Terms related to sewing in alphabetical order.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Acetate – It is a man-made fibre derived from cellulose. The purified cellulose is obtained from wood pulp, using a chemical reaction with acetic acid and acetic anhydride with sulphuric acid. This fabric has a luxurious feel and appearance, but it’s also very delicate and in its pure form it must be hand washed. It’s often blended with other fibres to create garments that are more durable, which may be machine washable.

Appliqué – is ornamental needlework in which pieces or patches of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. It is commonly used as decoration, especially on garments. The technique is accomplished either by hand stitching or machine. Appliqué is commonly practised with textiles, but the term may be applied to similar techniques used on different materials. In the context of ceramics, for example, an appliqué is a separate piece of clay added to the primary work, generally for the purpose of decoration. The term originates from the Latin applicō “I apply” and subsequently from the French appliquer “attach”.

Armscye – the opening in the bodice where you attach the sleeve.

B

Bouclé – refers to both a looped yarn and the resulting fabric woven from this yarn. The yarn is made from a length of loops of similar size, which can range from tiny circlets to large curls. To make bouclé, at least two strands are combined, with the tension on one strand being much looser than the other as it is being plied, resulting in the loose strand (known as the “effect yarn”) forming the loops, with the other strand acting as the anchor. The fabric woven from bouclé yarn maintains this looped appearance.

Buttonholes – reinforced holes in fabric that buttons pass through, allowing one piece of fabric to be secured to another. The raw edges of a buttonhole are usually finished with stitching. This may be done either by hand or by a sewing machine. Some forms of button, such as a frog, use a loop of cloth or rope instead of a buttonhole. Buttonholes can also refer to flowers worn in the lapel buttonhole of a coat or jacket, which are referred to simply as “buttonholes” or boutonnières.

Type of buttonholes:

Hand stitching

  • A plain buttonhole is one in which the raw (cut) edges of the textile are finished with thread in very closely spaced stitches, typically the buttonhole stitch. When stitched by hand, a slit is made in the fabric first and the result is called a hand-worked buttonhole or worked buttonhole. The buttonhole construction sometimes includes a technique called stranding where a flat piece of gimp cord or thread is incorporated into the edges to act as a reinforcement.
  • A Milanese buttonhole: after the hole for the button is cut, a length of silk thread called a gimp is laid around the edges. A glossier buttonhole thread is then wrapped around the gimp and sewn through the cloth surrounding the buttonhole. It is used in bespoke menswear as a detail to embellish the jacket because it serves no purpose other than to hold lapel pins and flowers.

Machined stitching

Sewing machines offer various levels of automation to creating plain buttonholes. When made by machine, the slit between the sides of the buttonhole is opened after the stitching is completed. A machine-made buttonhole is usually sewn with two parallel rows of machine sewing in a narrow zig-zag stitch, with the ends finished in a bar tack created using a broader zig-zag stitch. One of the first automatic buttonhole machines was invented by Henry Alonzo House in 1862.

  • A bound buttonhole is one which has its raw edges encased by pieces of fabric or trim instead of stitches.
  • A keyhole buttonhole is a special case of a thread-finished buttonhole that has a round hole at the end of the buttonhole slit, reinforced with a fan-shaped array of stitches. Because a button-closed gap in a garment is normally under some stress, the button will tend to move towards the end of the buttonhole closest to the gap in the garment.
  • A keyhole at the end of the buttonhole closest to the gap accommodates the button’s shank without distorting the fabric. Keyhole buttonholes are most often found on tailored coats and jackets. This buttonhole is normally machine-made due to the difficulty of achieving it by hand working.

Backstitch (Back tack) – 2 or 3 reverse stitches to secure the stitches at the beginning and end of a seam. A backstitch or a back tack will secure the stitches and prevent your seam from coming undone. If you are working on a delicate, thin, or unstable fabric it’s sometimes better to dial down the stitch length for 1.5cm /1/2″ at the beginning and the end of a seam to prevent the fabric from jamming or bunching up into the feed dogs.

Basting – temporary, loose stitches to gather fabric or hold something in place. You can do it by hand or by using the longest stitch length on your sewing machine. When you are machine basting, loosen the top tensions for easier removal.

