Image: Ruth Jenkinson/Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images
About This Quiz
Many of us probably think of Quilting as the quintessential American craft. You might be surprised to know, then, that the oldest quilted piece on record was discovered pretty far from the United States -- on the other side of the world, in fact. But since then,Quilting has taken on a distinctly American character. And there's a lot of lingo that goes with it, of course. You don't have to know your sharps from your milliners to do well on this quiz, but it would probably help.
The word 'quilt' is derived from what language?
German
Latin
Quilt comes to us by way of the Latin word 'culcita,' which means 'cushion.'
French
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The oldest known quilted object is a linen carpet from the first century B.C. to the second century A.D. Where was it found?
Iran
Mongolia
The quilted carpet was discovered in a cave tomb in Mongolia.
Egypt
Siberia
China
Pakistan
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How many layers does a basic quilt have?
two
three
Quilts have three layers -- the quilt top, the batting and the backing.
four
five
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How do quilters cut fabric?
with round-bladed quilting scissors
with a rotary cutter
Rotary cutters are essential quilting tools -- they're basically a razor-blade wheel with a handle.
with a fabric Exacto knife
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What should you NOT use with a rotary cutter?
a straight ruler
It's very important to use a gridded non-slip ruler -- NOT a regular straight ruler -- with a rotary cutter.
synthetic fabric
a cutting mat
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What's the best fabric to use if you're a beginning quilter?
nylon
satin
velvet
cotton
Basic cotton is how you should start out -- it's the easiest fabric to work with.
polyester
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Is it a good idea to wash your quilting fabric before you start working with it?
yes
Most quilters do prewash their fabric to eliminate any 'surprises' -- like bleeding and uneven shrinking -- that could ruin a finished quilt.
no
maybe
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Fraying fabric is one problem with prewashing. How can you prevent it?
Treat the edges of the fabric with glue.
Cut a small triangular piece from each corner of the fabric.
Cutting a little piece from the corners will usually prevent fraying.
Put the fabric in a mesh bag.
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What's a 'fat quarter'?
a cutting tool that cuts a standard yard of fabric into quarters
a quilt that's one-fourth the size of a normal quilt
a quarter-yard of fabric
A fat quarter is the basic unit in quilting. It's a quarter-yard of fabric that's 18 by 22 inches instead of the standard 9-by-44-inch cut.
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When it comes to hand-quilting needles, is it true that the higher the size number, the thicker the needle?
yes
no
Nope -- unfortunately, it's not that easy. The higher the size, the thinner the needle.
maybe
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What are the best kind of needles for hand quilting?
sharps
milliners
crewels
betweens
Betweens are short, sharp needles that are perfect for pushing through multiple layers.
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What's the standard seam allowance for quilts?
one-eighth inch
one-quarter inch
Quilt seams always have a quarter-inch allowance.
half-inch
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How can you make sure you always have a quarter-inch seam?
Get a quarter-inch presser foot for your sewing machine.
You could try to do it yourself, of course, but a quarter-inch presser foot will ensure that you never stray from the norm.
Always have a ruler handy.
Be very, very careful.
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You should have two pairs of scissors for quilting. Why?
One is for fabric and one is for paper.
You'll need a pair of fabric scissors and another for cutting paper patterns.
They have to be extra sharp, so you need a backup in case one pair gets dull.
One pair should be regular scissors and one should be pinking shears.
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Were 'coded' quilts used to help escaping slaves along the Underground Railroad?
yes
no
maybe
Legends abound about quilts being used to identify 'safe houses' on the Underground Railroad, but historians have yet to find hard evidence.
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In 18th- and 19th-century America, was quilting a hobby for mostly rich women?
yes
We do tend to think of quilting as common women's work during this time, but most women sewed to meet basic clothing needs. Until the Industrial Revolution, only the rich had time to make decorative quilts.
no
maybe
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When did the 'crazy quilt' fad sweep through the United States?
the 1830s
the 1880s
Crazy quilts, with their random assortment of patchwork pieces, were all the rage in the 1880s.
the 1930s
the 1980s
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What do regular quilts have that crazy quilts lack?
batting
Crazy quilts aren't stuffed with batting. They were also made with fancier fabrics, so they were used more for home decoration than for bedding.
hand-stitching
a unified color scheme
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Can you use hand sewing thread in your sewing machine?
yes
no
No, be very careful to keep the hand sewing thread out of the machine.
maybe
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Art museums around the country have showcased a traveling exhibition of quilts by women from Gee's Bend, in this state.
South Carolina
Florida
North Carolina
Mississippi
Georgia
Alabama
The bold geometric quilts from Gee's Bend, Alabama, were displayed in 12 cities.
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You Got:
/20
Ruth Jenkinson/Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images
