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A
Appliqué - A decoration
or ornament, as in needlework, made by cutting pieces of one material
and applying them to the surface of another.
Asymmetrical
- Having no balance or symmetry. 
B
Backing - A lining fabric used
to stabilize another and made up as one with the top fabric.
Balance Lines - The horizontal
line at right angles to the lengthwise grain lines.
Baste - To tack.
Bateau - A boat-shaped neckline.
Bias - A line going diagonally
across the grain of fabric.
Bias binding - Strips of fabric
cut on the bias for binding edges and curves.
Blind hemming - Invisible hemstitching.
Blouson - A garment, such as
a dress or shirt, with a fitted waistband over which material blouses.
Bolero - A kind of small outer
jacket, with or without sleeves, worn by women - Spanish style.
C
Camisole- Sleeveless top, usually
with thin straps.
Cap Sleeve - Very short cropped
set-in sleeve.
Casing - A hem through which ribbon
or elastic can be threaded.
Center-front - The line on the
pattern denoting the exact center of the bodice. It is important to
mark this line on the fabric as it denotes where the right and left
fronts overlap.
Chevron - Stripes stitched together
to form a V-shape.
Clip - To cut fabric to allow
for easing out on curves and corners.
Couture - High fashion designing
and dressmaking.
Cowl - A loosely draped collar.
Cravat - Wide necktie tied at
the front and tucked into the neck of a shirt or blouse.
Crew - Round close fitting neckline.
Culottes - Wide trousers resembling
a skirt.
Cummerbund - Soft wide sash worn
just above the waist.
D
Dart - A tapered tuck sewn to
adjust the fit of a garment.
Dolman - Long Turkish robe worn
open in front.
Dolman Sleeve - Loose sleeve cut
in one with the body of the coat.
Dropped Shoulder - A shoulder
line placed below the normal shoulder line.
E
Ease - The distribution of fullness
to fit, when one section of fabric is longer than its counterpart.
Ease Allowance - The amount added
to the body measurement when the pattern is designed, to allow for
movement.
Edge Stitch - To stitch close
to the edge in order to hold the seam turnings exactly on the edge.
F
Facing - The second section of
fabric used to finish front edges and necklines.
Faggoting - An embroidery stitch
to join two edges which do not quite meet.
Flash Baste - Quick diagonal tacking.
Fly - An opening which conceals
a zip or buttons.
G
Gathering - Drawing up fullness
in fabric with a line of small running stitches, starting with a knot
in the thread and easing the fabric along the thread from the other
end.
Godet - A triangular section of
fabric set into a seam for fullness or decoration, commonly in skirt
seams at the hemline.
Gusset - A small piece of matching
fabric, inserted to give ease, commonly at the underarm.
Grain - The lengthwise and crosswise
direction of the yarn in a woven fabric. If these are not exactly
at right angles to each other the fabric is said to be "off grain."
H
Harem Pants - Wide pants, gathered
in at the ankle.
I
Interfacing - A fusible fabric
used to stiffen, stabilize, and strengthen parts of garments such
as collars, cuffs, front edges, and waistbands.
Interlining - A third fabric used
between a lining and out fabric, usually for warmth.
J
Jabot - Neck ruffle worn at the
front of blouse or shirt.
L
Lap - To place one piece of fabric
over another.
Lapels - The front part of a jacket
that folds back to form the continuation of the collar.
Layering - To trim seam allowance
edges so that one edge is slightly less than the other to make a finer,
flatter edge when finished.
Layout - That part of the instruction
sheet that shows how to place the fabric on the pattern.
M
Mandarin - Small oriental-style
standing collar.
Marking - Transferring the symbols
on the paper pattern to the fabric by tailor's tacking or chalk.
Mitre - Diagonal seam line with
fabric cut away to reduce bulk at a square corner.
Mounting - Using a second fabric
to back another to give body and shape. It is cut using the same pattern
pieces and the two fabrics are sewn as one.
N
Nap - The pile made by short fibers
brushed in one direction, for example, on a fur or velvet fabric.
Notches - V-shaped outlines in
the cut edge of a seam allowance signifying which edges should be
joined together and where.
Notions - Haberdashery items such
as threads, buttons etc. needed to complete garment.
O
Overblouse - Blouse intended to
be worn outside skirt or trousers and not tucked in at waist.
Oversized - Large, very loose
fitting top or shirt with a great deal of designer ease.
P
Peplum - Short flounce over the
hips attached to a jacket or blouse at the waist.
Petersham - A thick, corded ribbon.
Curved petersham is used to finish the waist of a skirt either as
a substitute for a waistband or to stiffen a fabric waistband.
Pre-shrunk Fabric - Fabric that
has been treated, usually with steam, to shrink it before it is made
up to avoid further shrinkage.
Princess line - Shaping achieved
with long fitted seam lines without darts.
R
Raw edge - An unfinished edge
of fabric which may fray.
Reinforce - To strengthen fabric
where it is subject to strain such as the corner of a welt pocket
or buttonholes. It is achieved by extra stitching or backing the area
with iron on interfacing.
S
Seam Allowance - The amount of
fabric allowed for turning when stitching pieces together - 1.5 cm
unless otherwise indicated in the pattern.
Seam line - The line indicated
for the stitching.
Selvedge - The finished edge of
a woven fabric.
Shank - The stem of the button
which allows for the thickness of the fabric. If the button has no
shank it is formed with thread.
Shirring - Gathering up fabric
with several rows of elasticated thread.
Shirtwaister - A dress with fashion
detail similar to a shirt.
Slash - A long straight cut in
a fabric indicated on the pattern, such as a faced cuff opening.
Snip - A short cut in the fabric.
Stay - A tape used to stabilize
a line of stitching.
T
Tailoring - Constructing a garment
to a high standard with special hand sewing and press techniques.
Taper - Stitching at a slight
diagonal line, becoming gradually smaller at one end.
Tension - The degree of tightness
in the line of machine stitching.
Toile - A pattern of a garment
made up in a cheap cloth, such as muslin, before the final design,
usually for fitting purposes or to make copies.
Topstitching - Bold machine stitching
parallel to the seam or edge, worked from the right side.
Tuck - A fold in the fabric held
in place with stitching.
Tunic - A long top, usually of
fairly straight cut, to be worn over another garment.
Turtleneck - High, turned over,
close-fitting neckline.
U
Underlay - A strip of fabric placed
underneath the main fabric to give support, such as a pleat underlay.
V
Vent - A lapped opening as in
the back of a tailored jacket.
W
Warp - The lengthwise threads,
those that are set up vertically when a fabric is woven.
Weft - The threads that run across
the wrap when the fabric is woven.
Welt - A strip of fabric stitched
to an edge as in a welt pocket.
Y
Yoke - Fitted part of garment,
for example, across the shoulders of a shirt, deigned to allow the
rest of the garment to hang from it.
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