Terms & glossary

A hand stitch worked in a loose zigzag pattern, catching only a thread or two of the outer fabric, commonly used to secure a hem invisibly.

The abbreviation marked on pattern pieces and fabric for the center back, the vertical line running down the exact middle of the back of a garment.

The abbreviation marked on pattern pieces and fabric for the center front, the vertical line running down the exact middle of the front of a garment.

Snipping short cuts into a curved seam allowance, especially an inward curve, so the seam can spread and lie flat once turned or pressed.

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

One of the specific color or print combinations that a single garment design is offered in across a collection.

French for 'sewing' or 'dressmaking,' used in English to describe fine, skillfully constructed garment sewing in general.

A simplified, elongated figure template used by fashion designers to sketch clothing designs quickly onto a consistent body proportion.

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 direction fabric threads run from one selvedge to the other, perpendicular to the lengthwise grain and usually with a bit more give.

The diagram included in pattern instructions showing exactly how to arrange all the pattern pieces on folded or open fabric before cutting.

The outer line marked on a pattern piece indicating exactly where to cut the fabric, positioned beyond the seam line by the width of the seam allowance.