Bias – refers to the diagonal direction of a piece of fabric, drawn at an exact 45-degree angle to the selvage or grain line. Woven fabric has the greatest amount of stretch in this direction even when it is a non-stretch fabric.

Bias binding – strips of fabric cut on a 45-degree angle to the selvage. In this direction, the fabric is stretchy and it adjusts well to curves, making it a great finish for necklines, (curved) hems or armholes. The strip is used to encase the raw edge of a hem or a seam. By using a contrasting or a piece of patterned fabric you can add a pop of colour to the inside of a garment.

Bobbin – a small spool that goes into your sewing machine to supply the bottom thread in your stitches. It’s loaded into the bobbin case and then inserted into your sewing machine.

C

Cupra (Cupro or Bemberg) – Cuprammonium rayon is a rayon fiber made from cellulose dissolved in a cuprammonium solution. It is produced by making cellulose a soluble compound by combining it with copper and ammonia. Cuprammonium rayon is usually made in fine filaments that are used in lightweight summer dresses and blouses, sometimes in combination with cotton to make textured fabrics with slubbed, uneven surfaces.

Cloqué – a double fabric with a jacquard effect, produced using yarns of different characters or twists, and often blended with silk/wool or silk/cotton. Taking its name from the French word for ‘blistered’, cloqué is sometimes referred to as clox or cloky.

Cambric (batiste) – a fine dense cloth. It is a lightweight plain-weave cloth, originally from the French commune of Cambrai, woven greige (neither bleached nor dyed), then bleached, piece-dyed, and often glazed or calendered. Initially, it was made of linen; later, the term came to be applied to cotton fabrics as well. Chambray is the same type of fabric, with a coloured (often blue or grey) warp and white filling; the name “chambray” replaced “cambric” in the United States in the early 19th century. Cambric is used as fabric for linens, shirts, handkerchiefs, ruffs, lace, and needlework.

Chain stitch – a sewing and embroidery technique in which a series of looped stitches form a chain-like pattern.Chain stitch is an ancient craft – examples of surviving Chinese chain stitch embroidery worked in silk thread have been dated to the Warring States period (5th – 3rd century BC). Handmade chain stitch embroidery does not require that the needle pass through more than one layer of fabric. For this reason the stitch is an effective surface embellishment near seams on finished fabric. Because chain stitches can form flowing, curved lines, they are used in many surface embroidery styles that mimic “drawing” in thread. Chain stitches are also used in making tambour lace, needlelace, macramé and crochet.

Calico – a woven fabric from unbleached cotton. The fabric often has little brown specks in it from the husk of the cotton plant. It’s a fairly cheap fabric making it very suitable to test the fit of a garment.

D

Damask – it is a reversible figured fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin weave and the ground in weft-faced or sateen weave. Twill damasks include a twill-woven ground or pattern. The production of damask was one of the five basic weaving techniques—the others being tabby, twill, lampas, and tapestry—of the Byzantine and Middle Eastern weaving centres of the early Middle Ages.

Decatising , also known as crabbing, blowing, and decating – the process of making permanent a textile finish on a cloth, so that it does not shrink during garment making. The word comes from the French décatir, which means to remove the cati or finish of the wool. Though used mainly for wool, the term is also applied to processes performed on fabrics of other fibers, such as cotton, linen or polyester. Crabbing and blowing are minor variations on the general process for wool, which is to roll the cloth onto a roller and blow steam through it. Decatized wool fabric is interleaved with a cotton, polyester/cotton or polyester fabric and rolled up onto a perforated decatizing drum under controlled tension. The fabric is steamed for up to ten minutes and then cooled down by drawing ambient air through the fabric roll. The piece is then reversed and steamed again in order to ensure that an even treatment is achieved. There are several quite different types of wool decatizing machines including batch decatizing machines, continuous decatizing machines, wet decatising machines and dry decatizing machines.

Denim – a sturdy cotton warp-faced[1] textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This twill weaving produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. While a denim predecessor known as dungaree has been produced in India for hundreds of years, denim as it is recognized today was first produced in Nîmes, France. Denim is available in a range of colors, but the most common denim is indigo denim in which the warp thread is dyed while the weft thread is left white. As a result of the warp-faced twill weaving, one side of the textile is dominated by the blue warp threads and the other side is dominated by the white weft threads. Jeans fabricated from this cloth are thus predominantly white on the inside.

