Sewing glossary: 120 sewing terms explained

A

A-line: A-line describes a silhouette that is fitted at the top, at the waist or shoulders, and widens gradually toward the hem, like a capital letter A.
Armhole: An armhole, or armscye, is the curved opening in a bodice through which the arm passes and into which a sleeve is sewn.

B

Backstitch: Backstitching means sewing a few machine stitches in reverse at each end of a seam to lock it; a backstitch is also a strong hand stitch.
Basting: Basting is temporary stitching, by hand or by machine with long stitches, that holds layers together for fitting or accurate sewing and is removed afterward.
Bias: Bias is any direction diagonal to the grain of a woven fabric; true bias runs at 45 degrees to the selvedge and gives the most stretch and drape.
Bias binding: Bias binding is a narrow strip of fabric cut on the bias, usually with folded edges, used to enclose raw edges and finish curves such as necklines and armholes.
Blind hem: A blind hem is a hem stitched so that almost nothing shows on the right side, sewn by hand or with a machine blind hem stitch and foot.
Bobbin: A bobbin is the spool of thread under the needle plate of a sewing machine that supplies the lower thread, which interlocks with the upper thread to form each stitch.
Bodice: A bodice is the upper part of a dress or top, from the shoulders to the waist, made of front and back pieces shaped to fit the torso.
Bust point: A bust point, or apex, is the fullest point of the bust, where darts and princess seams are aimed and bust fitting adjustments start.
Buttonhole: A buttonhole is a reinforced slit in a garment that a button passes through, usually sewn on a machine as two dense zigzag columns joined by bar tacks.

C

Cap ease: Cap ease is the extra length in a sleeve cap's seam line compared with the armhole it is sewn into, eased in so the sleeve curves smoothly over the shoulder.
Casing: A casing is a fabric tunnel along an edge, made by folding the fabric over or adding a band, that holds elastic or a drawstring.
Circle skirt: A circle skirt is a skirt cut as a ring of fabric, or part of one, that fits at the waist and flares into soft, even folds.
Clipping and notching: Clipping and notching means cutting into the seam allowance of a curved seam, with straight snips or small V-shaped wedges, so it lies flat once turned and pressed.
Coverstitch: A coverstitch is a stretchy stitch with two or three parallel straight rows on top and a looped thread underneath, used to hem and topstitch knit fabrics.
Crotch curve: A crotch curve is the curved seam of trousers and shorts that runs from the front waist down between the legs and up to the back waist.
Cut-on facing: A cut-on facing is a facing cut in one piece with the garment, as an extension of its edge, then folded back to the inside instead of being sewn on.
Cutting layout: A cutting layout is a diagram showing how to arrange pattern pieces on fabric of a given width so each is on grain and little fabric is wasted.
Cutting line: A cutting line is the outermost line of a pattern piece, the line you cut along, which includes the seam allowance when the pattern provides one.
Cutting mat: A cutting mat is a self-healing board, usually printed with a measuring grid, that protects the table and blade when you cut fabric with a rotary cutter.

D

Dart: A dart is a stitched, wedge-shaped fold that removes width at one point to shape flat fabric over a curve of the body, such as bust or hips.
Design ease: Design ease is the extra room a designer adds beyond wearing ease to create a garment's silhouette, from a slightly relaxed fit to a boxy or oversized shape.
Directional print: A directional print is a fabric print whose motifs all point one way, like trees, animals or text, so every pattern piece must be cut in the same direction.
Drape: Drape is the way a fabric hangs and folds under its own weight, from fluid fabrics that cling and swing to crisp ones that stand away from the body.
Drop shoulder: A drop shoulder is a sleeve style in which the shoulder seam extends past the natural shoulder, so the armhole seam sits lower, on the upper arm.

E

Ease: Ease is the difference between a garment's measurements and the body's measurements at the same point, the extra room that lets you move and gives the style its shape.
Edgestitch: Edgestitching is topstitching sewn very close to a folded edge or seam, usually 1 to 3 mm (1/16 to 1/8 in) away, to keep it crisp and flat.
Elastic: Elastic is a stretchy band, cord or thread made with rubber or spandex fibers, used in waistbands, cuffs, necklines and shirring to gather fabric and hold it close.

