sign in sign up
<<
Home , Armscye, Binding (sewing), Cuff, Dolman, Facing (sewing), Gusset

E-405 05-06

Glossary of Terms

ashion designers and seamstresses seem to have a vocabulary all their own. The following list is a col- F lection of the more common terms used to describe the silhouettes, styles, and details of design, as well as fabric qualities, , and construction procedures. Having a working knowledge of these terms will increase your confidence when discussing and constructing gar- ments. A-line – or resembling the shape of an A.

Alter – To change the or garment so that it fits the body and represents body measurements and propor- tions.

Extension Family Development Applique – A -out decoration, design or mo- and Resource Management Specialists tif applied to base fabric.

Armscye – Armhole; opening for a .

Asymmetrical – One-sided, not geometrically bal- anced.

Baste – Stitches made by hand or machine to hold fabric pieces together tempo- rarily.

Bias – Diagonal direction of fabric. True bias is at a 45-degree angle to the line.

Binding – Strip to encase edges as a finish or .

Blind – Sewing a hem invisibly with hand or machine stitches. 2......

Blouson – Bloused effect of fullness gath- – A tuck in the fabric that helps ered in at and falling over a in fitting the garment over the , typically the over body curve. a skirt. – Sleeve set into a deep armhole Bodice – Portion of garment above the so as to resemble a . sleeve.

Bolt – Unit in which fabric is packaged Double-breasted – Front closing that overlaps and sold by the manufacturer. enough to allow two rows of Usually contains 12 to 20 yards. .

Boning – Flexible strips used to stiffen Drum – Lining not sewn into garment seams or edges. seams.

Casing – A folded-over edge of garment – The even distribution of slight or area through which or fullness when one section of ribbon is threaded. a seam is joined to a slightly shorter section without forming gathers or tucks. Used to shape Chevron – V-shaped stripes. set-in , , etc. Clean finish – A method for the raw edges of , or Stitching placed 1⁄16 inch from seams. Edge stitching – the edge; may be stitching detail, such as topstitching or Clip – A cut in fabric to allow ease on stitching done to finish the outer curves or corners. Also used to edge of a seam or edge. indicate notches in pattern. Empire – High bodice with a Closure – That which opens or closes a loose, straight skirt. garment (buttons, snaps, etc., or the area on which they are A along a faced placed). Enclosed seam – edge that is stitched and turned to form an enclosed seam be- Colorfast – Fabric that will not fade or run tween two layers of fabric. during cleaning or laundering. Eyelet – Small, round, finished hole in a Contrasting – Opposing; showing off differ- garment or fabric. ences of color, fabric, shading, etc. Fabric hand – The way a fabric feels and drapes; its flexibility, smooth- Crease – A line made by folding the fab- ness and softness. ric and pressing the fold on this specified line...... 3

Facing – To finish an edge by applying Grade – To reduce the bulk of enclosed a fitted piece of fabric, , seams by trimming the individ- etc. Also the right side of the ual seam allowances different fabric. widths, clipping inward curves and corners, notching convex curves, and trimming away ex- Fell – Neat, tiny, vertical stitches used cess fabric at outward corners. in tailoring.

Grosgrain – fabric or ribbon having Finger press – Pressing a small area by creas- heavy crosswise ribs. ing with the fingers.

Gusset – A fabric piece inserted at the un- Finish – Any means of completing a raw derarm to give ease in the sleeve garment edge to keep it from area. raveling, rolling or fraying.

Hem – The finished portion on , Flap – Shaped garment piece attached and sleeves held in place by only one edge, such as a flap with a hemming stitch. .

Interfacing – A carefully selected fabric Flare – Portion of garment that spreads placed between the garment out or widens. and the facing fabric for added body, to give support, and to – Fabric used as lap to conceal an maintain shape. opening in a garment. Join – A term used in pattern direc- Fold line – The line where fabric is folded, tions that usually means to usually vertically, when cutting stitch together the pieces re- out a garment. It is common for ferred to using normal seam the center front of a garment to allowances and regular stitches. be placed on a fold line. Keyhole – Rounded with an in- Fusible web – A web-like adhesive that melts verted, wedge-shaped opening when you apply heat and mois- at front or back. ture. Lap – To fold or extend a garment – To draw up fabric fullness on a piece over another. line of stitching. – Part of a garment that turns Give – The amount of stretch on fabric back, especially the front neck- that yields to pressure without line fold of a . tearing or breaking. Layout – Cutting chart on instruction – Tapered section of a garment; guide sheet showing the place- wider at the lower edge. ment of pattern pieces. 4......

