M

• Medallion Quilt - A quilt assembled around one large central motif, with one or more borders to finish the quilt.

• Miter - To join two edges at an angle (usually a 45 degree angle) creating a diagonal seam frequently located at a corner.

• Muslin - A sheer to coarse plain woven cotton fabric. Muslin comes in "natural" color or it may be dyed.

N

• Nap - Fabric that has its fiber brushed in one direction causing a different coloration. Velvet and corduroy are two examples.

• Needlepunched batting - Batting manufactured by a process that tangles loose fibers to hold them together without glues or resins. The fiber is laid out into sheets that are then passed through a series of barbed needles in a process silimilar to felting.

• Notches - Match points on cutting lines of the paper pattern.

• Notions - Sewing supplies and equipment needed to complete a garment.

P

• Paper piecing - Sewing fabric onto a piece of paper to form the quilt block. This is a form of foundation piecing.

• Parallel - Two lines evenly spaced.

• Patchwork - The process of piecing or appliquéing various fabric shapes together.

• Pattern repeat - The vertical distance required for one complete design on the fabric.

• Piecing - Joining two pieces together to make one piece wider or longer.

• Piping - Decorative or contrasting strip sewn into a seamline forming a decorative edge.

• Pivot - To turn the fabric with the needle inserted into it.

• Placket - Any finished opening in a garment.

• Ply - Used to describe number of fabric layers or thread strands.

• Preshrink - To treat fabric before cutting by laundering or steam pressing to prevent shrinking later.