F

Facing: A facing is a shaped piece of fabric sewn to a garment edge, such as a neckline, armhole or waist, then turned to the inside to finish it neatly.
Fat quarter: A fat quarter is a pre-cut piece of quilting cotton made by cutting a half yard down the middle, giving about 46 × 56 cm (18 × 22 in).
Feed dogs: Feed dogs are the small toothed metal bars under the presser foot that rise through the needle plate and move the fabric forward between stitches.
Flat-felled seam: A flat-felled seam is a strong, fully enclosed seam in which one seam allowance is wrapped around the other and stitched flat, showing two parallel rows of stitching.
Fly front: A fly front is a trouser opening where the zip is hidden under an overlapping flap of fabric at center front, as on jeans and tailored trousers.
Fold line: A fold line is a line printed on a pattern piece showing where the fabric will be folded during construction, for example for a hem, facing, pleat or waistband.
French seam: A French seam is an enclosed seam sewn twice, first wrong sides together and then right sides together, so both raw edges are hidden inside a narrow fold.
French terry: French terry is a knit fabric with a smooth jersey face and soft loops on the back, a midweight, breathable sweatshirt fabric that becomes fleece when brushed.
Full bust adjustment: A full bust adjustment, or FBA, is a pattern alteration that adds width and length over the bust for a larger cup size, without enlarging the shoulders or waist.
Fusible: Fusible describes any sewing material coated on one side with heat-activated glue, such as interfacing, hemming web or stay tape, which bonds to fabric when pressed with an iron.

G

Gathering: Gathering is drawing up a long edge of fabric along loose stitches so it fits a shorter edge, creating soft, even folds of fullness.
Godet: A godet is a triangular or wedge-shaped panel of fabric set into a seam or slit, usually at the hem of a skirt or sleeve, to add flare.
Grading seams: Grading seams means trimming the layers of a seam allowance to different widths, so they step down in thickness and leave no visible ridge on enclosed seams.
Grainline: A grainline is the straight arrow printed on a pattern piece that must be placed parallel to the selvedge, so the piece is cut on the lengthwise grain.
GSM: GSM, grams per square meter, is the standard measure of fabric weight: the higher the number, the heavier and usually thicker the fabric.
Gusset: A gusset is a small piece of fabric, often a diamond or triangle, inserted into a seam to add room for movement, as at an underarm or crotch.

H

Hem: A hem is the finished lower edge of a garment, sleeve or trouser leg, usually made by folding the raw edge to the wrong side and stitching it in place.

I

Inseam: An inseam is the seam running along the inside of a trouser leg from the crotch to the hem; the word also names that length as a measurement.
Interfacing: Interfacing is an extra layer applied to the wrong side of a garment piece to add firmness and stability to areas such as collars, facings and waistbands.
Interlock: Interlock is a double knit made of two interlocked layers of stitches, smooth on both sides, more stable than jersey and free of curling edges.
Invisible zip: An invisible zip is a zip whose teeth are turned to the back, so once sewn into a seam only the small pull shows and the seam looks unbroken.

J

Jersey: Jersey is a single knit fabric with smooth columns of V-shaped stitches on the right side and small loops on the back, the classic T-shirt fabric.

K

Keyhole opening: A keyhole opening is a small slit or teardrop-shaped opening at a neckline, usually at center back, closed at the top with a button and loop.
Kimono sleeve: A kimono sleeve is a sleeve cut in one piece with the bodice, with no armhole seam, giving a loose T-shaped garment with a soft, sloping shoulder.
Knit fabric: Knit fabric is made from rows of interlocking loops of yarn rather than crossed threads, which makes it stretchy, soft and resistant to fraying.

L

Ladder stitch: A ladder stitch is a hand stitch that closes an opening between two folded edges invisibly, by alternating small stitches inside each fold and pulling them tight.
Lapped zip: A lapped zip is a zip insertion in which one side of the seam folds over the teeth to hide them, leaving one visible line of stitching beside the opening.
Lining: A lining is a separate inner layer sewn inside a garment or bag, built like the outer shell, that hides seams, helps it slide on and adds comfort.

M

Muslin fabric: Muslin fabric, in American usage, is an inexpensive unbleached plain-weave cotton used for test garments; in British English this fabric is called calico.

