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A joking acronym for 'project half done,' describing the pile of unfinished sewing projects that many sewists accumulate over time.

The raised loops or cut fiber ends standing up from a fabric's woven base, as seen in velvet, corduroy, and terry cloth.

Small balls of fiber forming on a knit's surface from friction during wear come from loose, weaker fibers tangling together. Use a fabric shaver or comb to remove pills, and wash inside out on gentle cycle.

Cushion or pillow form filled with foam, fibre, or feathers, made to a standard size and inserted inside a sewn cover to give it shape.

Simple rectangular fabric cover for a pillow, closed at one end and often finished with a French seam or a decorative cuff, a classic beginner project.

A small stuffed cushion, often wrist-worn or weighted, used to safely store and organize pins within easy reach while sewing.

A finish combining a line of straight stitching near the raw edge with pinking beyond it, adding fray resistance to lightly fraying fabrics.

A raw-edge finish made by trimming the seam allowance with pinking shears to create a zigzag edge that resists fraying without additional stitching.

Scissors with a serrated, zigzag blade edge that cut a notched line into fabric to reduce fraying along a raw edge.

A dress form with a foam or similarly soft surface that accepts pins directly, allowing fabric to be draped and pinned in place on the body.

A very narrow, stitched fold of fabric, typically a few millimeters wide, sewn in parallel rows as a decorative textural detail on blouses and fine garments.

A grooved presser foot, typically used with a twin needle, whose channels guide fabric into narrow, evenly spaced raised folds called pintucks.

A folded bias strip encasing a cord, inserted into a seam so a raised, corded edge shows along the seamline as a decorative or defining detail.

A folded strip of bias fabric enclosing a cord, inserted into a seam to create a raised decorative or defining edge along garment seams.

A pattern alteration technique in which a section of a pattern is pivoted around a fixed point and slid to add or remove width or length without cutting the pattern apart.

A dart manipulation technique that moves a dart to a new position by pivoting the pattern piece around the dart apex without cutting the paper apart.

The fixed reference point on a pattern, often a bust point or hip point, around which a dart is rotated during dart manipulation.

Stopping with the sewing machine needle down at a corner, lifting the presser foot, and turning the fabric to continue stitching in a new direction.

Individual table mat, often quilted or interfaced for stiffness, sized to sit under a single place setting and finished with a straight or bound edge.

A finished, reinforced opening in a garment, strengthened with an extra strip of fabric, that allows buttons, a zipper, or the head to pass through.

The most basic seam, formed by stitching two fabric layers together along a seam allowance with right sides facing, then pressed open or to one side.

The simplest weave structure, formed by alternating single warp and weft threads over-under, producing a strong, stable, balanced fabric such as poplin or muslin.

A section of fabric folded back on itself and pressed or stitched in place, adding controlled fullness or decorative shaping to a garment.

A skirt constructed with folded, pressed, or stitched-down folds of fabric arranged around the waist to control fullness while allowing movement.

A true vertical reference line, established with a weighted string or level, used during fitting to check whether a garment's center front, center back, or side seam hangs straight.

A pouch or opening sewn into or onto a garment for holding small items, constructed as a patch, inseam, welt, or besom pocket depending on placement.

A narrow wooden tool with pointed ends used to press open the seam allowances inside sharp corners such as collar points and cuffs.

Blunt-tipped hand tool used to push out fully stitched corners, such as collar points or pocket flaps, without piercing the fabric or fraying the seam.

A synthetic petroleum-based fibre valued for durability, wrinkle resistance and low cost; woven or knitted alone or blended with natural fibres.

A durable, easy-care lining fabric made from polyester fibre, resistant to wrinkling and shrinking though less breathable than natural-fibre linings.

An all-purpose sewing thread with high strength, low shrinkage and good elasticity, suitable for most woven and knit fabrics including synthetics.

A simple outer garment made from a single piece of fabric with a central opening for the head, draping over the shoulders without sleeves.

A medium-weight double-knit fabric, usually of polyester, viscose and spandex, with a firm hand and good stability, popular for structured knit garments.

Excess fabric that collects and folds in a concentrated area of a garment, such as below the seat or at the small of the back, rather than lying smooth.

A tightly woven plain-weave cotton or cotton-blend fabric with a fine crosswise rib, crisp yet soft, popular for shirts and dresses.

A lightweight, compact sewing machine designed for easy transport, typically used for travel or classes, usually offering a smaller stitch repertoire than full-size models.

An industrial machine with the bed raised on a vertical post above the table, giving access for stitching around bags, shoes, and other three-dimensional items.

Garment modification, such as side-seam openings or drain access points, designed to be worn comfortably over dressings or medical equipment during recovery.

Short for PatternReview.com, a long-running online community where sewists post detailed reviews of commercial and indie sewing patterns before others buy them.

Laundering fabric before cutting a garment to remove sizing, allow shrinkage, and test colourfastness, so the finished garment behaves the same way as the fabric was tested.