Polygons Used in Quilting Sorted by Number of Sides

Shape name in bold are official geometry terms. Names in bold italics are either commonly used names by quilters or names created for this site. This site uses these name throughout the site and store. Width, Height and Diagonal length are referred to consistently as (a), (b), and (c), respectively in all tables, charts, diagrams, and store listing.

Definitions

Triangles: 3 sides, sum of all interior angles is always equal to 180°.

Right Triangle: one angle is 90°.

Isosceles Triangle: 2 sides are equal and 2 angles are equal.

Isosceles Right Triangle: 2 sides are equal, 2 angles are 45°, and one angle is 90°.

Half Square Triangle = Isosceles Right Triangle made by bisecting a square diagonally once.

Quarter Square Triangle = Isosceles Right Triangle made by bisecting a square diagonally twice.

Equilateral Triangle: all sides equal, all angles are 60°.

Scalene Triangle: all sides different lengths, all angles different.

Half-Kite = Scalene Triangle: a kite bisected through the widest points

Quadrilaterals: 4 sides, sum of all interior angles is always equal to 360°.

Square: all sides equal in length and all angles are 90°.

Rectangle: opposite sides equal in length and all angles are 90°.

Parallelograms: opposite sides are parallel and equal in length and opposite angles are equal.

Star Point: a trapezoid with 2 opposite 45° angles and 2 opposite 135° angles.

Trapezoid: one pair of opposite sides are parallel but not equal in length. Adjacent angles between the parrallel sides total 180°.

Mitered Bar: a trapezoid with 2 adjacent 45° angles and 2 adjacent 135° angles.

Chisel: a trapezoid with 2 adjacent 90° angles, one 45° angle, and one 135° angle.

Half-Hexagon-60°: a trapezoid with 3 sides equal length and 1 side that is 2X the length of the others. The angles are 120°, 120°, 60°, and 60°.

Tumbler: a trapezoid that has a width equal to the height. The top side is 1/2 the length of the bottom side.

Rhombus: both pairs of opposite sides are parallel and all sides are equal in length. Opposite angles are equal. Adjacent angles total 180°.

Kite: both pairs of adjacent sides are equal in length. Only one pair of opposite angles are equal.

Periwinkle: both pairs of adjacent sides are equal in length. Only one pair of opposite angles are equal. The angle that joins the 2 shorter sides is 90°.

Pentagons: 5 sides, sum of all interior angles is always equal to 540°.

Regular Pentagon: all sides are equal and all interior angles are 108°.

Irregular Pentagon: all sides are not equal.

Home Plate: 2 adjacent 90° angles and another 90° angle opposite the pair, 2 non-adjacent 135° angles. Height and width are equal.

Picket Fence: 2 adjacent 90° angles and another 90° angle opposite the pair, 2 non-adjacent 135° angles. Height is longer than the width.

Bow Tie: 3 adjacent 90° angles and 2 adjacent 135° angles. Height and width are equal.

Half-Hexagon-90°: a pentagon with 2 adjacent (c) sides equal in length and 2 sides 1/2 the length of the (c) sides. Angles are 2 adjacent 90° and 3 adjacent 120°.