Drill – a stout durable cotton fabric with a strong bias (diagonal) in the weave. It can be used unbleached, although it is more often bleached or dyed. Light weight drill is used in clothing items such as shirts, safari jackets, blouses, and some types of sports clothing. The heavier weights were often used in corsets, and are commonly used in work clothing and uniforms. The most common use of drill in uniforms and casual wear is in the form of khaki drill. Drill is a versatile fabric that has been used in a variety of applications. Boat sail drill is a lightweight, unbleached drill used to make sails for sailing craft.

Double-fold hem – a hem that’s folded towards the inside of the garment, for the first fold you fold the raw edge toward the wrong side of the fabric, and then a second fold again towards the inside of the garment encasing the raw edge.

E

Elastane (or Spandex, Lycra) – a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont’s Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia, US. The generic name “spandex”, which is an anagram of the word “expands”, is the preferred name in North America. In continental Europe, it is referred to by variants of “elastane”, including élasthanne (France), Elastan (Germany, Sweden), elastano (Spain), elastam (Italy), and elastaan (Netherlands); and in the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Israel, it is primarily known as “Lycra”.

Ease (wearing ease / design ease / negative ease) – the room in the garment that allows you to move and sit. Patterns are all designed with different amounts of ease.

In short, a pattern is made up of:

Body measurements + wearing ease + design ease

A minimum or wearing ease is around:

5cm / 2” around the bust

2.5 cm / 1″ around the waist

3.8 cm / 1 1/2″ around the hips

And on top of wearing ease, design ease is added. There are no rules, it’s up to the designer or your personal preference.

Negative ease

Negative ease is used in knit garments. Negative ease is when you end up with a garment that is smaller than your body measurements, but the stretch in the fabric will provide ease and room for movement.

F

Fustian – a variety of heavy cloth woven from cotton, chiefly prepared for menswear. It is also used figuratively to refer to pompous, inflated or pretentious writing or speech, from at least the time of Shakespeare. This literary use is because the cloth type was often used as padding, hence, the purposeless words are fustian.

Flannel – a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel is commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, bed sheets, and sleepwear. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness or remain unbrushed. Brushing is a mechanical process wherein a fine metal brush rubs the fabric to raise fine fibres from the loosely spun yarns to form a nap on one or both sides. If the flannel is not napped, it gains its softness through the loosely spun yarn in its woven form. The term “flannel shirt” is often mistakenly used to refer to any shirt with a plaid or tartan pattern. However, ‘flannel’ refers simply to the fabric, and not all flannel shirts are plaid.

Foulard – a lightweight fabric, either twill or plain-woven, made of silk or a mix of silk and cotton. Foulards usually have a small printed design of various colors. Foulard can also refer by metonymy to articles of clothing, such as scarves and neckties, made from this fabric. In men’s ties, foulard refers to the pattern rather than the material; it is a small-scale pattern with basic block repeat, also called a set pattern or a tailored pattern. Foulard is believed to have originated in East Asia. The word comes from the French word foulard, with the same proper and metonymic meanings. In modern French, foulard is the usual word for a neckerchief. In Quebec foulard is also use for scarf (écharpe in France). Foulard fabric is also used in home décor wall coverings.

Feed dog – feed dogs are the teeth that transport the fabric through your sewing machine. They are located under the presser foot and can be dropped when you are sewing buttons on your sewing machine.

French seams – a great way to finish your fabric if you don’t have a serger because the French seam encases the raw edge of your fabric. The technique is mostly used on straight seams, but with a bit of practice, the technique works well on curved seams.

G

Glitter – an assortment of small, reflective particles that come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Glitter particles reflect light at different angles, causing the surface to sparkle or shimmer. Glitter is similar to confetti, sparkles and sequins, but somewhat smaller. Since prehistoric times, glitter has been made from many different materials including stones such as malachite, and mica, as well as insects and glass. Modern glitter is usually manufactured from the combination of aluminum and plastic which is rarely recycled leading some scientists to call for bans on plastic glitter.

