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A seam that ends up longer than the fabric it was cut from, common on knits and bias cuts, comes from the foot or hands pulling fabric taut while sewing. Support the fabric's weight instead of pulling it.

A hem finished by attaching a separate shaped facing strip to the raw edge instead of turning up fabric, used when the garment lacks allowance for a folded hem.

Third-party certification schemes that verify garment supply chains meet standards for fair wages, safe working conditions, and environmental practices, developed largely from the 1990s onward in response to sweatshop scandals.

A pile fabric with a knitted or woven backing and a long synthetic pile that mimics animal fur, cut from the backing only to avoid shearing the pile.

A synthetic fabric, usually polyurethane-coated woven or knit backing, designed to imitate leather's look and hand at lower cost and with more stretch.

The common abbreviation for 'full bust adjustment,' a pattern alteration frequently discussed by name in sewing forums and pattern instructions.

A hand-finishing technique in tailoring where a folded edge, such as a lining or facing, is secured invisibly with small slanted stitches.

A dress fitted through the bodice and waist that flares dramatically outward at the hip, often using a circle or gored skirt.

A simplified test garment, usually a bodice or trouser front and back with minimal design details, sewn specifically to evaluate and correct fit before developing a full pattern block.

A pocket, often welt or patch style, covered by a shaped flap of fabric that hangs down over the opening.

Attaching a lining piece to a garment piece by stitching around the edges of each cut piece before assembly, treating the two layers as one from then on.

A pattern drafted using measurements, rulers, and math directly on paper, as opposed to draping fabric on a body or dress form.

A seat shape flatter than the standard pattern block assumes, commonly causing excess fabric to sag and fold vertically below the waistband at the back of trousers or a skirt.

A pattern alteration that removes excess width and length from the back of a trouser or skirt pattern below the waist to fit a seat flatter than the block assumes.

A strong, fully enclosed seam in which one seam allowance is trimmed, wrapped around the other, and topstitched flat; common on jeans and shirts.

A narrow elastic with a centre channel that folds crisply in half, used to bind and finish edges such as necklines and leg openings in one step.

A posture or body shape in which the shoulders sit rotated forward of the torso's natural balance line, causing the shoulder seam of a garment to pull toward the front.

A seam sewn on a serger using two needles and two loopers, producing a seam and finished edge simultaneously with stretch recovery suited to knits.

Fabric that stretches and recovers its shape in both the lengthwise and crosswise directions, common in swimwear, activewear, and dancewear.

A hybrid pattern created by combining pieces or design elements from two or more different existing patterns into one new design.

A spring-loaded presser foot that hovers just above the fabric, letting the quilter move the fabric freely in any direction with the feed dogs lowered.

A curved plastic drafting template used to draw smooth, precise curved lines when drafting or adjusting armholes, necklines, and other patternmaking curves.

A long, diagonal dart running from the side seam near the hip up toward the bust point, shaping the garment with a single seam line.

A self-enclosed seam made by stitching a narrow seam wrong sides together, trimming it, then encasing the raw edge inside a second seam sewn right sides together; used on sheer or unlined fabrics.

The portion of a bodice draft that shapes the front torso pattern, incorporating the bust dart, waist dart, neckline, and armhole curve calculated from front body measurements.

A stomach shape fuller than the standard pattern block assumes, commonly causing horizontal drag lines below the waist and a front hemline that rises above the back.

A pattern alteration that adds width and length to the front of a skirt or trouser pattern below the waist to accommodate a stomach fuller than the block assumes.

A pattern alteration that adds width and length to the bust area of a bodice, typically by slashing and spreading the pattern, to fit a bust larger than the block assumes.

A seat shape fuller than the standard pattern block assumes, commonly causing horizontal wrinkles below the waistband and drag lines pulling across the back of trousers or a skirt.

A pattern alteration that adds width and length to the back of a trouser or skirt pattern below the waist to accommodate a seat fuller than the block assumes.

A tall, wide standing neckline finish that flares slightly away from the neck, often used on outerwear for warmth and style.