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aiglet |
The decorative metal tag on the
end of a lace. General sewing term. |
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ballpoint needle |
Ballpoint needles are designed
to penetrate knit fabrics without nicking or
damaging the fabric. General sewing term. |
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bar tack |
A group of closely sewn stitchs
(back and forth from side to side a la zig zag)
that is used to tack a belt loop or similar item
in place. This is not a basting stitch and
should be repeated several times on the machine
to make a very short run of satin stitching.
General sewing term. |
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basting |
Large stitches made to hold
fabric layers or seams in place temporarily,
before final seams or quilting is done. One may
also use safety pins or straight pins to baste.
General sewing term. |
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bias |
Refers to any angle between the
lengthwise and crosswise grains, but isn't
technically a grain because yarns aren't woven
at an angle. True bias is the area with the most
stretch. General sewing term. |
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binding |
A strip of fabric (cut on the
bias) sewn over the edges of fabric layers to
finish the raw edges, add strength, and/or
decorate the edge. Can be straight or scalloped.
A binding can also be a part of the backing
wrapped over to the front. General sewing term. |
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bodkin |
A blunt needle with a large eye
used to insert elastic, cording, etc. through a
casing. General sewing term. |
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bolt |
A large roll of fabric or trim
which can be on a tubular roll or a rectangular
form. Fabric is usually folded right sides
together lengthwise on a bolt. General sewing
term. |
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box pleat |
Pleat formed from two pleats
facing in opposite directions. General sewing
term. |
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bristleboard |
See needleboard.
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buckram |
Strong, heavy woven fabric used
for stiffening fabrics and hatmaking. General
sewing term. |
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buttonhole |
A bound slit in the fabric to
allow the passage of a button for closure.
Buttonholes are mostly made by machine these
days, but many people do still prefer to make
them by hand, using a special buttonhole stitch.
General sewing term. |
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calico |
1. Small repeated print design
on cotton, usually a floral. 2. Cheaper fabric,
usually used for testing patterns. Not
necessarily floral. General sewing term. Also
see muslin. |
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cartridge
pleating |
A method of fitting a large
amount of fabric into a small place. General
sewing term. |
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casing |
Fabric envelope of sorts for
encasing elastic, a drawstring, or similar
material, usually along a waistline, cuff, hem.
General sewing term.
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chain sewing |
The process of feeding fabric
pieces into the sewing machine one right after
the other, without snipping threads in between
each seam. This allows you to sew many pieces
without stopping after each one, saving both
time and thread. General sewing term. |
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clean finish |
Finishing a seam with zig-zag
stitching, turning under and pressing, pinking
shears, etc. No raw edges showing. General
sewing term. |
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clip |
To make snips or tiny cuts into
the seam allowance, up to but not through the
stitching, so the seam will lie flat. On a
concave curve, make triangular notches to allow
for flattening the seam easily. General sewing
term. |
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couching |
A method of embroidery used to
sew down thick cord to create a design. General
sewing term. |
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crosswise grain |
Also called the "weft," which
is created by yarns woven under and over the
lengthwise yarns. General sewing term. |
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darning |
Fixing a worn spot in fabric by
replacing the threads. General sewing term. |
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duct tape double |
A body form made out of
primarily duct tape and other materials that
conforms exactly to one's body because the tape
is wound around the body and then removed as a
whole. Also called "duct tape dummies". General
sewing term. |
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easing |
To make two pieces of different
sizes fit together in the same seam. On piece
may have to be stretched a little, or bunched up
slightly in order to get both pieces the same
length. General sewing term. |
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embroidery |
An embellishment of a fabric or
garment in which colored threads are sewn on to
the fabric to create a design. Embroidery may be
done either by hand or machine. General sewing
term. |
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entredeux |
French word meaning "between
two". Often it's a piece of lightweight fabric
joined to another piece of lightweight fabric
with a delicate bit of lace. Another method is
to join two ribbons with a piece of lace.