Gabardine – a tough, tightly woven fabric used to make suits, overcoats, trousers, uniforms, windbreakers and other garments.

Gauze – a thin, translucent fabric with a loose open weave. In technical terms “gauze” is a weave structure in which the weft yarns are arranged in pairs and are crossed before and after each warp yarn keeping the weft firmly in place. This weave structure is used to add stability to fabric, which is important when using fine yarns loosely spaced. However, this weave structure can be used with any weight of yarn, and can be seen in some rustic textiles made from coarse hand-spun plant fiber yarns. Gauze is widely used for medical dressings. Gauze can also be made of non-woven fabric.

Godet – an extra piece of fabric in the shape of a circular sector which is set into a garment, usually a dress or skirt. The addition of a godet causes the article of clothing in question to flare, thus adding width and volume. The most popular use of godets is in petticoats. Adding a godet to a piece of clothing also gives the wearer a wider range of motion.

Gather – gathered fabric is used to create fullness or ruffles. You sew one or two lines of gathering stitches just inside and/or outside the stitch line. Use a long stitch length (5mm and up) on your sewing machine and loosen the top tension on your sewing machine for easier gathering. Don’t back tack when you start stitching and leave long thread tails. Anchor the thread tails on one side around a pin, and carefully hold the loose (top or bottom) thread tails and slide the fabric you want to gather along the thread.

H

Hong Kong seam – it use a strip of bias-cut fabric to encase the raw edge of your fabric, but the binding on the wrong side of the seam allowance is left raw so it’s less bulky than bound seams.

Hem – the bottom edge of a garment often folded up towards the inside of the garment.

I

Interfacing – an additional layer of fabric that is used to stabilize, add structure, “crispness” and strength. It lays between the lining/facing and the outer fabric of a garment.

Interlining – a layer used to add warmth to your garment. It sits between the outer fabric and the lining.

Invisible zipper – this zipper is sewn with a special presser foot and seams. when it’s done right it’s hard to see the zipper in the seam, hence the name.

J

K

Knitted fabric – a textile that results from knitting, the process of inter-looping of yarns or inter-meshing of loops. Its properties are distinct from woven fabric in that it is more flexible and can be more readily constructed into smaller pieces, making it ideal for socks and hats. There are two basic varieties of knit fabric: weft-knit and warp-knit fabric. Warp-knitted fabrics such as tricot and milanese are resistant to runs, and are commonly used in lingerie. Weft-knit fabrics are easier to make and more common. When cut, they will unravel (run) unless repaired. Warp-knit fabrics are resistant to runs and relatively easy to sew. Raschel lace—the most common type of machine made lace—is a warp knit fabric but using many more guide-bars (12+) than the usual machines which mostly have three or four bars. (14+). In weaving, threads are always straight, running parallel either lengthwise (warp threads) or crosswise (weft threads). By contrast, the yarn in knitted fabrics follows a meandering path (a course), forming symmetric loops (also called bights) symmetrically above and below the mean path of the yarn. These meandering loops can be easily stretched in different directions giving knit fabrics much more elasticity than woven fabrics. Depending on the yarn and knitting pattern, knitted garments can stretch as much as 500%. For this reason, knitting is believed to have been developed for garments that must be elastic or stretch in response to the wearer’s motions, such as socks and hosiery. For comparison, woven garments stretch mainly along one or other of a related pair of directions that lie roughly diagonally between the warp and the weft, while contracting in the other direction of the pair (stretching and contracting with the bias), and are not very elastic, unless they are woven from stretchable material such as spandex.

