Reference
Sewing glossary
Plain definitions of the words manuals, patterns and fabric shops use, each linked to the chapter that teaches it.
202 terms. Type in the box to filter, or pick a letter. Where a maker's manual uses a different word for the same part, the chapter that teaches it says so.
| Term | Meaning | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| 130/705 H | The needle system used by most home sewing machines: 130 the shank length, 705 a flat shank, H the scarf; also labelled 15x1 H. | Needle, bobbin and threading, Troubleshooting and care |
| all-purpose thread | Medium-weight thread, usually polyester, sold for general machine and hand sewing. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| applied casing | A casing made from a separate strip or bias tape stitched to the garment. | Closures and elastic |
| back-waist length | The length from the most prominent bone at the base of the neck to the natural waist; used to sort figure types such as Misses and Petite. | Patterns and fit |
| backstitch | A strong hand stitch in which each stitch goes back to meet the last, used to repair seams. | Everyday mending |
| backstitching | A few stitches sewn in reverse at the start and end of a seam to lock it; some patterns say backtacking. | Stitching and tension |
| balanced stitch | A stitch whose two threads lock between the fabric layers, with no loops or dots of the other thread on either side and no puckers. | Stitching and tension |
| ball point (jersey) needle | A needle with a medium ball point, which SCHMETZ says is designed to avoid breaking fibers as the stitch forms; for knits. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| bar tack | Two or three long stitches covered with close blanket stitches, sewn to reinforce a point of strain. | Everyday mending |
| bar tack (drawstring) | Stitching through a drawstring and its channel so the string does not pull out. | Closures and elastic |
| baste | To sew temporary stitching, usually the longest machine stitch, that is easy to pull out. | Closures and elastic |
| basting | Long, temporary stitching that holds layers for a fitting or a step and is removed later. | Stitching and tension |
| betweens | Short hand needles for short, fine stitches. | Everyday mending |
| bias | Any diagonal direction across a woven fabric's grain. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| bias tape | A folded strip cut on the bias that bends around curves, used to finish flared or circular hems. | Hems |
| blend | A fabric made of two or more fibers, such as 60 percent cotton and 40 percent polyester. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| blind hem stitch | A machine stitch that sews several stitches in the hem allowance, then one sideways stitch that catches a thread of the garment. | Hems |
| blind stitch | A hand hemming stitch worked inside the hem so it hardly shows on either side; for fabric that does not stretch. | Everyday mending |
| bobbin | The small spool under the needle plate that holds the lower thread. | Your machine |
| bobbin case | The holder for the bobbin, with a small spring that sets the lower thread's tension. | Your machine |
| bobbin class | The name or part number for a bobbin's size and shape, such as Class 15; bobbins that look alike may not be interchangeable. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| bobbin winder | The spindle that fills a bobbin from the spool. | Your machine |
| bodkin | A blunt needle or clamp used to pull elastic or cord through a casing. | Closures and elastic |
| body measurement | The distance around or along the body, taken over usual undergarments, used to choose a pattern size. | Patterns and fit |
| bolt | The board or roll that store fabric is wound on. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| bolt end | The label on the end of a bolt, giving fiber content, width and care. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| border band | A folded strip of fabric sewn to the open end of a pillowcase to finish it. | Seams and a first piece |
| boxed corner | A flat bottom made by stitching straight across a bag's opened corner where the side and bottom seams meet. | Your project |
| burn test | Identifying a fiber family by how a few yarns burn, smell and leave residue; approximate, and unreliable for blends and finishes. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| burr | A tiny raised edge or nick on a needle, needle plate, foot or hook, usually from a needle strike, that catches and frays thread. | Troubleshooting and care |
| buttonhole | A slit through the fabric with its edges covered by stitching, sized for a button to pass and be held. | Closures and elastic |
| buttonhole stitch | A looped hand stitch that knots at the edge, used for hand buttonholes and for sewing on hooks, eyes and snaps. | Everyday mending |
| care label | The permanent label in a garment, or the care information on a bolt end, that says how to wash, dry, iron and clean it. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| care note | The washing, drying and pressing instruction written for a finished item, taken from the fabric's bolt end. | Your project |
| casing | A fabric tunnel that holds elastic, a cord or a ribbon. | Closures and elastic |
| catch stitch | A hand stitch worked left to right in an X pattern that gives a little; for hems in stretchy or heavy fabric. | Everyday mending |
| centered zipper | A zipper set behind a seam with a row of stitching on each side and the two folds meeting over the teeth. | Closures and elastic |
| check order | The sequence for clearing a jam: stop, switch off, needle up by the hand wheel, foot up, cut free, clean; then rethread with the foot up, reinsert the bobbin, change the needle, test, and only then adjust tension. | Troubleshooting and care |
| clapper | A wooden block that holds heat and pressure on a seam while the fabric cools (also called a pounding block). | Cutting, marking and pressing |
| clip | A straight snip into the seam allowance of an inward curve so the allowance can spread when the seam is turned. | Seams and a first piece |
| computerized machine | A sewing machine whose stitches are chosen with buttons or a screen, with preset lengths and widths you can change. | Your machine |
| conventional zipper | A zipper closed at the bottom and sewn into a seam opening. | Closures and elastic |
| course | A crosswise row of loops in a knit. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| crosswise grain | The yarns (weft or filling) running from selvage to selvage, at right angles to the lengthwise grain. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| cut size | The size of a piece before sewing; for a rectangle, the finished size plus the seam or hem allowances. | Your project |
| cutting layout | The guide sheet's diagram of how the pieces sit on folded fabric for a view, size range and width. | Patterns and fit |
| darn | A repair that rebuilds fabric across a hole with rows of thread or yarn. | Everyday mending |
| darner | A long hand needle with a long eye, used for mending and darning. | Everyday mending |
| design ease | Room beyond wearing ease that a designer adds for the intended look. | Patterns and fit |
| double-fold hem | A hem turned under twice so the raw edge is enclosed inside the second fold. | Hems |
| drawstring | In the federal rule, a non-retractable cord, ribbon or tape that pulls parts of upper outerwear together to close it. | Closures and elastic |
| ease | The difference between a garment's measurement and the body's at the same point. | Patterns and fit |
| ease (construction) | Extra length worked into a seam when one edge is slightly longer than the edge it joins; not the same as fitting ease. | Seams and a first piece, Patterns and fit |
| ease stitching | A line of slightly long machine stitches whose bobbin thread is drawn up to take in fullness, such as on a curved hem. | Hems |
| edgestitching | Topstitching about 1/8 in from an edge. | Stitching and tension |
| envelope pillow cover | A cover with one front and two overlapping back pieces, so the form slides in through the gap without a zipper. | Your project |
| fabric weight | A fabric's mass per area, in ounces per square yard or grams per square meter (1 oz/yd² = 33.906 g/m²). | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| feed dogs | Toothed bars under the presser foot that move the fabric one stitch length at a time. | Your machine, Stitching and tension |
| felting | The matting of wool fibers into a denser, smaller cloth under heat, water and agitation. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| fiber | The natural or manufactured strand that is spun into yarn and woven or knitted into fabric. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| fiber content | The list of fibers in a fabric with their percentages by weight. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| finished garment measurements | What the sewn garment measures at bust, waist, hip and length for each size, including wearing and design ease. | Patterns and fit |
| flat side | The flattened side of a home machine needle's shank, which faces the back on most machines. | Troubleshooting and care |
| flat-felled seam | A seam with one allowance trimmed and the other folded over it and topstitched flat, showing two rows of stitching. | Seams and a first piece |
| fold-down casing | A casing made by turning the garment's own edge to the inside and stitching it. | Closures and elastic |
