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Treating fabric, interfacing or trims with heat or moisture before cutting so later shrinkage does not distort a finished garment.

A protective layer of cloth placed between the iron and the garment fabric to prevent shine, scorching, or direct heat marks during pressing.

A padded, glove-shaped pressing cushion worn on the hand, used to press curved and hard-to-reach garment areas such as shoulders and sleeve caps.

The vertical metal bar that holds the presser foot and moves up or down to raise it clear of the fabric or lower it to apply stitching pressure.

Too much foot pressure flattens pile and stretches knits; too little lets fabric wander or fail to feed. Adjust the pressure dial to suit the fabric weight, lowering it for delicate or bulky fabrics.

Using an iron with an up-and-down motion, rather than sliding, to set seams, creases and shape during construction, done at each stage rather than only at the end.

A layer of fabric placed between the iron and the garment to protect delicate materials from direct heat, shine, and scorch marks.

Pressing both seam allowances flat in opposite directions from the stitching line, reducing bulk and producing a smooth, flat seam.

Pressing both seam allowances together in the same direction, adding strength and often required before edge-stitching or topstitching.

A shiny, flattened patch on fabric after ironing comes from too much heat and pressure crushing the fibers, common on wool and synthetics. Press with a pressing cloth and let steam, not pressure, do the work.

French for 'ready to wear,' describing standard-sized clothing manufactured for general sale rather than garments custom fitted to one person.

A variation of backstitch that picks up only a tiny amount of fabric on the right side, used to hand-set zippers or topstitch in couture work almost invisibly.

A bodice draft in which the bust and waist darts are converted into a continuous curved seam running from the shoulder or armhole to the hem, replacing separate darts.

A fit alteration made along a princess seam, reshaping the curve between the panels to add or remove fullness at the bust, waist, or hip without adding a separate dart.

Products that are manufactured by one company but sold to the public under a different company's own brand name.

A finalized manufacturing pattern, complete with every size graded and all construction markings added, ready to be used on a factory floor.

A method of tracing sewing patterns directly onto fabric by projecting a digital pattern file onto a cutting surface using a video projector and calibration software.

A back shape in which the shoulder blades project more than the standard pattern block assumes, causing tightness and horizontal drag lines across the upper back.

A seam that gathers or ripples along its length is caused by tension set too tight, a stitch length wrong for the fabric, or sewing fine fabric without stabilizing. Loosen tension and stabilize lightweight fabrics.

Small folds at the top of a set-in sleeve cap come from easing stitches not distributed evenly around the curve. Run two rows of ease stitching, gather gently, and pin generously before sewing.

Topstitching that gathers fabric into small folds instead of lying flat comes from tension too tight, a stitch too dense, or sewing bulky layers without a walking foot. Loosen tension and use a walking foot.

A zipper tape that ripples once pressed, though it lay flat while sewing, comes from ironing directly over the teeth and tape without support underneath. Press from the wrong side over a seam roll.

A short or long sleeve gathered at the shoulder, cuff, or both, creating a rounded, voluminous shape through the upper or lower arm.

Metal or plastic hinged frame sewn or glued into fabric to form the opening of a clasp purse, giving the bag a rigid, self-closing top edge.

A close-fitting Chinese dress with a mandarin collar and side slit, evolving in Shanghai during the 1920s from the looser Manchu changpao into a modern, tailored garment.

A presser foot with a guide or foot width measured exactly a quarter inch from the needle, used to achieve accurate patchwork seam allowances.

Costume construction approach using hidden closures such as hook-and-loop tape, snaps, or breakaway seams to allow a performer to change garments rapidly offstage or mid-scene.

Three-layer assembly of a quilt top, batting, and backing fabric, basted or pinned together before quilting stitches pass through all layers to hold them in place.

A pre-made sandwich of face fabric, batting and backing stitched together in a pattern, used ready-made for outerwear without separate quilting.

A sewing machine, often domestic, optimized for quilting with features such as a wide throat space, extension table, and specialized quilting stitches or a walking foot.

A sewing machine needle with a tapered, sharp point designed to stitch through multiple layers of fabric and batting cleanly.

A line of stitching worked through two or more layers with padding or wadding between them, both securing the layers and creating a raised decorative pattern.

A sleeve that extends in one piece to the neckline, joined to the body with diagonal seams running from underarm to collar instead of a set-in armhole seam.

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.

The 2013 collapse of a garment factory building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which killed over 1,100 workers and became a defining catalyst for global scrutiny of fast fashion's labor practices.

Seam allowances unraveling into loose threads after the first wash mean the edges weren't finished before construction. Serge, zigzag, pink, or bind raw edges before or after sewing the seam.

A semi-synthetic fiber made from regenerated cellulose, developed in the late 19th century and marketed from the 1920s as 'artificial silk' for its lustrous drape at lower cost than real silk.

Clothing manufactured in standard sizes for immediate purchase, as opposed to custom-made garments; it grew from 19th-century military uniform production and expanded rapidly with department stores in the 20th century.