Terms & glossary

A line of long machine stitches sewn within a seam allowance and gently pulled up to shrink an edge slightly without forming visible gathers.

Distributing a small amount of extra fullness in one fabric edge smoothly over a slightly shorter matching edge, without leaving visible gathers or puckers.

A row of topstitching sewn very close, often about an eighth of an inch, to a finished edge or seam to keep it flat and crisp.