N

Nap: Nap is a fabric surface that looks or feels different depending on direction, such as velvet or corduroy, so all pattern pieces must be cut facing the same way.
Narrow hem: A narrow hem is a very small double-folded hem, usually 3 to 6 mm (1/8 to 1/4 in) wide, used on curved edges, ruffles and lightweight fabrics.
Negative ease: Negative ease means a garment measures less than the body it is made for, so stretch makes it hug the body; it works only with knits and elastic.
Nested sizes: Nested sizes are several sizes of a pattern printed on top of each other, each with its own line style, so you can trace or cut the one that fits.
Notch: A notch is a small mark on the cutting line of a pattern piece that shows where it must line up with a matching notch on another piece.
Notions: Notions are the small items besides fabric needed to make a garment, such as thread, zips, buttons, elastic, interfacing and bias tape.

O

Outseam: An outseam is the seam along the outside of a trouser or shorts leg, from the waist to the hem; it also names that length as a measurement.
Overlock: An overlock is a stitch that wraps thread loops around a fabric edge while knives trim it, sewn by a serger to finish edges or sew stretchy seams.

P

Pattern block: A pattern block, called a sloper in the US, is a basic close-fitting pattern with no style details, from which garment patterns are developed by flat-pattern methods.
Pattern grading: Pattern grading is the process of scaling a base pattern up and down into a range of sizes, by set amounts at specific points of each piece.
Pattern matching: Pattern matching is placing pattern pieces on striped, checked or printed fabric so the design continues unbroken across seams, openings and pockets.
Pattern tiling: Pattern tiling is splitting a large sewing pattern into page-sized sections for home printing, which you then trim or overlap and tape together using alignment marks.
Pattern weights: Pattern weights are small, heavy objects placed on a paper pattern to hold it flat on the fabric while you trace or cut, instead of pinning.
Pinking: Pinking is cutting a raw fabric edge into a small zigzag with pinking shears, which shortens the loose threads and slows fraying on firmly woven fabrics.
Pinking shears: Pinking shears are scissors with saw-toothed blades that cut fabric in a zigzag edge, which limits fraying on firmly woven fabrics and adds a decorative finish.
Piping: Piping is a narrow, rounded trim made of a cord wrapped in a bias strip, sewn into a seam so that a fine raised line shows along the edge.
Place on fold: Place on fold is a pattern instruction to lay one edge of the piece on the folded fabric, so it is cut as one symmetrical, seamless piece.
Placket: A placket is a finished opening in a garment, such as a shirt front, polo neck or sleeve cuff, that lets it go on and close neatly.
Pleat: A pleat is a fold of fabric pressed or stitched in place to control fullness, released below the stitching to give room and movement, as in skirts and trousers.
Presser foot: A presser foot is the attachment that holds fabric flat against the feed dogs while the machine stitches; interchangeable feet are made for zips, buttonholes, hems and more.
Pressing: Pressing is setting and shaping a garment with an iron by lifting it and lowering it onto the fabric with heat, steam and pressure, rather than sliding it.
Pressing cloth: A pressing cloth is a piece of fabric placed between the iron and the garment to protect it from shine, scorching and glue while pressing.
Princess seam: A princess seam is a long, curved vertical seam that runs over the bust point to shape a bodice, replacing darts and fitting bust, waist and hips in one line.

R

Raglan sleeve: A raglan sleeve is a sleeve that extends in one piece up to the neckline, joined to the bodice by diagonal seams running from the underarm to the neck.
Raw edge: A raw edge is the unfinished cut edge of a piece of fabric, which can fray on wovens or curl on knits until it is finished, enclosed or hemmed.
Rib knit: Rib knit is a knit fabric with alternating vertical columns of knit and purl stitches, giving it strong crosswise stretch and recovery, ideal for neckbands, cuffs and waistbands.
Right side and wrong side: Right side and wrong side are the two faces of a fabric: the right side shows on the outside of a finished garment, the wrong side faces the body.
Rise: Rise is the distance from the crotch seam to the top of the waistband on trousers, and, as a body measurement, the depth from waist to seat when sitting.
Rotary cutter: A rotary cutter is a cutting tool with a round, razor-sharp blade on a handle, rolled along fabric on a self-healing mat for fast, accurate cuts.
Ruffle: A ruffle is a strip of fabric gathered, or cut in a curve, along one edge and sewn to a garment, so that its free edge falls in soft waves.

