33 Essential Sewing Terms

Seving Machine TERMS BOBBIN Spindle/cylinder on the bottom of the sewing machine. You wind thread around the bobbin. SPOOL PIN This part of the sewing machine keeps the spool in place while thread is fed THREAD CUTTER through the machine. Cuts the end of the thread. HAND WHEEL Some sewing machines come with built-in thread cutters Use the hand wheel to adjust the needle height. PRESSER FOOT FEED DOG FOOT PEDAL Part of the sewing machine that holds the fabric steady while the fabric is being stitched. A toothed metal piece underneath the stitch plate that moves up and down to push the fabric along. Step on the foot pedal to power your sewing machine. Basic Seving TERMS SEAM ÄLLOWANCE BACK STITCH Fabric between the edge and seam. Sewing backwards over the loose threads at the beginning of a stitch, in order to secure your stitch. This is done at the beginning and end of a stitch, and whenever the thread is broken. LINING An inner layer of fabric underneath a garment. DARTS SEAM A wedge-shaped fold used to shape patterns in order to make a garment fit better The line where two pieces of fabric are • sewn together. a НЕМ QUILTING Stitching two layers of fabric together, with a layer of filling in between, in a consistent pattern. The edge of the fabric that is folded and sewn under in order to keep the raw edge of the fabric from unraveling. Fabric TERMS The edges of raw fabric that run along the SELVEDGE edge with the grain. Fabric has a selvedge edge so that it doesn't fray before it's sold. of --------------- BIAS WEFT Diagonally across the grain of the fabric, The threads that run at right angles to the length of a woven where woven fabric has more stretch or give. fabric, otherwise known as cross-grain. WARP The thread that runs the length of a woven fabric ("up" and "down"). FABRIC GRAIN The orientation of fibers woven or knit together to create a fabric. The grain creates lines that run parallel and perpendicular to the selvedge. MUSLIN An un-treated and un-dyed fabric made of cotton used to create pattern pieces and prototypes of garments, in order to fix mistakes in the pattern before using the final permanent fabric. HAND A term used to describe the texture and feeling of a certain fabric. Serving Words AND PHRASES 88 GATHER APPLIQUÉ The process of sewing a piece of fabric onto another piece of fabric, sewing close to the edges of the shape that you attach. Running a thread along the fabric, and then scrunching the fabric together along the thread. BINDING BASTE Sewing, by hand or machine, with long stitches in order to temporarily hold together two pieces of fabric, so they stay in place while you stitch them together. Using a thin strip of fabric or bias tape in order to hide the edges of a piece of fabric. EMBROIDERY FACING A hand – or machine-sewing technique used to decorate fabric with needle-made designs. Fabric used to finish raw edges of a garment to make the edges lie flat. You can see this on a neckline or armhole. PLEAT A fold created by doubling the fabric over itself, and stitching it together. RUCHE SEAM RIPPER A pleated or gathered strip of fabric. A small tool with a pointed edge used to remove stitches from a piece of fabric. SEWING NOTION YOKE An item that is sewn or attached to a finished sewing project, such as a button or snap. This term can also describe a tool used for sewing, like a pin or a seam ripper. A design element at the top part of a garment to fit over the body. ZIG ZAG A stretchable sewing machine stitch that runs diagonally, back and forth (zig and zag). t0 takelessons ---------