Helpful Sewing Terms
Backstitch - stitches done in reverse on your machine to secure a seam at both ends of a seam.
Bar Tack - A group of closely sewn stitchs (back and forth from side to side a la zig zag) that is used to tack a belt loop or similar item in place.
Baste - a method of temporarily joining fabric using large stitches which can easily be removed.
Batting - Fiberfill, cotton, wool, or other material that is flattened and used as filling for placemats, vests, quilts, etc. Simply, batting is the "fluff" inside the quilt or garment.
Bias - a diagonal line across a fabric.
Bias Tape - strips of fabric which are cut from the bias of the fabric, usually folded on two edges and sometimes folded again for edging... the bias allows it to smoothly follow curves.
Clean Finish - the edge of the fabric that is turned under once and stitched to form a clean edge.
Construction Stitching - stitching that shapes and holds a garment together.
Dart - a V-shaped, tapered adjustment to a pattern to allow for more fullness in the bust area or less fullness in other areas (waist, back). Darts can be creatively placed for fit or design elements.
Directional Stitching - stitching all seams in the same direction.
Ease - a way of making one piece of fabric fit on to another by evenly pulling in the extra fabric with out making any gathers or tucks in the larger piece of fabric.
Edge Stitch — a row of stitching that appears on the very edge of a garment, normally 1/8 of an inch or less from a seam line, fold line, or finished edge.
Fashion Fabric - the outer fabric in a garment.
Flat Felled Seam - A seam created by sewing fabric wrong sides together, trimming one of the seam allowances close to the seam, then turning the other seam allowance under and stitching it over the prior trimmed seam allowance.
Fold Line - the actual fold of the fabric off the bolt where a pattern piece is placed and cut out to avoid creating a center seam.
Gather - a method of pulling fabric together to create fullness.
Give - the degree of elasticity in a fabric or a thread.
Grading - trim one layer of the seam allowance shorter than the other layer to eliminate bulk.
Miter - the diagonal fold made at the corner of an edge finish.
Nap - any fabric surface that looks different when held at different angles.
Notch - a small cut into the seam allowance which allows the fabric to bend at curves and corners.
Pivoting - moving the fabric around with the machine needle in it.
Seam Allowance - the area of fabric that is between the seam stitching and the cut edge.
Selvage - the edge of raw fabric which is unable to fray.
Stability - the degree to which a fabric resists pulling out of shape.
Stay - a tape added to an area of fabric to help keep its shape.
Staystitching - stitching done to stabilize fabric and helps pieces fit together even after handling.
Test seam - a seam that is sewn on scrap fabric to test the machine's stitch stability.
Topstitching - stitching that shows on the outside of a sewn item.
Understitching - a line of stitching along the edge of a facing.
Find more tips, tricks, and sewing help in my sewing community.
Sewing...A Tradition
The younger generations are not being taught the crafts and trades that earlier generations grew up with, such as sewing. Help pass sewing on to the next generation. I can help with my easy sewing patterns available on my patterns page.
