Fabrics & materials

The diagonal direction across a woven fabric, at 45 degrees to the grainlines, along which fabric has maximum stretch and drape; used for bindings and fluid-cut garments.

The way a fabric falls, folds and moves under its own weight, ranging from fluid, as in chiffon and jersey, to stiff, as in canvas and taffeta; a key factor in pattern choice.

A fabric's mass per unit area, commonly measured in grams per square metre, used to judge suitability for a garment and to match pattern recommendations.

The direction of the warp and weft yarns in woven fabric, or the wales and courses in knit fabric, which pattern pieces are aligned to for correct hang and stretch.

Garment or product design approach that uses a single fibre type throughout fabric, thread, and trims so the finished item can be more easily recycled.

A raised, directional surface texture, as on velvet, corduroy or fleece, that reflects light and feels different depending on which way it is stroked; pattern pieces must be cut in one direction.

The face of a fabric intended to show on the finished garment versus its reverse, distinguished by print, sheen or knit structure and marked before cutting to avoid mismatched pieces.

The tightly woven, self-finished edge running along both lengthwise sides of woven fabric that does not fray, often used as a grainline reference when cutting.

A fabric's resistance to distortion or stretching out of shape during handling, cutting and sewing, often improved with interfacing or stay tape on loosely woven or stretch fabrics.

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.