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A bold decorative topstitch, often in contrasting or heavy thread, worked as a running stitch by hand or machine along an edge or seam, associated with leather goods and casual tailoring.

The single sample size, usually a small one, in which a garment is first produced for photography, fit sessions, and buyer showings.

A Japanese hand-stitching technique using simple running stitches in white thread on indigo cloth, originally developed to reinforce and mend workwear, now also used decoratively.

A tightly spaced zigzag stitch dense enough to form a smooth, solid line of thread, used for applique edges, monograms, and buttonholes.

A weave with long floating warp or weft threads that pass over several opposing threads before interlacing, producing a smooth, lustrous surface prone to fraying and snagging.

The common abbreviation for 'small bust adjustment,' a pattern alteration used to reduce the amount of room built into a bodice pattern.

Surface design method that pushes pigment through a fine mesh screen with a masked design onto fabric, producing crisp, repeatable printed motifs.

A thick, spongy double-knit fabric, typically polyester and spandex bonded in a neoprene-like structure, holding its shape well for fitted garments and appliqué.

Ridges from seam allowances visible on the right side of lightweight fabric come from pressing directly over the seam without protection. Press over a seam roll or slip paper strips under the allowances.

A narrow woven or knitted tape stitched over a raw edge, especially a hem allowance, to prevent fraying without adding much bulk.

Wrinkling or gathering along a stitch line caused by tension imbalance, a dull needle, or stitches that are too small for the fabric's weight.

A firmly stuffed cylindrical cushion placed under a seam to press it open from the right side without leaving a ridge imprint on the fabric.

A lightweight cotton fabric woven with alternating slack and taut warp tension, creating a permanent puckered stripe that holds fabric away from the skin.

A zip in which the two sides detach completely at the bottom, used on jackets and cardigans that open fully rather than a fixed-bottom garment closure.

Embellishment technique for attaching flat or cupped sequins to fabric by hand or machine, either singly with a backstitch or in overlapping rows for continuous shine.

Lightweight, fine-spun polyester thread wound on large cones for overlocker use, chosen for low bulk in seam finishing rather than seam strength.

A sleeve cut separately and stitched into a fitted armhole, requiring eased fullness at the cap to fit smoothly over the shoulder.

Interfacing without adhesive, attached by stitching into the seam allowance, preferred for fabrics that cannot tolerate heat or that would be damaged by fusing.

An organized group sewing event, often hosted by a pattern company or blogger, in which participants make the same garment together over a set period while sharing progress online.

A trip or retreat taken specifically to sew, whether at an organized workshop or informally alongside a group of fellow sewists.

A playful blend of 'sewing' and 'social,' describing the wider online community of sewists who share their projects and connect across social media.

A pre-release process in which volunteer sewists make up a new pattern to check instructions, fit, and sizing, providing feedback to independent designers before public release, common since the indie pattern boom.

A close-fitting, straight-cut dress with minimal ease that follows the body's contours from shoulder to hem without a defined waist seam.

Multiple parallel rows of gathering, often stitched with elastic thread in the bobbin, that create stretchy, textured fullness over an area of fabric.

A dart originating at the shoulder seam and pointing toward the bust apex, used in bodice drafting as an alternative location to shape fabric over the bust.

Attaching a shaped foam or fiber shoulder pad inside a garment's shoulder seam to build out and support the shoulder line.

The angle of the shoulder measured from a horizontal reference line, used to identify square or sloping shoulders and to adjust the shoulder seam of a pattern.

American pattern company founded in 1927 that undercut competitors with lower-priced, simplified patterns aimed at budget-conscious home sewers during the Great Depression.

A widely produced vintage sewing machine platform known for its oscillating hook and full range of licensed and cloned versions manufactured worldwide.

A lightweight, portable straight-stitch-only Singer model, most famously the 221, prized by collectors and quilters for its smooth stitch quality and durability.

A basic sloper covering the body from waist to hip level, fitted with darts to the waist, used as the foundation for drafting skirt designs.

The process of constructing a skirt pattern from waist and hip measurements, typically starting from a basic skirt block and shaping it into a chosen silhouette.

Short for 'stock keeping unit,' a unique code identifying one specific product variation, such as a particular size and color of a garment.

A pattern alteration method that involves cutting a pattern piece apart along marked lines and spreading the resulting pieces to add fullness or length.

A pocket accessed through a diagonal or curved slit cut into the garment, with the pocket bag hidden behind the opening.

A basic sloper for a set-in sleeve, drafted to match the armhole of a corresponding bodice block, used as the foundation for drafting sleeve designs.

A narrow, two-tiered miniature ironing board sized to fit inside a sleeve or other tight tubular garment section for pressing without creasing the opposite side.

The small amount of extra fullness built into a sleeve cap above the arm's actual circumference, eased in to create smooth shape over the shoulder.

A separate lining, often a slippery fabric, cut and sewn to a garment's sleeve to allow the arm to slide in and out easily.

A modification made to an existing sleeve pattern, such as adding a flounce, changing the length, or converting a set-in sleeve into a different sleeve style.