Bag Out
This refers to sewing your fabric pieces inside out, and then turning everything right side out so all of your seams, seam allowance and stitching is on the inside of your garment piece.
Baby Lock
Is a small & tight edging stitch; similar to overlock stitch.
Binding
A bias cut strip of fabric used to bind seams and edges of garments.
Blind Hem
A hem which is invisible either hand sewn or made by a machine with a hemmer attachment.
Boning
Narrow plastic strips stitched into seams to support bodices.
Bound Button Hole
A buttonhole made with fabric.
Casing
A width of fabric stitched to the garment to enable a cord or tie to be threaded through.
Chain Stitch
Hand stitched chain made with cotton thread used for belt loops.
Circular Frills
A frill which is cut as a circle to give a full and fluid appearance without gathers
Collar Stand
The band that the collar is attached to, eg mens shirts.
Cowl Neck
A draped neckline with folds of fabric.
Dart
Marked on pattern, used to shape garments over bust and hips etc.
Dolman Sleeve
A sleeve design. Very wide at the top without an actual armhole and slimming down to a small opening at the wrist or arm.
Drill Holes
Marked on pattern to indicate where the stitch line finishes. Often 2cm past the drill hole to leave a soft even finish.
Ease
Distributes fullness of fabric without tucks.
Edge Stitch
A stitch very close to the edge of seam or garment, used to keep piece flat also as a feature.
Estimate
The amount of fabric needed for the garment.
Facing
A pattern fabric piece which is usually fused to neaten the cut edges of necks, waists etc
Felled Seam
A flat seam used on jeans for extra strength
Fly
A concealed opening used with zips for pants and skirts also with buttons on shirt and jackets
French Seam
A seam stitched on the outside first, then turned to the wrong side and stitched again
Flat Stitch
A row of stitching on the correct side of the fabric close to the edge of the seam, this keeps the seam flat. Flat stitching is also known as understitching.
Fuse
An interfacing that is ironed on to the fabric to keep shape
Gathering
Two rows of large stitches sewn along the desired edge and pulled in to required length.
Gauntlet
The tab on the sleeve opening of shirts.
Grain Line
A line marked on the pattern to show the direction of the fabric when cutting.
Hook & Eye
A metal hook with a metal eye sewn onto garment as a fastener often at the top of zips.
Interline
To add strength to fabrics when needed.
Jersey Stitch
Use an overlocker or safety stitch machine for stretch jersey fabric.
Keyhole Buttonhole
Made by a keyhole machine used for coats.
Knife Pleat
Pleats folded in the one direction.
Lapel
The part of the jacket that folds back onto itself and joins the collar.
Manderin Collar
A collar that stands up and encompasses the neck with the opening at the front.
Mitred Corners
Corners that are cut at right angles and bagged out to make clean edges.
Nap
Pile fabrics such as velvet have a nap, smooth one way and rough the other, cut pieces in the one direction
Notch
Markings on pattern which correspond between pattern pieces.
Pattern Holes
These are 2cm holes punched into cardboard pattern for the purpose of hanging.
Pattern Lay Chart
An indication of how pattern pieces would be laid onto the fabric to reach estimate for cutting the garment
Pattern Notches
Metal tool for clipping out notch marks on pattern pieces.
Peter Pan Collar
A small collar with rounded edges.
Pile
The direction of the loop or yarn of the fabric running down the fabric eg: velvet.
Pintucks
Rows of fine tucks used as a feature, normally 3MM OR 1/8TH" wide.
Piping
A bias piece of fabric with or without cord stitched between two pieces of fabric.
Placket
A pattern piece for eg: the tab that is on a shirt.
Pleats
Fabric folded back onto its self which forms pleats.
Plus Sizes
Larger sized patterns for a larger body.
Princess Seam
A design line or seam that runs from the shoulder line down the body giving shape.
Quilting
A technique of stitching a piece of wadding between two pieces of fabric and top stitching rows
Raglan Sleeve
A sleeve design that includes the shoulder with seams running from under the arms up towards the neckline
Rever
Also know as the lapel
Saddle Stitch
Stitched with a heavy thread which is often contrasted
Selvedge
The woven edge on each side of the fabric. Small holes can indicate the selvedge as they often run along it
Shears
Large scissors used for cutting fabric and paper
Shirring
Hat elastic wound onto the bobbin firmly with cotton thread through the needle. When stitching fabric it will gather up, known as shirring
STA's
These are vilene pieces that are stitched to noted areas to stop stretching – e.g. neck lines. Once the garment is completed these can be trimmed away
Top Press
To press on top of the seams during the process of sewing the garment
Top Stitch
A feature stitch on top of the seam on the outside of the garment often in a contrast coloured
Twin Needle
Double rows of stitching approximately 5mm apart normally used as a feature
Under Press
Pressing the garment intermittently as you go through the process of making the garment
Understitch
Understitching is a line of stitching sewn close to the edge of a seam on the side of a lining or facing. Understiching works to secure the lining or facing to the seam allowance to keep it from rolling to the outside.
Vilene
A non stick interlining
Velcro
Tape with two sides that attaches to each other
Yoke
The section of a garment. For shirts it can be seen at the cross back on the shoulder, and on skirts at the back between the waist and hip
Zig-zag
Can be used as a feature or on seams if an overlocker is not available
Zips
For openings on garments