Terms & glossary

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

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

A historical term for a woman who worked as a tailor, constructing structured, fitted garments such as suits, coats, and riding habits.

A detailed technical document sent to a garment manufacturer specifying exact measurements, materials, construction steps, and trims needed for production.

The task of trimming and taping together the individual letter or A4 sized pages of a home-printed PDF pattern into one complete, full-size sheet.

A 'tried and true' pattern that a sewist has made successfully before, knows fits well, and can sew again with confidence.

French for a test garment sewn up in inexpensive fabric to check a design's fit before cutting into the final fabric; used more often outside the US than the equivalent term muslin.

The measurement taken from the base of the neck down through the crotch, used especially to fit bodysuits, leotards, and swimwear correctly.

The exact forty-five degree diagonal line between the lengthwise and crosswise grain, the direction where a woven fabric stretches the most.

A small stitched fold of fabric, similar to a pleat but generally narrower, used mainly for decorative effect or subtle shaping.

Short for 'unfinished object,' a sewing project that has been started but set aside or abandoned before it was ever completed.

Stitching worked close to a seam that secures a facing or lining to its seam allowance so it rolls neatly to the inside and stays hidden.

The industry practice of labeling ready-to-wear garments with smaller size numbers than their actual measurements would traditionally indicate, to flatter shoppers.

A structured wardrobe-planning approach, popularized by a well-known online course, for building a cohesive handmade wardrobe around a person's real needs and style.

The lengthwise threads held taut on a loom during weaving, running parallel to the selvedge in a piece of woven fabric.

A fit-testing garment that was expected to be purely disposable but turns out well enough that the sewist actually wears it afterward.

The minimum extra room built into a pattern beyond a person's exact body measurements, needed so a finished garment can be put on and moved in comfortably.

The crosswise threads woven over and under the warp threads to construct a woven fabric, also known as the fill or the woof.

Selling garments or fabric in bulk quantities to retailers at a reduced price, rather than selling individual pieces directly to consumers.

The measurement taken across the back from wrist to wrist with both arms outstretched, occasionally used to check sleeve and shoulder width in a pattern.

Short for 'work in progress,' a sewing project currently being made, often photographed and shared on social media before it is finished.

The reverse, less finished side of a piece of fabric that is meant to face inward and stay hidden from view.

Positioning two layers of fabric so their unfinished, wrong sides touch each other, leaving the right sides visible, as used for some enclosed seams.

The total amount of fabric, measured in yards or meters, that a project requires or that a particular piece of fabric contains.

The measurement taken from the neckline down to the point where a shoulder yoke seam sits on a shirt or dress pattern.