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Small garment tied or snapped around an infant's neck to protect clothing while feeding, typically made with absorbent or wipeable fabric and a curved neckline.

The vertical distance from the prominent bone at the base of the neck to the natural waistline, used to check and adjust bodice length on a pattern.

A strong hand stitch made by inserting the needle behind the previous stitch's end, producing a solid, continuous line similar to machine stitching.

Reversing the machine over the first and last few stitches of a seam to lock the thread ends so the seam will not unravel.

Metal or plastic fittings such as D-rings, swivel clips, rivets, and sliders used to attach straps, close flaps, and reinforce stress points on bags.

Fabric or webbing band attached to a bag to allow it to be carried by hand or over the shoulder, constructed as a folded tube, topstitched strip, or webbing length.

Marks placed on pattern pieces to indicate where two edges of different lengths, such as a sleeve cap and armhole, should align during construction so ease is distributed correctly.

A sewing machine needle with a rounded tip designed to slide between the loops of knit fabric rather than piercing and breaking the yarns.

A single-layer shirt cuff fastened with one or two buttons, named for its cylindrical shape when closed around the wrist.

A close-fitting garment worn next to the skin beneath other clothing, designed to wick moisture and regulate body temperature during activity.

A general term for any foundational, unfitted-detail pattern piece—such as a bodice, skirt, sleeve, or trouser block—from which other pattern designs are developed.

Long, loose, temporary stitches, sewn by hand or machine, used to hold layers of fabric in place for fitting before permanent stitching.

A long, loose straight stitch used to temporarily hold fabric layers together for fitting or easing before permanent stitching is sewn.

Fine, lightweight, closely woven fabric, softer and slightly more opaque than voile, traditionally cotton or linen, used for blouses, baby clothes, and heirloom sewing.

Layer of loose fibre wadding, made from cotton, wool, polyester, or blends, used as the insulating middle layer of a quilt sandwich or a padded garment.

A needle that clicks against the plate or skips stitches is often bent from nicking a pin or age. Replace it immediately, since a bent needle can also throw off hook timing.

Tailored shorts with a hem ending just above the knee, cut with a fitted waist and straight or slightly tapered leg.

Any diagonal direction across a woven fabric that is not parallel or perpendicular to the grain, where the fabric has more give and stretch.

A narrow strip of fabric cut on the bias and folded to encase a raw edge, allowing it to curve smoothly around necklines, armholes and hems.

Small tool that folds a strip of bias-cut fabric into even single- or double-fold tape as it is pressed, speeding up preparation of binding for edges and facings.

A neckline finished by binding the raw edge with a bias strip instead of a separate facing, giving a narrow, clean edge.

The circumference of the upper arm at its fullest point, used to ensure adequate width across the sleeve cap and upper sleeve of a garment.

A nickname for the four long-established American pattern companies: Butterick, McCall's, Simplicity, and Vogue Patterns.

A collective term for the four major North American commercial pattern publishers—Simplicity, McCall's, Butterick, and Vogue—known for tissue-paper multi-size patterns sold in retail envelopes.

A loose-fitting upper-body garment for women, traditionally softer and more decorative than a tailored shirt, often gathered or finished at the waist or hip.

A wide, shallow neckline that runs nearly horizontally from shoulder to shoulder, closely following the collarbone.

A small spool that holds the lower thread supply, fitting into the bobbin case beneath the needle plate to form the underside of a lockstitch.

A metal or plastic holder that houses the bobbin and regulates lower-thread tension via an adjustable spring before the thread reaches the needle plate.

Dots of bobbin-colored thread on the fabric's right side mean top tension is too tight relative to the bobbin, pulling bobbin thread up through the fabric. Loosen the top tension and test on a scrap.

A spindle and motor mechanism on a sewing machine that winds thread evenly onto an empty bobbin, usually engaged by disengaging the main stitching mechanism.

The set of measurements taken directly from a person's body, such as bust, waist, and hip circumference, used to choose or draft a pattern size.

A large roll of fabric as sold in a shop, wound around a flat cardboard or plastic core and holding many yards of material.

A close-fitting underwear or swimwear bottom cut with legs extending toward the upper thigh, offering fuller coverage than a bikini brief.

A tightly woven, plain-weave cotton or cotton-blend fabric similar to poplin but slightly heavier, with a subtle sheen from a calendering finish.

The horizontal circumference of the torso taken around the fullest part of the bust, used as a primary reference point for bodice and dress pattern sizing.

One of the oldest home sewing pattern companies, founded in Massachusetts in 1863; it published patterns and the fashion magazine The Delineator, shaping American home dressmaking for over a century.

A disc or shaped fastener sewn to one side of an opening and passed through a buttonhole or loop on the other side to close a garment.

A collared shirt closing at center front with a full button placket, traditionally structured with a yoke, cuffs, and sleeve plackets.

A reinforced slit or bound opening in fabric sized to admit a button, finished by machine zigzag stitching, a bound technique, or hand stitching.

A presser foot, often with a sliding or automatic template, that guides the machine through the multiple stitch passes needed to form a buttonhole.