I don’t use a whole lot of technical terminology when I write my posts. However, just in case I do use a term in one of my sewing posts and you don’t know what I’m talking about, I have made a list below of some of the most common sewing terms and their definitions. I’m no professional seamstress, so my posts won’t go much beyond what is listed here. In case you’re looking for a word that I have not included here, you can easily find a more thorough listing online. OnlySewing.com is a good place to start. Look on the left sidebar on the main page and under the bolded heading, “Helpful Information” you will see “sewing glossary” listed. This website includes a wealth of other sewing information as well!
Backstitch: finishing the end of a line of stitches by sewing a few stitches back over the last inch or so; this secures the end and keeps stitches from coming out
Basting stitch: a long, loose stitch meant to temporarily holds two pieces together. When using a machine, set your stitch length to the longest setting possible.
Batting: fluffy material (cotton, wool, fiber fill) used as a lining in things like quilts
Bias tape: a long strip of material that is used to finish the edge of a project. Bias tape can be bought in several widths and colors, as well as be made from a length of material
Blind hem: sewing a hem in such a way that the stitches are almost invisible on the right side of the fabric. This can be done both by hand and on a machine. [tutorial for hand hemming here]
Casing: a long, thin tube made of fabric – or – a hem through which one threads elastic, cording, ribbon, etc.
Dart: a section of fabric that has been taken in and sewn. For example, the waist of a woman’s dressy blouse has vertical darts which give it a fitted look. Also used at the waist of a skirt.
Ease: a very subtle (not noticeable) gather used to make a slightly larger piece of material match a shorter one – often used for sleeves and collars which require a bit of “give”.
Gather: done by sewing a basting stitch across one end and then pulling the fabric along that stitch line to form a ruffle
Hem: the edge of fabric that is turned under and sewn
Interfacing/fusible web: a stiff material used to give a garment/item more body than fabric alone can give. Interfacing can be bought by the yard or pre-packaged; regular or fusible (meaning when ironed, it will stick to fabric)
Miter: the diagonal fold made at the corner of a finished edge; many times used on the corner of a napkin or a quilt
Nap: the “grain” or direction of a fabric such as velvet; it is important to cut all pieces in the same direction when using a nap fabric because the apparent difference in its color will make it look like several different materials have been used.
Pivoting: adjusting or rotating fabric while the needle is down and the presser foot is up
Pre-shrink: basically wash and dry before cutting and sewing; this is especially advisable with cotton fabrics that are prone to shrinking quite a bit
Pleat: a form of gathering that is very structured and has distinct creases. Like a “school girl” uniform skirt or the front of a pair of slacks. There are several different kinds of pleats, (box pleats, inverted, etc.) all of which serve the same basic purpose.
Raw edge: the cut edge of the fabric which has not been finished in any way
Seam allowance: the distance between the line of stitching and the edge of the material
Selvedge: when on a bolt, the selvedge is found on the two ends of the fabric. It is more tightly woven, usually ravel-proof. Sometimes it is a plain white stripe with the name of the maker or other information printed on it.
Stay stitch: a straight stitch sewn on a single thickness of fabric; it helps the fabric keep its shape before it is sewn
Tack: a few stitches in one place used to keep an item in place – such as when attaching a ribbon or a bow
Top stitch: decorative or otherwise, this is stitching that is meant to be visible and noticed on the “right” side of the item
I hope this helps! I’ll write a few posts to demonstrate some of these. For example, how exactly to make a pleat or a dart, or use the blind hem stitch on your sewing machine (you’ll love how nice your hems will look!)
Mary!!! thank you soo much for this info, can’t wait to learn more from you!!
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I’m glad its a help! If there is something specific you would like me to explain, please let me know and I will do my best to help.
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