General sewing term. |
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eyelets |
Holes bound for lacings.
General sewing term. |
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facing |
A piece of fabric or nonwoven
material stitched to the raw edge of fabric and
then turned to the wrong side; it produces a
stiffer, more substantial edging than simply
hemming a raw edge; it is often incorporated
into a design to conceal raw edges. General
sewing term. |
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fiberfill |
Specially engineered
manufactured fibers, which are used as filler
material in pillows, mattresses, mattress pads,
sleeping bags, comforters, quilts, and
outerwear. General sewing term. |
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filler cord |
A mesh-wrapped fiber tube used
to make welting or piping. Filler cord is
available in a range of closely graduated sizes;
the most common size for pillow trim is
6/32-inch. General sewing term. |
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flat felled seam |
A seam created by sewing fabric
wrong sides together, trimming one of the seam
allowances close to the seam, then turning the
other seam allowance under and stitching it over
the prior trimmed seam allowance. General sewing
term. |
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flat lining |
Lining placed inside of a
garment to add weight to fashion fabrics.
Usually sandwiched between lining and fashion
fabric. Also called underlining and interlining.
General sewing term. |
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fold line |
Many pattern pieces are placed
on the fold of a piece of fabric. This is the
actual fold of the fabric off the bolt or a fold
of your own creation; the goal is to have a
pattern piece that is cut out without a center
seam. General sewing term. |
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fusible web |
A heat-activated adhesive
product that is used to bond fabric or fabric to
other porous surfaces. General sewing term.
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gather |
Allows for making a long piece
of fabric to fit with a shorter piece of fabric
and also is a method of easing a seam to allow
insertion of sleeves and other rounded pattern
pieces. Sometimes called "ruffling". General
sewing term. |
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gore |
A panel that is narrow at the
top and widens towards the base (triangular in
shape). General sewing term. |
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grade |
To enlarge or shrink a pattern.
Pattern drafting/general sewing term. |
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hem |
A finished edge; an edge of the
fabric that is folded over and stitched. Usually
the hem is understood to be the bottom edge.
General sewing term. |
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hemstitch |
Worked by hand from the wrong
side of the fabric, hemstitching secures a
folded edge to the fabric by means of diagonal
stitches. Draw the needle through the folded
edge from underneath, pick up one or two threads
of the flat fabric, then insert the needle in
the folded edge and draw it through. Continue in
this manner to secure the hem; the stitches
should be nearly invisible from the front.
General sewing term. |
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Hong Kong finish |
Enclosing a seam with bias
binding. General sewing term. |
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interfacing |
Nonwoven fabric, available in
varying weights, that is used to stiffen fabric
and strengthen designs. General sewing term. |
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interlining |
See flatlining |
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knife pleats |
Narrow pleats all pressed in
the same direction. General sewing term. |
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lengthwise grain |
Also called the "warp," is
created by yarns woven in fixed, vertical rows.
General sewing term. |
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lining |
Used to finish the inside of a
garment or sewn item, to hide the seam
construction, to allow for ease of putting a
garment on or taking it off, and to provide
decorative effect. General sewing/clothing term.