| foot control | The pedal that runs the motor; more pressure sews faster. | Your machine |
| four-step buttonhole | A buttonhole sewn in stages, each side and each end chosen in turn on the machine. | Closures and elastic |
| free arm | The narrow sewing bed left when the extension table slides off, for sleeves and pant legs. | Your machine, Stitching and tension |
| French seam | A seam sewn twice, first wrong sides together near the edge and then right sides together, so the first allowance is enclosed. | Seams and a first piece |
| front-loading bobbin | A bobbin that sits in a removable bobbin case, taken out through a door at the front of the machine. | Your machine |
| full bust adjustment | A pattern change that adds room at the bust to a size chosen by the high bust. | Patterns and fit |
| fusible | Interfacing (or web) with a heat-activated adhesive on one side, pressed on with an iron. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| fusible web | A heat-activated adhesive sheet or strip that bonds two layers of fabric when pressed. | Hems |
| grade | To trim each layer of seam allowance in an enclosed seam to a different width so the edges step down instead of forming a ridge. | Seams and a first piece |
| grading | Trimming the layers of a seam allowance to different widths, such as below a hem's fold, to reduce bulk. | Hems |
| grain | The direction the yarns run in a fabric. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| grainline | The straight line with an arrow at each end on a pattern piece, laid parallel to the selvage. | Patterns and fit |
| hand wheel | The wheel at the right end of the machine that turns it by hand; turned toward you, it raises and lowers the needle. | Your machine, Stitching and tension |
| hem | The bottom edge of a garment, folded to the inside and secured. | Hems |
| hem allowance | The fabric below the hemline that folds up behind it. | Hems |
| hemline | The line along which a hem folds; also called the fold line. | Hems |
| high bust | The measurement directly under the arms, straight across the back and above the bust; used to size tops when it differs from the bust by more than the chart assumes. | Patterns and fit |
| Hong Kong finish | A seam finish that wraps each seam allowance separately in a bias strip. | Seams and a first piece |
| hook | The pointed part under the needle plate that catches the loop of upper thread and carries it around the bobbin (a shuttle on some older machines). | Your machine |
| hook-and-loop tape | A two-strip closure, stiff hooks on one and soft loops on the other, closed by pressure. | Closures and elastic |
| inside hemming | Hand hemming done between the hem and the garment, just below the hem's top edge, so the edge floats free. | Hems |
| interfacing | A hidden layer that gives a part of a project body or support, such as a collar, waistband or strap. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| invisible zipper | A zipper whose teeth are hidden in the seam when closed, so only the pull shows. | Closures and elastic |
| ironing | Sliding the iron back and forth to smooth wrinkles. | Cutting, marking and pressing |
| jeans needle | A needle with a special blade design for denim and thick wovens; makers describe its point differently. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| keyhole buttonhole | A buttonhole with one rounded end, for heavy fabrics and thick or shank buttons. | Closures and elastic |
| knit | Fabric made of one yarn or set of yarns looped through itself, so it stretches. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| lapped zipper | A zipper covered by one fold, with a single visible row of stitching. | Closures and elastic |
| lengthen or shorten line | The line on a pattern piece where length is folded out or spread in before cutting. | Patterns and fit |
| lengthwise grain | The yarns (warp) running parallel to the selvage; usually the strongest and most stable direction. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| lockstitch | A stitch in which an upper thread and a bobbin thread loop around each other inside the fabric; the stitch a home sewing machine makes. | Your machine, Stitching and tension |
| mechanical machine | A sewing machine whose stitches are chosen with dials and levers; adds zigzag, stretch stitches and buttonholes to the straight stitch. | Your machine |
| microtex needle | A needle with a slim, acute point (generically a "sharp"), for silk, microfiber and coated fabrics. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| multi-step zigzag | A machine zigzag that sews three small stitches on each swing; one maker uses it to mend tears over a backing. | Everyday mending |
| multisize pattern | A pattern that prints several sizes' cutting lines on one tissue, so a different size can be cut in each area. | Patterns and fit |