S

Seam allowance: Seam allowance is the strip of fabric between the cutting line and the stitching line, usually 1.5 cm (5/8 in) on woven garment patterns.
Seam finish: A seam finish is any treatment of a seam allowance's raw edges, such as zigzag, overlock, pinking or binding, that stops fraying and makes the inside neat.
Seam ripper: A seam ripper, or quick unpick, is a small hand tool with a sharp fork that cuts stitches so a seam can be taken apart without damaging the fabric.
Selvedge: Selvedge, also spelled selvage, is the firmly woven, non-fraying edge running along both long sides of a woven fabric, parallel to the lengthwise grain.
Serger: A serger, called an overlocker in British English, is a machine that trims fabric edges and wraps them in thread loops, sewing and finishing seams in one pass.
Shirring: Shirring is gathering fabric with several parallel rows of stitching, usually with elastic thread in the bobbin, to create a stretchy, textured panel.
Sleeve cap: A sleeve cap is the curved upper part of a set-in sleeve, between the front and back underarm points, that is sewn into the armhole and shapes the shoulder.
Slip stitch: A slip stitch is a nearly invisible hand stitch in which the thread travels hidden inside a fold and picks up only a thread or two of the fabric opposite.
Smocking: Smocking is a hand embroidery technique that gathers fabric into small, even pleats and holds them with decorative stitches, creating a textured, slightly stretchy panel.
Staystitch: Staystitching is a line of regular stitching sewn through a single layer slightly inside the seam line of a curved or bias edge, to stop it stretching before assembly.
Stitch length: Stitch length is the distance between two needle holes in a line of machine stitching, set in millimeters on most machines, or in stitches per inch.
Stitching line: A stitching line, or seam line, is the line along which a seam is sewn, set inside the cutting line by the width of the seam allowance.
Stretch percentage: Stretch percentage is how much a knit fabric lengthens when stretched, relative to its relaxed length: 10 cm that stretch to 15 cm is 50% stretch.
Swayback adjustment: A swayback adjustment is a pattern alteration that removes excess length at the center back waist, for a lower back that curves in more than the pattern assumes.

T

Tailor's chalk: Tailor's chalk is a marking tool, in a flat slab, pencil or wheel, used to draw temporary lines and points on fabric that brush or wash away.
Tailor's ham: A tailor's ham is a firm, ham-shaped pressing cushion used to press curved areas such as darts, princess seams and sleeve caps without flattening their shape.
Test square: A test square is a square of known size printed on a PDF sewing pattern, measured after printing to confirm the pages printed at true scale.
Thread tension: Thread tension is the balance of pull on the upper and bobbin threads that makes them lock together midway between the fabric layers.
Toile: A toile, called a muslin in the United States, is a test version of a garment sewn in inexpensive fabric to check the fit before cutting the real fabric.
Topstitch: Topstitching is a line of stitching sewn on the right side of a garment, parallel to an edge or seam, both to hold layers flat and as a visible detail.
Tracing wheel: A tracing wheel is a small toothed or smooth wheel on a handle, rolled along pattern lines to transfer markings to fabric or copy a pattern onto paper.
Tuck: A tuck is a fold of fabric stitched along its length, either fully or partway, used to shape a garment or as decoration, as with fine pintucks.
Twin needle: A twin needle is two machine needles on one shank that sew two parallel rows of stitching on top with a zigzag underneath, mostly to hem knits.

U

Underlining: Underlining is a layer of fabric cut like each garment piece and basted to its wrong side before construction, so the two layers are sewn as one.
Understitch: Understitching is a line of stitching that holds the seam allowances to a facing or lining, close to the seam, so the facing rolls inside and stays invisible.

W

Waistband: A waistband is the band of fabric that finishes the top edge of a skirt or pair of trousers, holding it at the waist with a closure or elastic.
Walking foot: A walking foot is a presser foot with its own feed teeth that move the top layer of fabric in step with the feed dogs, so layers do not shift.
Wearing ease: Wearing ease is the minimum extra room a pattern adds to body measurements so a woven garment can be worn, letting you breathe, sit, bend and move your arms.
Woven fabric: Woven fabric is cloth made on a loom by interlacing two sets of threads at right angles, the lengthwise warp and crosswise weft, so it barely stretches on grain.

Y

Yardage: Yardage is the amount of fabric a pattern needs, given in yards or meters for each fabric width, depending on the size, the view and any nap or print matching.
Yoke: A yoke is a shaped, fitted panel across the shoulders or hips of a garment, from which the rest of the garment hangs, often gathered or pleated.

Z

Zigzag stitch: A zigzag stitch is a machine stitch that swings the needle from side to side, set by width and length, used to finish raw edges and sew stretch fabrics.