L

Lockstitch – the most common mechanical stitch made by a sewing machine. The term “single needle stitching”, often found on dress shirt labels, refers to lockstitch. The lockstitch uses two threads, an upper and a lower. Lockstitch is named because the two threads, upper and lower, “lock” (entwine) together in the hole in the fabric which they pass through. The upper thread runs from a spool kept on a spindle on top of or next to the machine, through a tension mechanism, through the take-up arm, and finally through the hole in the needle. Meanwhile, the lower thread is wound onto a bobbin, which is inserted into a case in the lower section of the machine below the material. To make one stitch, the machine lowers the threaded needle through the cloth into the bobbin area, where a rotating hook (or other hooking mechanism) catches the upper thread at the point just after it goes through the needle. The hook mechanism carries the upper thread entirely around the bobbin case, so that it has made one wrap of the bobbin thread. Then the take-up arm pulls the excess upper thread (from the bobbin area) back to the top, forming the lockstitch. Then the feed dogs pull the material along one stitch length, and the cycle repeats. Ideally, the lockstitch is formed in the centre of the thickness of the material — that is, ideally the upper thread entwines the lower thread in the middle of the material. The thread tension mechanisms, one for the upper thread and one for the lower thread, prevent either thread from pulling the entwine point from out of the middle of the material. Prior to the invention of the rotating hook, lockstitch machines placed the lower bobbin inside a miniature shuttle which would be passed through the loop formed when the needle passed through the fabric and then began to retract again.

Lining – a layer of fabric on the inside of a garment to hide construction seams and details, add warmth and make it more comfortable to wear and easier to put on.

M

Machine basting – temporary, loose stitches to gather fabric or hold something in place. You can do it by hand or by using the longest stitch length on your sewing machine. When you are machine basting, loosen the top tensions for easier removal.

Muslin – light and loosely woven cotton fabric, undyed and often used to make test garments.

N

O

Openwork – Openwork knitted fabrics are a type of see-through knitted fabrics. They are perfect as a material for summer clothing, because they are light and let the air through. Openwork clothes and accessories can be the basis of both elegant and more casual look.

Overlock – a kind of stitch that sews over the edge of one or two pieces of cloth for edging, hemming, or seaming. Usually an overlock sewing machine will cut the edges of the cloth as they are fed through (such machines being called sergers in North America), though some are made without cutters. The inclusion of automated cutters allows overlock machines to create finished seams easily and quickly. An overlock sewing machine differs from a lockstitch sewing machine in that it uses loopers fed by multiple thread cones rather than a bobbin. Loopers serve to create thread loops that pass from the needle thread to the edges of the fabric so that the edges of the fabric are contained within the seam. Overlock sewing machines usually run at high speeds, from 1000 to 9000 rpm, and most are used in industry for edging, hemming and seaming a variety of fabrics and products. Overlock stitches are extremely versatile, as they can be used for decoration, reinforcement, or construction. Overlocking is also referred to as “overedging”, “merrowing”, or “serging”. Though “serging” technically refers to overlocking with cutters, in practice the four terms are used interchangeably.

P

Patchwork or “pieced work” – a form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design. The larger design is usually based on repeating patterns built up with different fabric shapes (which can be different colors). These shapes are carefully measured and cut, basic geometric shapes making them easy to piece together. Patchwork is most often used to make quilts, but it can also be used to make rugs, bags, wall-hangings, warm jackets, cushion covers, skirts, waistcoats and other items of clothing. Some textile artists work with patchwork, often combining it with embroidery and other forms of stitchery. When used to make a quilt, this larger patchwork or pieced design becomes the “top” of a three-layered quilt, the middle layer being the batting and the bottom layer the backing. To keep the batting from shifting, a patchwork or pieced quilt is often quilted by hand or machine using a running stitch in order to outline the individual shapes that make up the pieced top, or the quilting stitches may be random or highly ordered overall patterns that contrast with the patchwork composition.

Presser foot – is an attachment used with sewing machines to hold fabric flat as it is fed through the machine and stitched. Sewing machines have feed dogs in the bed of the machine to provide traction and move the fabric as it is fed through the machine, while the sewer provides extra support for the fabric by guiding it with one hand. A presser foot keeps the fabric flat so that it does not rise and fall with the needle and pucker as it is stitched. When especially thick workpieces are to be sewn, such as quilts, a specialized attachment called a walking foot is often used rather than a presser foot. Presser feet are typically spring-hinged to provide some flexibility as the workpiece moves beneath it. Presser feet have two toes, one to hold the fabric down on either side of the needle

Q

Quilting – the term given to the process of joining a minimum of three layers of fabric together either through stitching manually using a needle and thread, or mechanically with a sewing machine or specialised longarm quilting system. An array of stitches is passed through all layers of the fabric to create a three dimensional padded surface. The three layers are typically referred to as the top fabric or quilt top, batting or insulating material and the backing. Quilting varies from a purely functional fabric joinery technique to highly elaborate, decorative three dimensional surface treatments. A wide variety of textile products are traditionally associated with quilting that includes bed coverings, soft home furnishings, garments and costumes, wall hangings, artistic objects and cultural artefacts.