| muslin | A test garment sewn from inexpensive fabric, usually unbleached cotton muslin, before cutting the real fabric. | Patterns and fit |
| narrow rolled hem | A machine hem with the edge folded 1/4 in twice and stitched, for tuck-in shirts and curved edges. | Hems |
| needle clamp | The clamp and screw that hold the needle in the needle bar. | Your machine |
| needle plate (throat plate) | The metal plate under the presser foot, with the needle hole and engraved seam-guide lines. | Your machine |
| needle size (metric and US) | The metric number is the blade diameter in hundredths of a millimeter (80 = 0.80 mm); the US number beside it is a conversion that varies by maker. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| needle system | The code for a machine needle's shape and length, which decides whether it fits the machine. | Needle, bobbin and threading, Troubleshooting and care |
| needle threader | A built-in device that pulls a loop of thread through the needle's eye with a small wire hook. | Needle, bobbin and threading, Everyday mending |
| negative ease | A finished measurement smaller than the body, used in some close-fitting knit patterns. | Patterns and fit |
| non-roll elastic | Ribbed elastic that resists twisting and folding over inside a casing. | Closures and elastic |
| notch | A matching mark on a cut edge, cut outward as a small point. | Cutting, marking and pressing |
| notch (curve) | A small triangle cut out of the seam allowance of an outward curve to remove bulk; also the name of a matching mark on a pattern edge. | Seams and a first piece |
| off-grain | Cut or set with the yarns at an angle to the piece's length or the fabric's edges, so it twists or sags. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| one-step buttonhole | A buttonhole sewn in one pass with a buttonhole foot that measures the button. | Closures and elastic |
| order of work | The sequence of steps in which each seam can still be reached and pressed before another crosses it. | Your project |
| overlap and underlap | The side of a closure that sits on top when closed, and the side beneath it. | Closures and elastic |
| pivot | Turning the fabric around the needle while the needle holds it in place, with the presser foot raised, to sew a corner. | Stitching and tension, Seams and a first piece |
| place on fold | A pattern marking showing the edge that goes on the fabric's fold, so the piece opens out double. | Patterns and fit |
| placket | The opening in a seam where a zipper or other closure goes. | Closures and elastic |
| plain seam | Two pieces placed right sides together and stitched along the seamline; most other seams begin as one. | Seams and a first piece |
| pre-tension disc | The small guide the thread wraps around while a bobbin winds, which keeps the wind firm and even. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| preshrink | To wash and dry fabric before cutting, the way the finished item will be washed, so it shrinks and loses its finish first. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| press cloth | A cloth placed between the iron and the fabric to prevent shine, scorching and melting. | Cutting, marking and pressing |
| presser foot | The foot that holds the fabric down against the feed dogs; a lever raises and lowers it. | Your machine, Stitching and tension |
| pressing | Lifting the iron and setting it down on one spot, without sliding, to shape and flatten fabric. | Cutting, marking and pressing |
| project plan | One sheet that gathers a project's finished size, cut list, fabric, notions and order of work before cutting. | Your project |
| race | The channel the hook turns in, under the needle plate, where lint and thread collect. | Troubleshooting and care |
| recall | A notice from the Consumer Product Safety Commission that a product has a hazard, with the remedy owners are offered. | Your machine |
| reinforcing button | A small flat button sewn on the wrong side directly under a button on heavy fabric to take the strain. | Everyday mending |
| reverse lever | The lever or button that sews backward while held, to lock the ends of a seam. | Your machine |
| rotary cutter | A round, replaceable blade on a handle, rolled along a ruler on a cutting mat; it has a guard to close when not cutting. | Cutting, marking and pressing |
| running stitch | A hand stitch that goes in and out along a line, used for basting, gathering and darning. | Everyday mending |
| satin stitch | A very short, dense zigzag whose stitches lie side by side. | Stitching and tension |
| scarf | The scooped notch above a machine needle's eye that gives the hook room to catch the thread loop. | Your machine, Needle, bobbin and threading, Stitching and tension |