Line – Style, outline or effect given by basting – Pinning seams before stitching. the cut and construction of a garment. Pinking – Cutting raw edges with pinking or scalloping sheers to prevent Marking – Transfer of construction sym- raveling. bols from pattern to fabric. Pintuck – A narrow channel of fabric stitched together to form tuck Match – To bring notches or other design detail, used in french construction markings on two hand sewing. pieces together. Pivot – Stitching around a corner by Miter – To form a diagonal seam at a leaving the needle in the fabric, square corner. raising the , and turning the fabric in a new di- rection. Motif – Unit of design; used as decora- tion or pattern. – Garment opening fastened with , snaps or buttons. Finish Nap – Soft surface with that lie applied to sleeve opening with smoothly in one direction. .

Notch – Cutting wedges from seam al- Washing/dry-cleaning fabric lowances of an outward curve. Pre-shrink – to allow for shrinkage of fabric Also a pattern symbol trans- before construction. ferred to fabric to indicate seam- ing. – Garment fitted with seams in- stead of darts. Notions – Items other than fabric or a pat- tern required to complete a gar- ment, such as buttons, , Ravel – To fray. zipper, etc. Raw edge – Unfinished edge of fabric. Pattern markings – The symbols for construction printed on the pattern, such as Right side – Finished side of fabric, outside for darts, , notches, of garment. dots or tucks. They are trans- ferred from the pattern to the fabric by means of ’s tacks, Rip – To remove stitches improperly notches, chalk, basting or tem- placed; also tearing fabric along porary fabric markers. the straight grain.

Peplum – Small flounce or extension of Roll – Desired curve and fold (com- garment around the hips, usu- monly on a ); shaping ally from the bodice. established by pressing, pad stitching, etc...... 5

Seam – Two or more edges of fabric Silhouette – Outline or contour of a figure or held together by sewing. Seam garment. should be well constructed and appropriate for the fabric, type Single-breasted – Center front closing with of garment, and the location on enough flap to allow one row of the garment. buttons.

Seam allowance – Width of fabric beyond the seam Slash – Cut taken in fabric to facilitate line, not including the garment construction or turning of fabric area. at a point or corner.

Seam binding – Ribbon-like tape used to finish stitch – A hand stitch used to join two edges. layers of fabric from the right side. Secure – Fasten permanently by means of a knot, backstitching, etc. Stay – Means of maintaining the shape of a garment area, by using a Self fabric – Of the same material as the rest small piece of fabric or tape that of the garment. is sewn to an area of the gar- ment to reinforce and secure a position. – Lengthwise finished edges on all woven fabrics. Running par- allel to the lengthwise grain. Stitching in The technique of sewing a the ditch – inconspicuously in the seam well on the correct Semi-fitted – Fitting to conform partly, but side of a previously stitched not too closely, to the shape of seam. Used to complete waist- the figure. , cuffs, collars, and french bias binding. Serger – A machine that overcasts and trims an edge simultaneously. – Joining two garment layers with small, loose, hand stitches or – Link between and fabric thread loops. to allow for the thickness of overlapping fabric. Tailoring – Construction technique requir- ing special hand sewing and Sheath – Close-fitting dress with a pressing to mold fabric into a straight skirt. finished garment.

Shirtwaist – Dress with bodice details simi- Taper – Cutting or stitching at a slight lar to a . diagonal, generally to make gradually smaller. Shrinking – Constricting fabric with steam or water to eliminate excess in a Template – A shape made of a stiff sub- specific area. Also done to fabric stance, such as freezer paper, before cutting out a garment to usually the size of the finished prevent further fabric shrinkage. design. (i.e., pocket, applique shape or pattern) 6......

Tension – Amount of pull on thread or Underlining – Lining joined in garment seams fabric during construction. that is used to give shape or Also the relationship of the support. needle and thread and how they interlock to form the Understitching – Folding the entire seam allow- stitch, creat- ance to the facing side or under- ing a balanced, looser or tighter side and then stitching on the stitch. correct side of the facing close to the seam edge. This allows Thread count – Number of threads in 1 square the seam to lie flat and keeps the inch of fabric. seam edge from showing on the correct side of the garment. Topstitching – Line of machine stitching paral- lel to a seam or edge, done from Vent – Faced or lined slash in a gar- the right side of a garment. ment for ease.

Trim – To cut away excess fabric. Welt – Strip of material stitched to a seam, border or edge. Trimming – Feature added to a garment for ornamentation, such as braid or -around – Garment or part of a garment self fabric. wrapped around a person, such as a skirt. Turnover – A garment section, usually a col- lar or cuff, that folds back upon Wrong side – The inside of a garment or back itself. side of fabric.

Twill tape – Firmly woven tape used for tai- – Fitted portion of garment, usual- loring to reinforce and prevent ly at shoulders or hips, designed stretching. to support the rest of the gar- ment hanging from it.

This publication was adapted from “Garment Construction Terms” by Cynthia Klumpp, Master Clothing Volunteer Coordinator, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas.