Sewing Dictionary

Welcome to the ultimate sewing dictionary! Whether you're a beginner just learning the ropes or a seasoned sewist looking to refresh your knowledge, this comprehensive guide will help you navigate the world of sewing with ease. Let's dive into some essential sewing terms that every sewist should know.

A

Appliqué: A decorative technique where pieces of fabric are sewn onto a larger piece to create patterns or pictures.

Armscye: The armhole opening in a garment where the sleeve is attached.

B

Backstitch: A strong stitch used at the beginning and end of a seam to prevent unraveling. It's created by sewing a few stitches forward, then a few stitches backward.

Baste: Long, easy-to-remove stitches are sewn into the fabric temporarily, either by hand or by machine. Hand-basting stitches are used to hold layers of fabric and batting together for quilting. They are also used to gather a section of fabric into a smaller space. Machine-basting stitches are used to close a seam before inserting a zipper.

Bias: The diagonal direction of the fabric. Cutting on the bias gives the fabric more stretch and flexibility.

Bobbin: A small spool that holds the lower thread in a sewing machine.

C

Casing: A folded-over edge of fabric that creates a tunnel for elastic, drawstring, or cording.

Clip: To cut small notches into the seam allowance, allowing it to lie flat and reduce bulk.

Cotton: A natural fiber that's soft, breathable, and versatile, commonly used in a wide range of sewing projects.

Courses: Corresponding to the crosswise grain of a woven fabric, the courses of a knit fabric run perpendicular to the selvages and ribs. Knit fabrics are most stretchy in the direction of the courses.

Crosswise grain: on woven fabric, the crosswise grain runs perpendicular to the selvages. Fabric has a slight “give” in the crosswise grain.

D

Dart: A fold sewn into fabric to shape it around the curves of the body, often used in the bust, waist, and hips.

Drape: The way fabric hangs under its own weight. Different fabrics have different drape qualities, affecting how they flow and fit.

Double Fold Hem: A type of hem where the fabric edge is folded over twice and stitched down, enclosing the raw edge.

E

Ease: The extra space added to a garment for comfort and movement, or the process of fitting a larger piece of fabric into a smaller space without creating gathers or pleats.

Embellishment: Decorative details added to a garment, such as embroidery, beads, sequins, or lace.

Embroidery: The art of decorating fabric with needle and thread, creating designs or patterns.

F

Facing: Fabric pieces sewn to the edge of a garment (like necklines and armholes) to finish and stabilize it.

Fat Quarter: A pre-cut piece of fabric that measures 18 inches by 22 inches, commonly used in quilting.

Feed Dogs: The metal teeth on a sewing machine that move the fabric under the needle.

Fusible Interfacing: A material with adhesive on one side that bonds to fabric when ironed, providing extra structure and support.

G

Gathering: A technique where fabric is bunched together along a seam to create fullness.

Grain: The direction of the threads in woven fabric. The lengthwise grain runs parallel to the selvage, while the crosswise grain runs perpendicular.

H

Hem: The finished edge of a garment, typically turned under and stitched.

Hook and Eye: A small metal fastener consisting of a hook and a loop (eye), often used in bras, skirts, and dresses.

I

Interfacing: Fabric used to provide structure and support to areas of a garment, such as collars, cuffs, and button plackets.

Invisible Zipper: A zipper designed to be hidden in a seam, with only the pull tab visible.

J

Jersey: A type of knit fabric that is stretchy and soft, commonly used for t-shirts and dresses.

Jig: A tool or template used to ensure accuracy in repetitive sewing tasks.

K

Knit Fabric: Fabric made by interlocking loops of yarn, which gives it stretch and flexibility.

Knife Pleat: A type of pleat that is sharply pressed to form a crisp fold, often used in skirts.

L

Lining: A layer of fabric sewn inside a garment to provide a clean finish and added comfort.

Loom: A device used to weave thread or yarn into fabric.

M

Muslin: A plain, woven cotton fabric often used for making test garments or prototypes (also called toiles).

Mitered Corner: A corner that is folded and stitched at a 45-degree angle for a neat finish, commonly used in quilting and home decor.

N

Notch: A small cut or marking on fabric pieces to indicate matching points for accurate assembly.

Needle Plate: The metal plate under a sewing machine's needle, with a hole for the needle to pass through and guidelines for seam allowances.

O

Overlock Stitch: A stitch that wraps around the edge of the fabric to prevent fraying, typically done with a serger.

Overlay: A layer of fabric placed over another for decorative effect, often made of lace, chiffon, or tulle.

P

Patchwork: A technique of sewing together small pieces of fabric to create a larger design, commonly used in quilting.

Pinking Shears: Scissors with a zigzag blade that cuts fabric in a way that minimizes fraying.

Pleat: A fold in fabric that is stitched or pressed into place to add fullness or texture.

Q

Quilting: The process of sewing together layers of fabric with padding in between, often creating a decorative pattern.

Quarter Inch Foot: A sewing machine foot designed to help sew precise quarter-inch seams, commonly used in quilting.

R

Raw Edge: The unfinished edge of a piece of fabric.

Right Side: The front or outer side of fabric that is meant to be seen.

S

Seam Allowance: The area between the edge of the fabric and the stitching line, usually 1/4 to 5/8 inch.

Selvage: The finished edge of fabric that prevents it from fraying, running along the lengthwise grain.

Staystitch: A line of stitching just inside the seam allowance to prevent fabric from stretching out of shape.

T

Topstitch: A row of stitching on the top of a garment, often for decorative or functional purposes.

Tension: The tightness or looseness of the thread in a sewing machine, affecting stitch quality.

U

Understitching: Stitching the seam allowance to the facing to prevent it from rolling to the outside of the garment.

Unpicker: A small tool used to remove stitches, also known as a seam ripper.

V

Vogue Patterns: A popular brand of sewing patterns known for their high fashion and designer styles.

Velcro: A brand name for a hook-and-loop fastener.

W

Walking Foot: A sewing machine foot that helps feed multiple layers of fabric evenly, preventing shifting.

Welt Pocket: A pocket with a slit opening, often finished with a rectangular piece of fabric or binding.

X

X-stitch: Another term for cross-stitch, a form of embroidery using x-shaped stitches.

Y

Yoke: A shaped pattern piece that forms part of a garment, typically fitting around the neck and shoulders or the hips.

Yarn: A long, continuous length of interlocked fibers used in knitting, weaving, and sewing.

Z

Zigzag Stitch: A stitch that forms a zigzag pattern, often used for finishing edges or adding stretch.

Zipper Foot: A sewing machine foot designed to sew close to the edge of a zipper.