Terms & glossary

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

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

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

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.