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The portion of a bodice draft that shapes the front torso pattern, incorporating the bust dart, waist dart, neckline, and armhole curve calculated from front body measurements.

A stomach shape fuller than the standard pattern block assumes, commonly causing horizontal drag lines below the waist and a front hemline that rises above the back.

A pattern alteration that adds width and length to the front of a skirt or trouser pattern below the waist to accommodate a stomach fuller than the block assumes.

A pattern alteration that adds width and length to the bust area of a bodice, typically by slashing and spreading the pattern, to fit a bust larger than the block assumes.

A seat shape fuller than the standard pattern block assumes, commonly causing horizontal wrinkles below the waistband and drag lines pulling across the back of trousers or a skirt.

A pattern alteration that adds width and length to the back of a trouser or skirt pattern below the waist to accommodate a seat fuller than the block assumes.

A tall, wide standing neckline finish that flares slightly away from the neck, often used on outerwear for warmth and style.

A fitting problem in which the armhole edge stands away from the body instead of following the arm and torso closely, often exposing underwear or skin.

An armhole standing away from the body in a visible gap, common on sleeveless garments, comes from an opening cut too large or left unstabilized. Stay-stitch the edge and take a small dart at the gap.

A waistband standing away from the body at the back or sides, despite fitting at the hip, usually means the waist is smaller than the band was cut for. Take in the waistband seam or add a dart.

A presser foot that gathers a single layer of fabric as it feeds, or gathers one layer while attaching it to a flat layer beneath, in one pass.

A triangular piece of fabric inserted into a seam or hem to add extra flare and fullness to a skirt, dress, or sleeve.

The systematic process of increasing or decreasing a pattern's measurements at each point to produce a full range of sizes from a single base pattern.

Trimming layered seam allowances to different, staggered widths so the layers taper gradually and do not create a visible ridge under the fabric.

A reinforced metal or plastic ring set into a punched hole in fabric to prevent tearing and to allow lacing or cord to pass through.

A heavy, openwork lace in which the decorative motifs are held together by connecting threads rather than by a net background fabric.

A lightweight, smooth plain-weave silk with a soft drape and slight sheen, one of the most common silk lining fabrics.

A neckline supported by a strap or band that fastens behind the neck, leaving the shoulders and upper back bare.

The way a fabric feels to the touch, described as soft, crisp, slippery, or rough, an important factor when choosing fabric for a pattern.

French for 'high sewing,' a legally protected term for custom-fitted, largely hand-finished garments produced by an officially accredited Parisian fashion house.

A knit hem that curls up on itself after stitching, refusing to lie flat, is caused by the fabric's stretch and the raw edge's tendency to roll. Stabilize with a twin needle and stay tape, or a coverstitch.

A jeans hem shortened while keeping the factory-finished edge and topstitching intact is done by folding the excess up inside the leg, then stitching just above the original hem from the right side.

A durable bast fibre from the cannabis sativa plant, similar to linen but stronger and more mildew-resistant, often blended with cotton for garment-weight fabric.

A variation of twill weave in which the diagonal rib reverses direction at regular intervals, forming a distinctive zigzag pattern used in coating and suiting.

A crossed hand stitch worked in a V pattern, used to secure hems, interfacing, or facings with a decorative, flexible line.

A measurement taken around the ribcage just above the fullest part of the bust, often used instead of full bust to choose a bodice pattern size.

Fullness at the hip located higher on the body than the standard pattern block assumes, causing tightness or drag lines a few inches below the waistline on skirts and trousers.

An educational movement, formalized in the United States from the 1900s, that taught sewing, garment construction, and household management in schools, shaping generations of home dressmakers.

A seam finish in which bias binding strips are stitched over each raw seam allowance edge and understitched, giving a couture-quality enclosed edge on unlined garments.

A flat metal hook and matching straight bar used mainly at waistbands to hold the closure edge to edge without overlap.

A skirt held out in a dome or bell shape by a framework of hoops, worn under crinolines and, in earlier colonial and 18th-century forms, related to the farthingale and pannier.

Paris fashion house founded by Charles Frederick Worth in 1858, credited with establishing the couturier as a named creative authority rather than an anonymous dressmaker, dressing European royalty and elites.

A surge from around 2010 of small, independently run sewing pattern companies selling PDF and print patterns directly to consumers online, diversifying styles and sizing beyond major pattern companies.

A heavy-duty, single-purpose machine built for continuous high-speed production sewing, typically mounted in a table with a separate motor and few domestic conveniences.

An extra layer of fabric sewn in between the outer fabric and the lining of a garment, usually added for warmth or extra structure.

A double-knit fabric structure with two sets of needles that produces identical, smooth faces on both sides, more stable and less curling than single jersey.

A pleat formed by two folds turned toward each other on the front, the mirror of a box pleat, hiding extra fabric behind the fold.

A zip whose teeth are concealed behind a folded tape, sewn with a special foot so only a thin seam-like line shows on the finished garment.

A zipper with coils rolled to the back so the teeth are hidden within the seam when closed, inserted with a special foot so no stitching shows on the right side.

American manufacturer who patented an improved sewing machine in 1851 and pioneered installment purchasing, making the Singer Manufacturing Company the dominant sewing machine brand of the 19th century.