| seam | A line of stitching that holds two fabric edges together. | Stitching and tension, Seams and a first piece |
| seam allowance | The fabric between the line of stitching and the cut edge. | Stitching and tension, Cutting, marking and pressing, Seams and a first piece |
| seam binding | A narrow woven tape stitched over a hem's raw edge to enclose it on straight hems. | Hems |
| seam finish | A treatment of a seam allowance's raw edge that keeps it from raveling. | Seams and a first piece |
| seam gauge | A small ruler with a sliding indicator for short measurements such as seam allowances and fold widths. | Cutting, marking and pressing, Everyday mending |
| seam guide | The lines etched on the needle plate (1/8 in apart on many machines), or a strip of tape, measured from the needle, that the fabric edge follows. | Stitching and tension |
| seam ripper | A small hooked blade for cutting stitches to take a seam out. | Cutting, marking and pressing, Everyday mending |
| seam roll | A long, firm cushion for pressing seams in narrow places such as sleeves. | Cutting, marking and pressing |
| seamline | The line a seam is stitched on. | Cutting, marking and pressing, Seams and a first piece |
| self-enclosed seam | A seam that encloses its own allowances, so no separate finish is needed. | Seams and a first piece |
| selvage | The firm, finished edge along each side of a woven fabric, which does not ravel. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| separating zipper | A zipper open at both ends, used on jackets and coats. | Closures and elastic |
| serger | An overlock machine that trims, stitches and wraps the seam edge in one pass using loopers instead of a bobbin; it does not replace a sewing machine. | Your machine |
| sew-in | Interfacing stitched in with the seams rather than fused. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| sew-through button | A button with two or four holes through its face; also called a flat button. | Everyday mending |
| sewing binder | The set of record sheets kept through this manual, exported from the binder page as one file. | Your project |
| sewing machine technician | A person trained to service and repair sewing machines, often at an authorized dealer for the brand. | Troubleshooting and care |
| shank | The thick upper part of a needle; flat on one side on home machine needles, which sets which way the needle faces. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| shank button | A button with a solid face and a loop (the shank) on its back for sewing it on. | Everyday mending |
| sharps | Average-length, general-purpose hand needles with round eyes, used for most hand sewing and mending. | Everyday mending |
| shears | Fabric-cutting blades with bent handles, one larger than the other, that keep the fabric flat on the table. | Cutting, marking and pressing |
| size chart | A pattern company's table of the body measurements each size is drafted for. | Patterns and fit |
| slip stitch | A nearly invisible hand stitch that runs inside a folded edge, used for hems and closing openings. | Everyday mending |
| snap tape | A woven tape with snaps already set in it, machine-stitched to each side of an opening. | Closures and elastic |
| split seam | A seam whose stitching has broken while the fabric on both sides is whole. | Everyday mending |
| spool pin | The pin that holds the spool of upper thread. | Your machine |
| staystitch | A row of regular-length stitching just inside the seamline, through one layer, done right after cutting to keep a curve from stretching. | Cutting, marking and pressing, Seams and a first piece |
| stitch length | The distance the feed dogs move the fabric between two stitches, usually set in millimeters. | Stitching and tension |
| stitch sample book | The labeled test scraps you keep, each with the settings that made it, and the matching rows in the stitch sample log. | Stitching and tension |
| stitch selector | The dial, buttons or screen that choose the stitch. | Your machine |
| stitch width | How far the needle swings from side to side in a zigzag or other wide stitch. | Stitching and tension |
| stitched and pinked | An edge finish made by stitching 1/4 in from the edge and trimming it with pinking shears. | Hems |
| stitches per inch (SPI) | The number of stitches in 1 in of seam; SPI = 25.4 divided by the stitch length in mm. | Stitching and tension |
| stretch needle | A ball point needle with a smaller eye and deep scarf, for highly elastic knits and fabric with spandex. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| substantial product hazard | The CPSC rule's category for products listed in 16 CFR Part 1120, which bring reporting and recall duties for products sold. | Closures and elastic |
