All articles

A sleeve that extends in one piece to the neckline, joined to the body with diagonal seams running from underarm to collar instead of a set-in armhole seam.

A sleeve draft that extends the sleeve pattern up to the neckline in a diagonal seam, combining part of the shoulder with the sleeve rather than using a separate armhole seam.

A patchwork and appliqué quilt made by women in Pakistan, northwest India, and Sindh from recycled cotton and silk fabric scraps, hand-stitched in geometric patterns across generations.

A stiff, lustrous bast fibre from the ramie plant, resistant to bacteria and shrinkage but low in elasticity, often blended with cotton or linen.

The 2013 collapse of a garment factory building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which killed over 1,100 workers and became a defining catalyst for global scrutiny of fast fashion's labor practices.

Seam allowances unraveling into loose threads after the first wash mean the edges weren't finished before construction. Serge, zigzag, pink, or bind raw edges before or after sewing the seam.

A semi-synthetic fiber made from regenerated cellulose, developed in the late 19th century and marketed from the 1920s as 'artificial silk' for its lustrous drape at lower cost than real silk.

Clothing manufactured in standard sizes for immediate purchase, as opposed to custom-made garments; it grew from 19th-century military uniform production and expanded rapidly with department stores in the 20th century.

A missing button needs a replacement sewn on with a thread shank matching the fabric's thickness, so it sits without pulling the buttonhole tight. Match hole spacing to the buttonhole and reinforce with extra thread passes.

Soft, lightweight square blanket, usually made from flannel, cotton, or knit fabric with finished or bound edges, used for swaddling and wrapping infants.

A practice and online community centered on altering or reconstructing existing garments into new items, popularized by bloggers in the 2000s-2010s as a creative, low-waste alternative to buying new clothes.

Thinning fabric at a sweater or shirt elbow, before it becomes a hole, can be strengthened with an iron-on patch, a fabric elbow patch, or darning stitched into the weak area to extend the garment's life.

A leftover end-of-bolt piece of fabric, usually smaller and sold at a discount compared to fabric cut fresh from a full bolt.

A sticky patch left on fabric or the iron plate from misapplied fusible web softens when reheated. Press through scrap paper to lift residue off fabric, and clean the iron plate with a hot-iron cleaner.

Melted candle wax or fusible web residue stuck to fabric can be lifted by placing the fabric between layers of brown paper and pressing with a warm iron, letting the paper absorb the melted wax.

A small, ragged hole in wool from moth larvae needs the surrounding area checked for further weak spots before mending with darning or a patch. Treat the whole garment for moths afterward.

A hole from wear, a snag, or a moth needs the surrounding fabric checked for further weakness before mending. Small holes can be closed with darning; larger ones need a patch behind or over the opening.

Cumulative strain on hands, wrists, neck, or shoulders from repetitive sewing motions and poor posture, managed through breaks, stretching, and ergonomic workspace adjustments.

A zipper with broken teeth or a track that won't close needs to be unpicked from the garment and swapped for a new one of matching length and type. Baste the new zipper in before final stitching.

Shoulder seams sitting too wide or narrow, throwing off where the sleeve cap falls, are corrected by unpicking the shoulder and sleeve, moving the seam, and reattaching the sleeve to the adjusted armhole.

Layered applique technique in which the top fabric is cut away to reveal fabric layers beneath, with the cut edges turned under and stitched to form the design.

A control that, when engaged, reverses the feed dog direction so the machine sews backward, commonly used to lock stitches at the start and end of a seam.

Velvet or other pile fabric flattened from pressure or storage can often be restored by steaming from the wrong side without letting the iron touch the pile, then brushing the nap back upright.

A stretchy tubular or flat rib-knit trim fabric used to finish cuffs, waistbands and necklines on knitwear, chosen for high recovery.

A stretchy knit structure of alternating vertical knit and purl columns, giving strong widthwise recovery; used for cuffs, neckbands and waistbands.

A narrow woven or knitted band of fabric, in materials from grosgrain to satin, used decoratively or functionally for trims, ties and closures.

A flat, zigzag-woven braid trim stitched to the surface of fabric as a decorative edging, traditionally in cotton.

The finished, face side of a piece of fabric that is meant to show on the outside of a finished garment.

The face of a fabric intended to show on the finished garment versus its reverse, distinguished by print, sheen or knit structure and marked before cutting to avoid mismatched pieces.

Positioning two layers of fabric so their finished, face sides touch each other, leaving the wrong sides visible, before stitching a seam.

A facing that buckles or shows on the outside instead of lying flat inside usually means it lacks understitching or the interfacing is too heavy. Understitch close to the seam and grade the allowances.

Lightweight synthetic fabric woven with reinforcing threads at intervals to stop tears from spreading, used for outerwear, bags, and outdoor gear.

The vertical measurement of a pair of pants from the crotch seam up to the top of the waistband, split into front rise and back rise.

The distance from the waistband to the crotch seam of a garment or body, measured front and back, determining how high or low trousers sit on the body.

The line along a jacket lapel where the fabric naturally folds back; tailors shape it through pad stitching and pressing so the lapel rolls softly rather than lying flat.

A narrow, tightly wrapped edge finish produced on an overlocker by adjusting the stitch finger and tension so thread coverage rolls the raw fabric edge under.

A curled, funnel-shaped presser foot that folds a narrow raw fabric edge twice as it feeds, producing a tiny finished hem in a single pass.

A one-piece garment combining a top and shorts, typically fastened with snaps at the crotch for ease of diaper changing on infants.

A round, razor-sharp blade mounted in a handle, rolled along a straightedge to cut fabric, especially multiple layers for quilting and garment pieces.

Practices for handling a rotary cutter safely, including closing the blade guard between cuts, cutting away from the body, and keeping fingers clear of the blade path.