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lockstitch |
At the beginning or end of a
line of stitching, take a few stitches in the
same place, forward and back, with the sewing
machine. General sewing term. |
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mitered corner |
Corner (usually of a border)
that is joined at a 45 degree angle, like a
picture frame. General sewing term. |
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muslin |
1. A plain, undyed cotton
fabric, available bleached or unbleached. A fine
quality bleached muslin is used in quilting as a
neutral background or as a foundation under
thinner fabric. 2. Term is also used in fitting
clothing; making a muslin; to create a mock up
of the intended garment for a fitting. General
sewing term. Also see calico. |
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nap |
The "fuzzy" part of a fabric
that is usually directional in nature. Corderoy
and velvet are good examples of fabric which has
a nap or a pile. General sewing term. |
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needleboard |
A flat board with a prickly
surface used in ironing velvet and fabrics with
a pile. Also called bristleboard. General sewing
term. |
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notch |
On a concave curve, to make
triangular clips to allow for flattening the
seam. General sewing term. |
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| passementerie |
A French term for fancy trims such as fringe, braid,
cording, and tassels that add texture and color to home decorating
projects. General sewing term. |
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| piping |
Cord encased in fabric and attached to the edge of a
garment to add a finished look. Also used in home decor. General sewing
term. |
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| pivot |
Leaving the sewing machine needle in the fabric, raise
the presser foot, turn the fabric at a sharp angle, lower the presser
foot, and continue stitching. Pivoting at corners and points is
necessary to make a crisp point on the finished piece. General sewing
term. |
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| press cloth |
A cloth placed over the surface of fabric while ironing
to protect from scorching and shine. General sewing term. |
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| right sides |
The patterned, printed, or figured side of a piece of
fabric. This is the side that is intended to show. General sewing term. |
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| rotary cutter |
Similar to a pizza cutter, but with a rolling razor
wheel. The modern quilter's version of scissors, to be used with a
special mat (also called self healing) designed for it and a variety of
clear rulers and templates to speed the fabric cutting process. General
sewing term. Also quilting term. |
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| SA |
See Seam Allowance. |
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| sampler |
A project made of different patterns (needlework or
quilting blocks), usually as an exercise by the maker in sewing
techniques. General sewing term. |
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| seam |
The line at which fabric is sewn together to form 1
piece. General sewing term. |
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| seam allowance |
Also called "SA" for short. A seam allowance is the
distance between the seam line (where you stitch to join two or more
pieces of fabric) and the cut edge of the fabric. General sewing term.
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| selvage |
The tightly woven edge formed by the crosswise yarns.
Runs parallel to the lengthwise grain. General sewing term. |
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| stay |
Any form of reinforcing or stabilizing garment
construction. Includes the use of stay tape, boning, seam binding, stay
stitching, and the incorporation of a fabric panel to preserve garment
shape. General sewing term.
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| stay stitch |
A line of stitching just inside the intended permanent
stitching line (seam line) on curved edges that stabilizes and keeps the
curve from distoring. General sewing term. |
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| stitch in the ditch |
A sewing method where stitches are sewn in the "ditch"
created by the joins of the pattern pieces. General sewing term. |
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| tack |
To secure with a few small hand stitches. General
sewing term.
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| tension |
The balance between the bobbin and needle threads on a
sewing machine; correct tension ensures a perfect stitch. General sewing
term. |
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| topstitch |
A line of stitching worked from the right side of the
fabric to reinforce a seam and/or to make a decorative effect. General
sewing term. |
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| tracing paper |
A type of paper made especially to be used with a
tracing wheel. It has an ink-type or wax-like substance on one side for
marking fabric with the wheel. General sewing term. |
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| tracing wheel |
A tracing wheel is used with tracing paper. The paper
is placed upon the fabric with the "ink" side down, the pattern markings
that need to be transferred placed upon the paper, and then the markings
are traced with the wheel. The wheel itself looks a bit like a pizza
cutter with spikes. General sewing term. |
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| trapunto |
A dimensional design created by parallel outlining
stitches that are then stuffed with yarn or batting. General sewing
term. |
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| truing a pattern |
The process of checking to be sure that all areas match
up side seams are the same length, shoulder seams are the same. General
sewing term. |
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| turn out |
Method of lining or facing a garment, sewing with the
right sides facing, then turning it out. General sewing term. |
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| underlining |
See flat lining. |
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| welting |
Filler cord covered with fabric and used to trim edges
or seams. General sewing term. |
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| wrong side |
The back of the fabric, not intended to be seen in the
finished project. General sewing term. |
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| zipper foot |
A sewing machine attachment designed for installing
zippers; the design of the foot allows the needle to stitch close to
items such as zippers and cording. General sewing term. |
