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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.

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.

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.

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 dart manipulation technique in which a pattern section is rotated about a pivot point to close one dart while opening another, then the resulting cutting lines are redrawn smooth.

A narrow tube of bias-cut fabric turned right side out, used for spaghetti straps, ties, frog closures, and thread loops.

An attachment with an adjustable blade and gear mechanism that folds fabric into controlled pleats or gathers as it feeds beneath the needle.