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Trousers with extremely wide, flowing legs cut from the hip downward, often made from lightweight fabric to enhance movement and drape.

A long, insulated, hooded coat, historically lined or trimmed with fur, designed for protection in cold and wet weather.

The technique of combining pattern pieces or size lines from two or more patterns, or two adjacent sizes, into a single custom pattern piece.

The practice of modifying an existing commercial or drafted sewing pattern to create a different design, such as changing a neckline, sleeve, or silhouette, without drafting from scratch.

The process by which sewists outside a designer's own team sew a new pattern before its release, checking fit, instructions, and grading across sizes.

A short, double-breasted wool coat with broad lapels and large buttons, originally worn by naval sailors for warmth and durability.

A narrow, straight skirt cut close to the body from waist to hem, usually including a back vent or kick pleat to allow walking ease.

A fitted top featuring a short flared or gathered flounce attached at the waistline that extends over the hip.

A sloper drafted or fitted specifically to one individual's body measurements rather than a standard size, used to produce well-fitting patterns for that person alone.

A set of proportional alterations, usually shortening the torso, sleeves, and rise, that adapt a standard pattern to fit a shorter-than-average body.

The raised loops or cut fiber ends standing up from a fabric's woven base, as seen in velvet, corduroy, and terry cloth.

A dress form with a foam or similarly soft surface that accepts pins directly, allowing fabric to be draped and pinned in place on the body.

A very narrow, stitched fold of fabric, typically a few millimeters wide, sewn in parallel rows as a decorative textural detail on blouses and fine garments.

A folded bias strip encasing a cord, inserted into a seam so a raised, corded edge shows along the seamline as a decorative or defining detail.

A folded strip of bias fabric enclosing a cord, inserted into a seam to create a raised decorative or defining edge along garment seams.

A dart manipulation technique that moves a dart to a new position by pivoting the pattern piece around the dart apex without cutting the paper apart.

A skirt constructed with folded, pressed, or stitched-down folds of fabric arranged around the waist to control fullness while allowing movement.

A true vertical reference line, established with a weighted string or level, used during fitting to check whether a garment's center front, center back, or side seam hangs straight.

A narrow wooden tool with pointed ends used to press open the seam allowances inside sharp corners such as collar points and cuffs.

A medium-weight double-knit fabric, usually of polyester, viscose and spandex, with a firm hand and good stability, popular for structured knit garments.

Excess fabric that collects and folds in a concentrated area of a garment, such as below the seat or at the small of the back, rather than lying smooth.

Garment modification, such as side-seam openings or drain access points, designed to be worn comfortably over dressings or medical equipment during recovery.

Short for PatternReview.com, a long-running online community where sewists post detailed reviews of commercial and indie sewing patterns before others buy them.

A padded, glove-shaped pressing cushion worn on the hand, used to press curved and hard-to-reach garment areas such as shoulders and sleeve caps.

The vertical metal bar that holds the presser foot and moves up or down to raise it clear of the fabric or lower it to apply stitching pressure.

Too much foot pressure flattens pile and stretches knits; too little lets fabric wander or fail to feed. Adjust the pressure dial to suit the fabric weight, lowering it for delicate or bulky fabrics.

French for 'ready to wear,' describing standard-sized clothing manufactured for general sale rather than garments custom fitted to one person.

A method of tracing sewing patterns directly onto fabric by projecting a digital pattern file onto a cutting surface using a video projector and calibration software.

Topstitching that gathers fabric into small folds instead of lying flat comes from tension too tight, a stitch too dense, or sewing bulky layers without a walking foot. Loosen tension and use a walking foot.

A short or long sleeve gathered at the shoulder, cuff, or both, creating a rounded, voluminous shape through the upper or lower arm.

Metal or plastic hinged frame sewn or glued into fabric to form the opening of a clasp purse, giving the bag a rigid, self-closing top edge.