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A backing material, in tear-away, cut-away, or wash-away form, placed under fabric to support it against the pull and density of embroidery stitching.

Treating a stain successfully depends on identifying whether it's oil, protein, tannin, or dye based and acting before it sets or gets heat-treated by drying. Blot rather than rub, and test any remover on a hidden area first.

A generalized set of body measurements assigned to numbered sizes by a particular pattern company, which can vary noticeably from one brand to another.

A sewist's personal accumulated collection of fabric, patterns, or notions, kept on hand for future projects rather than used immediately.

Deliberately choosing to sew projects using fabric or patterns already owned, specifically to reduce an accumulated stash rather than buying anything new.

Fabric clinging to itself or the machine bed, distorting seams, is caused by low humidity and synthetic fibers building static charge. A light water mist, anti-static spray, or humidifier reduces the effect.

A narrow tape of twill, selvage, or fusible material stitched or fused along a seam or edge, such as a shoulder seam or neckline, to prevent stretching.

A line of regular straight stitching sewn just inside the seamline through a single layer, to keep curved or bias edges from stretching out of shape while handling.

An iron that releases pressurized steam through vents in its soleplate to help relax fibers and set creases and seams.

Using steam heat with an iron to shape, flatten, or set fabric and stitching without excessive direct pressure, useful for wool and shaping curves.

Applying moist heat to fabric to relax fibres, remove wrinkles, shrink fibres slightly, or set pleats and pressed seams without direct iron contact.

Hand embroidery stitch worked in overlapping slanted stitches along a line, producing a narrow twisted rope effect used for outlines, stems, and lettering.

The distance the feed dogs advance fabric between needle penetrations, typically measured in millimeters, adjustable for basting, regular sewing, or reinforcement stitching.

Another name for the lengthwise grain, marked with an arrow on pattern pieces to show how they should align on the fabric.

A slender metal fastener used to hold fabric layers in place before stitching; mass-produced brass pins from the 1830s replaced costly handmade ones and became a household essential.

A skirt draft that follows the basic skirt block closely, producing a fitted silhouette that falls straight from the hip to the hem with minimal added flare.

The most basic machine stitch, formed by a single needle thread interlocking with a bobbin thread in a straight line, used for most seams and construction.

Trousers with a leg width that remains consistent from the knee to the hem, following the natural line of the leg without flare or taper.

A sewing machine needle with a specially shaped eye and scarf designed to prevent skipped stitches in highly elastic fabrics such as spandex blends.

A measure of how far a knit or stretch-woven fabric extends compared to its resting length, used to check a fabric against a pattern's required stretch and recovery.

A specialized machine straight stitch that sews with a slight forward-and-back motion, allowing the seam to stretch without breaking thread on knit fabrics.

A neckline that gapes and has lost its shape usually comes from cutting on the bias without stabilizing, or handling the edge too much before finishing. Stay-stitch the neckline immediately after cutting.

A seam or design line on a pattern that also performs a shaping function, such as a princess seam that both fits and decorates.

A tailored, structured jacket cut to match trousers as part of a matched suit, featuring lapels, a canvassed front, and set-in sleeves.

An approach to clothing design, production, and consumption aimed at minimizing environmental harm and social exploitation across a garment's life cycle, gaining wider industry attention from the 2000s onward.

A small sample cut of fabric, kept for reference or used to test stitches, tension, or shrinkage before a full project is cut.

A posture characterized by an exaggerated inward curve of the lower spine, causing horizontal folds of excess fabric to form across the back of a garment at the waist.

A pattern alteration that removes excess length and width from the center back of a bodice or dress pattern to eliminate horizontal folds caused by a swayed back posture.

A general term for knit fabrics that mimic hand- or machine-knitted sweater texture, ranging from fine gauge to chunky, often loosely constructed and prone to runs.

A mid-weight cotton or cotton-blend knit with a brushed fleece back and smooth jersey face, the standard fabric for hoodies and sweatshirts.

A manufacturing workplace characterized by long hours, low pay, and unsafe conditions, historically associated with garment production since the Industrial Revolution and a continuing concern in global fashion supply chains.

A neckline shaped like the top curves of a heart, dipping to a center point between two rounded curves over the bust.