| Word | Description |
| Sampler quilt | a quilt in which each block is a different pattern. |
| Sandpaper | typically used in workworking, but useful in templates for quilting. A shape can be cut from sandpaper and used to mark fabric. |
| Sashing | strips of fabric that are set between blocks and separate the blocks in a quilt. Sashing can be simple strips of fabric. |
| Stitch-in-the-ditch quilting | the process of quilting just next to the seams on a quilt. The example on the right shows the white stitching on the blue fabric. Generally you will stitch on the side of the seam that does not have the seam allowances behind it. The side with the seam allowances stands above the other side of the seam. And the idea is to sew on the lower side, hence “in the ditch.” |