English paper piecing (after I got into the pattern I realized that is what I was doing) I cut the pattern from freezer paper exactly the size of the block. Then I ironed that onto the backside of my fabric. Cut 1/4" away from the paper then sewed right next to the paper.

Paper piecing is foundation piecing but not all foundation piecing is paper piecing.

I hope I haven't just made it more confusing. I'm sure others will have lots more to say. I'm looking forward to others comments.

When you say folded 3-D quilts, you might be talking about Origami quilts. Those are really cute. Alex Anderson had a show about it, where the fabric was folded like flowers and then sewn to a quilt top.

Rag quilts have multiple layers with the seams exposed on the top outside of the quilt. The edges are then snipped with small cuts to make them fringy. I've never made one so I don't know if these have batting inside. Most times they are made from flannel fabrics that I've seen.

QUOTE: Paper piecing is foundation piecing but not all foundation piecing is paper piecing.

Kinda like all chickens are birds but not all birds are chickens?? That makes sense.


QUOTE: When you say folded 3-D quilts, you might be talking about Origami quilts. Those are really cute. Alex Anderson had a show about it, where the fabric was folded like flowers and then sewn to a quilt top.


I saw a quilt where instead of triangles sewed into the top, example basket, they used folded squares. You could slip your finger into the folds of the fabric after it was sewn it. It was pretty cool, just looked complicated to make.

Hi,

I spy quilts are quilts made for children as entertainment. They are usually a one patch design which is a collection of different novelty prints. The idea is for the child to try and find how many differnt print blocks in the quilt. Kind of like the traveling in the car game where the passengers look for things along the way. They are often made of 8 sided pieces but plain squares or triangles would also work. They can have a holiday theme like Christmas or Halloween or be gender specific.

Flip and fold is a way to both assemble a top and quilt it as you go. It requires either precutting all of the pieces of the top, back and batting before sewing or at least precutting the top pieces. Depending on the intended use of the quilt and the type of batting used it can be fast and pretty simple or very complicated.
A rag quilt is basically the same method as the flip and fold. You precut squares of top, back and batting usually in flannel or homespun. You then sandwhich each block and sew it to the next block to make rows. You keep all of the seam allowances on one side of the quilt. When the top is big enough to suit your purpose you carefully clip all of the raw edges of the seams like you would when easing in a sleeve or other curved piecing. YOu then put the whole quilt throw a rough laundry cycle and hot dryer. The result is a raggedy edged quilt on one side and smooth seams on the other. It is also usually very heavy.

Here is a link to some origami (folded) quilt information:

http://www.math.lsu.edu/~verrill/origami/quilts/

And here is a book about folded origami quilts at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Origami-Quilts-Folded-Fabric-Projects/dp/1564776247

They look complicated. :?

Don't forget the "Whole Cloth" quilt! I found this photo online. Isn't it gorgeous!?

http://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/43...600x600Q85.jpg

OK Mary QC and mpeters -- WHAT ??? :roll: Only kidding. That was a good job of explaining.

Thanks for all that infomation.