40 sewing terms every beginner should know

The 40 sewing terms a beginner meets most are about the pattern (seam allowance, grainline, notches, darts), the fabric (right side, selvedge, bias, woven, knit), the machine (presser foot, bobbin, tension, stitch length) and the way a garment is put together (staystitching, pressing, understitching, facings, hems). Learn them in the order you meet them in a project and pattern instructions stop reading like a foreign language.

This list follows that order, from the pattern on the table to the finished hem. Each definition is short on purpose; the full entries are in the sewing glossary.

Which terms will I see on the pattern itself?

• Seam allowance: the strip between the cutting line and the stitching line, the fabric that ends up inside the seam. The usual widths are 1.5 cm (5/8 in) on woven garments and 1 cm (3/8 in) on knits. Always check whether a pattern includes it. More in seam allowance.
• Cutting line: the outermost line of a pattern piece. You cut on it, not beside it; on a multi-size pattern, follow the line of your size.
• Stitching line: the line you sew on, inside the cutting line by the width of the seam allowance. Many patterns do not draw it, so you keep the distance with the guide marks on the needle plate.
• Grainline: the long straight arrow on each piece. Place it parallel to the selvedge, measuring from both ends of the arrow, so the piece is cut on grain and hangs straight.
• Place on fold: a bracketed arrow along one edge. That edge goes exactly on a fold of the fabric and is not cut, so you get one symmetrical piece twice as wide.
• Notch: a small triangle or line on the cutting edge that shows which edges match, and where. Snip 3 to 5 mm (1/8 to 3/16 in) into the seam allowance to mark it, or cut a small triangle outward.
• Dart: a folded, tapered wedge sewn to shape flat fabric around a curve such as the bust, waist or seat. You match its two legs and sew to the point.
• Cutting layout: the diagram showing how the pieces sit on the fabric for a given width, which way they face and which ones go on the fold.
• Test square: the measured square printed on PDF patterns, usually 5 cm or 2 in. If it does not measure exactly right, nothing else in the print will.

Which fabric words do I need to know?

• Right side and wrong side: the right side is the face meant to be seen; the wrong side is the inside. Most seams are sewn "right sides together" (RST).
• Selvedge (or selvage): the finished, non-fraying edges along the length of the fabric, often printed with the maker's name. The grainline runs parallel to it.
• Bias: the 45-degree diagonal across the weave. Woven fabric stretches and drapes most on the bias, which is why bias binding and slip dresses are cut that way.
• Woven fabric: threads crossing at right angles, like poplin, linen or denim. It frays and barely stretches unless it contains elastane.
• Knit fabric: one yarn looped in rows, like jersey or sweatshirt fleece. It stretches, rarely frays and needs a ballpoint or stretch needle.
• Stretch percentage: how far a knit stretches. A 10 cm (4 in) strip that pulls comfortably to 15 cm (6 in) has 50 % stretch. Knit patterns state the minimum they need.
• Drape: how a fabric falls. Viscose and silk drape fluidly; canvas and denim stand away from the body.
• GSM: grams per square meter, the fabric's weight (in the US, often ounces per square yard). Around 100 to 150 GSM is a light shirting; 300 and more is a bottom-weight or a canvas.
• Nap: a pile or sheen that looks different depending on direction, as on velvet and corduroy. Cut every piece facing the same way.
• Notions: everything you need besides fabric: thread, zips, buttons, elastic, interfacing, bias binding.

What are the parts of a sewing machine called?

• Presser foot: holds the fabric flat against the plate while you sew. It is down when you sew and up when you thread the machine.
• Feed dogs: the small toothed bars under the foot that move the fabric along. Let them do the pulling; your hands only guide.
• Bobbin: the small spool under the needle plate that carries the lower thread. For most sewing, wind it with the same thread as the top.
• Thread tension: the balance between the upper and lower threads. When it is right, the stitches lock between the layers; loops underneath almost always mean the upper thread is misthreaded.
• Stitch length: the distance between needle holes, set in millimeters. 2.5 mm suits most seams; 4 to 5 mm is for basting and gathering.
• Backstitch: three or four stitches sewn in reverse at the start and end of a seam to lock it (also called backtacking). By hand, the backstitch is also the strongest seam stitch.
• Zigzag stitch: a side-to-side stitch that stretches with knits and wraps raw edges to stop them fraying.

Which construction terms come up in the instructions?

• Basting: long temporary stitches, by hand or at the machine's longest setting, to hold layers or test the fit before sewing for real.
• Staystitching: a line of regular stitches sewn about 1 cm (3/8 in) from a curved edge, such as a neckline, inside the seam allowance and right after cutting, so the edge does not stretch out of shape while you handle it. See staystitching.
• Pressing: setting the iron down, lifting it and moving it, rather than sliding it back and forth as in ironing. Press every seam before you cross it with another one.
• Clipping and notching: cutting into the seam allowance of a curve so it lies flat once turned: straight clips on inward curves, small wedges on outward curves. Stop 2 mm short of the stitching.
• Grading: trimming the layers of a seam allowance to different widths so the turned edge does not form a ridge.
• Understitching: stitching a facing or lining to its seam allowances, close to the seam, so it rolls to the inside and stays there.
• Topstitching: a visible line of stitching on the right side, decorative or functional, usually 3 mm to 1 cm from an edge.
• Gathering: two parallel rows of long stitches pulled up to fit a longer edge to a shorter one, as in a gathered skirt or a puff sleeve.

What do the finishing terms mean?

• Seam finish: whatever stops a raw edge from fraying: zigzag, overlocking, pinking, French seams, bias binding.
• Facing: a shaped piece of fabric sewn to an edge (neckline, armhole, waist) and turned inside, for a clean finish without a band.
• Interfacing: an extra layer, usually fusible (ironed on), that stiffens and stabilizes facings, waistbands, collars and button areas.
• Hem: the finished lower edge of a garment or sleeve, usually folded twice and stitched. Its depth, often 2 to 4 cm (3/4 to 1 1/2 in), is included in the pattern.

Which fit terms should I know before choosing a size?

• Ease: the difference between your body measurement and the garment's. Wearing ease lets you move; design ease creates the silhouette. A fitted woven bodice may have 6 cm (2 3/8 in) of ease at the bust, an oversized one 25 cm (10 in) or more. Read more about ease.
• Toile (muslin): a test version of a garment sewn in inexpensive fabric to check the fit before cutting the good fabric.

What do the abbreviations on patterns mean?

Do I need to learn all of these before I start?

No. Most of them make sense the first time you use them, and a well-written pattern explains each step as it comes. Before your first garment, read the instructions through once with this list beside you, then follow our guide on how to read a sewing pattern.

Sewly's sewing guides use these same words, and on any step you can ask the guide what a term means for your pattern ("what does understitch mean here?"). With a first project from our sewing for beginners page, that is usually enough to finish a first garment without a dictionary open.