R

Ruffle – in sewing and dressmaking, a ruffle, frill, or furbelow is a strip of fabric, lace or ribbon tightly gathered or pleated on one edge and applied to a garment, bedding, or other textile as a form of trimming. A flounce is a particular type of fabric manipulation that creates a similar look but with less bulk. The term derives from earlier terms of frounce or fronce. A wavy effect is achieved without gathers or pleats by cutting a curved strip of fabric and applying the inner or shorter edge to the garment. The depth of the curve as well as the width of the fabric determines the depth of the flounce. A godet is a circle wedge that can be inserted into a flounce to further deepen the outer floating wave without adding additional bulk at the point of attachment to the body of the garment, such as at the hemline, collar or sleeve. Ruffles appeared at the draw-string necklines of full chemises in the 15th century, evolved into the separately-constructed ruff of the 16th century. Ruffles and flounces remained a fashionable form of trim, off-and-on into modern times.

Right side / Wrong side – the right side of the fabric or the face of the fabric is the side you see on the outside of the garment. The wrong side is the backside of a fabric and the inside of the garment. Sometimes they look the same; in that case, pick a side and stick with it.

Running stitch – a simple hand-sewn stitch that weaves up and down through the fabric, creating a dashed line of stitches. Use this for basting or gathering fabric.

S

Satin – a satin weave is a type of fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back. It is one of three fundamental types of textile weaves alongside plain weave and twill weave. The satin weave is characterised by four or more fill or weft yarns floating over a warp yarn, and four warp yarns floating over a single weft yarn. Floats are missed interfacings, for example where the warp yarn lies on top of the weft in a warp-faced satin. These floats explain the high luster and even sheen, as unlike in other weaves, light is not scattered as much when hitting the fibres, resulting in a stronger reflection. Satin is usually a warp-faced weaving technique in which warp yarns are “floated” over weft yarns, although there are also weft-faced satins.[1] If a fabric is formed with a satin weave using filament fibres such as silk, polyester or nylon, the corresponding fabric is termed a ‘satin’, although some definitions insist that a satin fabric is only made from silk.[2] If the yarns used are short-staple yarns such as cotton, the fabric formed is considered a sateen. Many variations can be made of the basic satin weave, including a granite weave and a check weave. Satin is commonly used in clothing, for items such as lingerie, nightgowns, blouses, and evening gowns, but is also used for boxer shorts, shirts and neckties. It is also used in the production of pointe shoes for use in ballet. Other uses include interior furnishing fabrics, upholstery, and bed sheets.

Seam – the line where you sew together two pieces of fabric.

Seam allowance – the fabric between the edge of the fabric and the stitch line. The width can vary between pattern companies and in a garment. Always check the pattern descriptions and pattern pieces. Narrow seam allowances are great used on curves and for special seam finishes, like a French seam. Wider seam allowances can also be used for certain special finishes like French seams on heavier fabrics, flat-felled seams, or when you might want to adjust the fit.

Seam finish – this can be done in many different ways and it’s handy to learn a few different techniques. A seam finish prevents the raw edge of your seam from raveling.

Seam ripper – a small tool to unpick a row of stitches.

Serger (overlocker) – a specialized type of sewing machine that can trim and overlock raw edges all in one go. It has 3, 4, or 5 needles and creates a stretchy seam finish, making it very suitable for knits.

Stay stitch – a line of stitches to stabilize the fabric before it’s sewn into a garment. The stitches should be just inside the seam allowance, very close to the final stitch line.

Straight stitch – the most basic machine stitch, that produces a single row of straight, even stitches. It’s used to construct a garment and for topstitching.

T

Tarpaulin – a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with polyurethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. Tarpaulins often have reinforced grommets at the corners and along the sides to form attachment points for rope, allowing them to be tied down or suspended. Inexpensive modern tarpaulins are made from woven polyethylene; this material is so associated with tarpaulins that it has become colloquially known in some quarters as polytarp.

