Sewing Terms Dictionary

• Appliqué: A decorative technique where pieces of fabric are sewn onto a larger piece to create a design or pattern.

• Basting: Temporary stitching used to hold fabric pieces together before permanent sewing.
• Bias: A 45-degree angle to the grain of the fabric, which provides more stretch and drape.
• Bobbin: A small spool that holds the bottom thread in a sewing machine.

• Dart: A folded and stitched triangular shape used to create three-dimensional shaping in garments.

• Ease: The amount of room built into a garment beyond the actual body measurements for comfort and movement.

• Facing: A piece of fabric used to finish raw edges, particularly around necklines and armholes.

• Gathering: A technique where a longer piece of fabric is drawn up to fit a shorter edge, creating fullness.

• Hem: The finished edge of a garment, usually folded and stitched to prevent fraying.

• Interfacing: A supportive fabric used to add structure or stability to certain areas of a garment.

• Jersey: A knit fabric that stretches well and is commonly used for t-shirts and casual wear.

• Knit: A fabric made by interlocking loops of yarn, which typically has stretch.

• Lining: A layer of fabric used on the inside of a garment for finish, comfort, or structure.

• Muslin: A test garment made in inexpensive fabric to check fit before cutting into the final fabric.

• Notions: Sewing accessories such as buttons, zippers, thread, and other materials needed for a project.

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

• Placket: An opening in a garment, usually reinforced, such as the front of a shirt or cuff.

• Quilting: The process of sewing multiple layers of fabric together, often in decorative patterns.

• Raw Edge: The unfinished edge of fabric that hasn't been hemmed or finished.

• Seam Allowance: The space between the stitching line and the raw edge of the fabric.
• Selvage: The finished edge of fabric that runs parallel to the lengthwise grain.
• Serger: A specialized sewing machine that trims and finishes seams in one operation.
• Staystitching: A row of stitching within the seam allowance that prevents stretching in curved areas.

• Topstitch: Visible stitching on the outside of a garment, often used for decoration or reinforcement.

• Understitching: A line of stitching that helps facings or linings stay to the inside of a garment.

• Voile: A lightweight, sheer fabric made from cotton or cotton blend.

• Warp: The lengthwise threads in a woven fabric that run parallel to the selvage.
• Weft: The crosswise threads in a woven fabric that run perpendicular to the selvage.

• Yoke: A fitted or shaped piece of a garment, such as across the shoulders of a shirt.

• Zigzag Stitch: A sewing machine stitch that moves side to side, used for finishing edges and stretchy seams.