| tailor's ham | A firm, rounded cushion for pressing curved seams and darts over a curve. | Cutting, marking and pressing |
| tailor's tacks | Loose hand stitches of double, unknotted thread that mark points from a pattern onto fabric and pull out afterward. | Cutting, marking and pressing |
| take-up lever | The arm on the front of the machine that rises after each stitch to pull it tight and feed thread for the next. | Your machine, Stitching and tension |
| tape measure | A flexible measuring tape that should not stretch, for lengths, widths and body measurements. | Cutting, marking and pressing |
| technician line | A sentence written in advance naming the signs that stop your troubleshooting and where the machine goes. | Troubleshooting and care |
| tension discs | The discs that squeeze the upper thread; the tension dial sets how hard, and raising the presser foot opens them. | Your machine, Stitching and tension |
| test buttonhole | A buttonhole sewn on scrap through the same layers and interfacing as the project, cut open to check that the button passes. | Closures and elastic |
| test sample | A seam sewn on scraps of the project's own fabric with the planned needle, thread, stitch and allowance before cutting. | Your project |
| Tex | The weight in grams of 1,000 m of thread; a higher Tex is a heavier thread. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| thimble | A cap worn on the middle finger of the needle hand to push the needle through thick layers. | Everyday mending |
| thread eye | A bar or loop of thread covered with buttonhole stitches, used in place of a metal eye where there is little strain. | Everyday mending |
| thread guides | The hooks and slots that lead the upper thread along its path to the needle. | Your machine |
| thread nest | A tangle of loose thread under the fabric, also called a bird's nest; usually from upper threading done with the presser foot down. | Stitching and tension |
| thread nest (bird's nest) | A wad of loose upper thread under the fabric, usually from upper threading done with the presser foot down. | Troubleshooting and care |
| thread shank | A short column of thread wound between a button and the fabric so the buttonhole layer fits under the button. | Everyday mending |
| thread tension | The drag on each thread as it feeds; the upper tension is set by a dial or screen, the bobbin tension by a spring on the bobbin case. | Stitching and tension |
| thread weight | The "wt" number on home thread; a higher number is finer, and the scale varies between makers. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| ticket number | A thread maker's own reference number for a size; a higher ticket is a finer thread. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| tissue fit | Trying on the pressed pattern tissue pinned along its seamlines to check length and position before cutting. | Patterns and fit |
| top drop-in bobbin | A bobbin dropped into a case built into the machine, under a clear cover beside the needle. | Your machine |
| topstitch needle | A needle with an elongated eye, for heavy topstitching thread. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| topstitching | A line of stitching on the right side, a set distance from an edge, meant to show. | Stitching and tension |
| true bias | The 45-degree line halfway between the lengthwise and crosswise grain, where a woven stretches most. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| turned and stitched | An edge finish made by turning the raw edge under 1/4 in and stitching it; also called clean finished. | Hems |
| universal needle | A general-purpose needle with a slightly rounded point, for wovens and knits. | Needle, bobbin and threading |
| visible mending | A repair made to be seen, in contrasting thread, yarn or fabric. | Everyday mending |
| wale | A lengthwise rib of loops in a knit. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| wearing ease | The minimum room a garment adds so the wearer can move, sit and breathe. | Patterns and fit |
| whipstitch | A slanted hand stitch over two edges that holds them together; the overhand stitch is a straighter, less visible version. | Everyday mending |
| with nap | Describes fabric whose texture or design has to run one way, so all pieces are laid in one direction. | Patterns and fit |
| without nap | Describes fabric that looks the same either way up, so pieces can be laid in both directions. | Patterns and fit |
| woven | Fabric made of two sets of yarns crossing at right angles on a loom. | Choosing and preparing fabric |
| yardage chart | The envelope grid giving fabric needed by view, size and fabric width. | Patterns and fit |
| zipper foot | A narrow presser foot that lets the needle stitch close to a zipper's teeth. | Closures and elastic |