Terrycloth (terry cloth, terry cotton, terry towelling, terry, terry towel or simply towelling) – a fabric woven with many protruding loops of thread which can absorb large amounts of water. It can be manufactured by weaving or knitting. Terrycloth is woven on special looms that have two beams of longitudinal warp through which the filler or weft is fired laterally. The first industrial production of terrycloth towels was initiated by the English manufacturer Christy in 1850. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word may derive from French tiré ‘drawn’, past participle of tirer ‘draw out’. There are two types of terry fabrics:

Towel terry

This is a woven fabric with long loops that can absorb large amounts of water. Its content is usually 100% cotton, but may sometimes contain polyester.

French terry

This is a fabric, used in men’s, women’s and children’s clothes. One of its sides is flat, while the other side is with cross loops. It can be 100% cotton or be made from a variety of fibres, sometimes with spandex (also known as elastane or lycra). It is often warp-knitted, and the term French terry is colloquially used for all warp-knitted terry.

Thread tension – on a sewing machine is controlled in two spots:

  • Top – Where the top thread travels through the tension discs, they are at the top of your sewing machine.
  • Bottom – In the bobbin case.

Topstitch – topstitching is a line of stitches on the outside of a garment. Topstitching can be used for different purposes: decorative, like on back pockets on jeans; added strength; help to flatten a seam, like an inseam on jeans; secure facings, pockets.

Trim – cut a seam allowance to a narrower width. This will eliminate bulk and help with curved seams.

Twin needle (double needle) – twin needles feature two needles and it sews two rows of parallel stitches simultaneously. They can be used to do topstitching on seams or to hem T-shirts.

U

Under stitch – helps to keep facings (lining or bias binding) in place and prevent them from peeping out on the outside of your garment. Press seam allowance towards the facing. Stitch both seam allowances and the facing close to the seam line on the facing. Press your facing to the inside.

Underlining – underlining an extra layer of fabric cut as a duplicate of a section in a garment. When the garment is sewn, there two pieces are treated as one. Underlining is used with sheer fabrics adding an opaque backing. It can also serve as a backing for an unstable fabric.

V

Velvet – It is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word velvety means “smooth like velvet”. Velvet can be made from either natural or synthetic fibers. Velvet is woven on a special loom that weaves two thicknesses of the material at the same time. The two pieces are then cut apart to create the pile effect, and the two lengths of fabric are wound on separate take-up rolls. This complicated process meant that velvet was expensive to make before industrial power looms became available, and well-made velvet remains a fairly costly fabric. Velvet is difficult to clean because of its pile, but modern dry cleaning methods make cleaning more feasible. Velvet pile is created by warp or vertical yarns and velveteen pile is created by weft or fill yarns.

W

Woven fabric – are made by weaving together many threads. There are lengthwise threads (warp) and crosswise threads (weft). The most basic weave is a plain weave; where each weft thread travels through the warp threads by going over one, then under the next, and so on. Then on the next pass, it will repeat the same pattern but alternate threads, producing a checkered surface. Woven don’t stretch unless they are used on the bias or an elastic is woven into the fabric, like elastane.

Walking foot – a presser for that helps feed multiple layers of fabric through your sewing machine more evenly. A walking foot is often used by quilters because it helps to evenly transport the layers trough the sewing machine.

Warp / Weft – warp is the lengthwise thread in a woven fabric and weft are the crosswise threads in a woven fabric. So, the warp is parallel to the selvage and goes up and down. The weft is woven through the warp and goes from left to right. Weft…left 😉

Wrong side – the back of the fabric and usually the inside of the garment. If it’s hard to see which side is the right or wrong side of your fabric, use pins or chalk to mark the fabric.

X

Y

Z

Zigzag stitch – Z-shaped stitch that can be used on knits, stretch fabrics, to sew buttonholes and as a finish for raw edges.

Zipper foot – when attaching any zipper, you need to sew close to the edge of the zipper teeth and a zipper foot will help you do just that. A zipper foot can be snapped onto the left or right of the sewing foot ankle, as needed