All articles

A jacket-making method in which a layer of horsehair or wool canvas is hand- or machine-stitched inside the front panels to shape the chest, distinct from cheaper fused interfacing.

A looped stitch formed by a single needle thread interlocking with a looper thread in a chain-like pattern beneath the fabric, used alone or alongside cover stitching.

A tailored overcoat with a velvet collar, concealed button closure, and minimal waist shaping, originating in 19th-century English menswear.

A sheer, lightweight plain-weave fabric made from tightly twisted crepe yarns, giving it a slightly rough, airy hand; slippery and prone to fraying when sewn.

An older term for a very lightweight, smooth plain-weave silk lining fabric similar to habotai, now less common due to its delicacy.

An industrial sewing machine motor that runs continuously, engaging the machine via a friction clutch pedal, resulting in a distinctive momentum on start and stop.

Short for 'cut, make, trim,' a manufacturing arrangement in which a factory cuts and sews garments from fabric and materials the client already supplies.

A collar that rolls or buckles instead of sitting smoothly comes from insufficient understitching, poorly graded seam allowance, or interfacing too stiff or too soft. Grade the allowances and match interfacing weight to the fabric.

A dart that curves inward at the middle and points at both ends, shaping fabric closely to the body at the waist without a horizontal seam.

A shaped, curved waistband cut to follow the body's natural waist curve rather than a straight strip, giving a closer fit without a separate casing.

The practice of drafting or tracing a sewing pattern directly from an existing ready-to-wear garment, used to reproduce or reverse-engineer its fit and construction.

A close-fitting, boned undergarment or outer garment that shapes and supports the torso, traditionally laced or hooked to control the waist and bust.

Process of drafting or adapting patterns for fantasy, sci-fi, or stylised character costumes, often exaggerating proportions or silhouettes beyond conventional garment fit.

A technique in which a decorative thread or cord is laid on the fabric surface and secured in place with small stitches worked over it.

Skipped stitches on a coverstitch hem, especially at the seam start, usually come from an unstabilized layer or fabric not feeding evenly under both needles. Use a stabilizer strip and start on a fabric leader.

The width measured straight across the upper back from one armhole seam to the other, used to check the fit of a garment's shoulders and back.

The curved seam line of a trouser pattern that shapes the crotch area between the front and back leg pieces, critical to comfort and the elimination of crotch wrinkles.

Fabric pulling tight and creasing across the crotch of trousers usually comes from a crotch curve too shallow or a rise too short for the wearer. Lower the curve or lengthen the rise in a future muslin.

A manual grading method in which a pattern is sliced along designated lines and spread apart or overlapped by fixed increments to create a larger or smaller size.

An industrial machine with a narrow, tube-shaped bed that allows sewing on cuffs, cylindrical items, and other hard-to-reach curved seams.