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Minerva Crafts - Sewing glossary Category: Hobbies and Crafts > Textiles and Sewing Date & country: 08/10/2013, USA Words: 55

Wincyette/Flannel
Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fibre. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness or remain unbrushed. The brushing process is a mechanical process where a fine metal brush rubs the fabric to create fi...

Voile
Voile is a soft, sheer fabric, usually made of cotton or polyester. The term comes from French, and means 'veil'. Because of its lightweight properties, the fabric is mostly used in soft furnishing and dressmaking. Because of their semi-transparent quality, voile curtains are made using specially manufactured heading tape that is less easily notice...

Vinyl/PVC
Vinyl shines like patent leather, does not breathe, and is fun to wear! Garments are much more comfortable and wrinkle less if they are lined. Suitable for upholstery projects, handbags, straight skirts, narrow trousers, jackets, coats and trimmings.

Viscose/Rayon
Viscose is a term often used interchangeably with rayon. Viscose is created from a combination of natural and man-made components, and it can be made into the more common form of rayon used for many types of textile products, including clothing. Viscose has a silky appearance and feel, and has the ability to breathe in a manner similar to cotton. T...

Tulle and Net
Widely used for interfacing behind lace fabrics, bridal veils, underskirts with multiple layers, sleeve heads, underlining in satins and taffetas, and slightly transparent portions of a bodice. They are also used for craft projects such as wedding favours. It is easy to sew, not neccessary to pre-shrink and is best sewn with good-quality polyester ...

Velvet
The drapiest velvet is a rayon blend. Microfibre velvet does not seat out, can be machine-washed and dried, but does not drape as well and seams pucker slightly, preventing a good press. Stretch velvet has great stretch and recovery.

Ticking
A durable plain, twill or satin weave cotton fabric most often used as covering for mattresses and pillows and sometimes for upholstery.

Tencel
Tencel is a fabric made from wood pulp and produced with a recyclable non-toxic dissolving agent. Tencel is soft and drapey and often combined with other fibres in both knits and wovens. It is comfortable to wear, behaving very much like cotton without as much wrinkling. It does wrinkle however, and does not make a great travel garment.

Spandex
A manufactured fabric of at least 85% polyurethane with excellent recovery and flexibility.

Sweatshirt
Some grades of sweatshirt fabric are thicker and more colourfast than others. It is most widely used for sweatshirts and jogging suits. It is advisable to pre-shrink by machine-washing in warm water and dry at regular temperature two times before cutting out. Wash seperatley as this fabric is prone to produce a lot of lint.

Silk Noile
This fabric, sometimes referred to as raw silk, has a dull finish, ravels excessively, and is made from the short waste fibers of silk. Used for full trousers, full skirts, loose shirts, loose dresses and unstructured loose jackets. This fabric is easy to sew! Pre-shrink by holding a steam iron half an inch above the surface and dry clean finished ...

Slinky Knit
This fabric drapes extremely well and never wrinkles, making it great for travelling. There are different grades of slinky knit. The heavier the weight gives the best performance and shrinks the least. It is suitable for simple styling and few pattern pieces such as wrap skirts, A-line or gored skirts and full dresses. This fabric has a wonderful d...

Sequinned Fabric
Allow three times longer to work on sequinned fabric than any other fabric. Used widely for simple collarless jackets, tops, skirts, dresses, costume and theatrical display. It is best to stick to simple styling, avoiding gathers, pleats and pockets.

Silk Dupion
Silk dupion, a crisp fabrc with irregular slubs in the yarn, is slghtly rougher than Thai silk but not as rough as silk tussah. It is also thicker than Thai silk. It is widely used for narrow or tailored trousers, jackets, fitted dresses or straight skirts. This fabric is very easy to sew! To preshrink hold a steam iron half an inch above the fabri...

Satin-Backed Crepe
A reversible satin weave with one dull side and crepe-looking, the other shiny and smooth. Because of its wide colour range and affordibility, crepe-backed satin is often used in bridesmaid dresses and eveningwear and is flattering when cut on the bias. Opposite sides used togther create very interesting elements.

Satin-Backed Dupion
A reversible dupion slub weave with one dull side and one shiny. Because of its wide colour range and affordibility, satin-backed dupion is ideal for Bridalwear, Mother of the Bride, Christening Gowns, Promenades, Eveningwear and all special occasions.

Sateen
Fabric made of long staple cotton or filament yarns to product a strong, lustrous surface.

Satin
While all satins have a sheen, satins of different fiber content differ in drapability, appearance and stitch performance. Rayon is the drapiest silk, silk is the next, and polyester the least. Satin is most often used for bridal or dressy-occasion garments. It is also suitable for blouses, full dresses and coat linings.

Polyester Silky
While silky polyster is very seductive on the bolt, it is more difficult to get seams that dont pucker unless you cut the fabric on the cross-grain or bias. Silky polyester is a good candidate to have pleated since polyester will hold pleats indefinitely. Polyester is also warm to wear.

Polycotton
Polycotton fabric is made combining strands of Cotton and Polyester. This blend is usually quite comfortable by combining the natural effects of Cotton for softness and moisture absorption with the no-iron crispness of polyester. Usually which ever fiber content is listed first will be the dominant fiber meaning in a Polycotton will be polyester do...

Muslin
Muslin is a light cotton fabric, finely woven and typically white, that was first imported from the Middle East to Europe in the 17th century. It is a firm plain-weave cotton found in many weights. Muslin is a popular choice for clothing and curtains, particularly in hot, dry climates. Muslin has many uses besides those listed above. Because it is ...

Mohair
Mohair is made from the soft silky hair of the Angora goat. Suitable for unlined sweaters, coats and jackets, this fabric makes a terrific travel garment because it is lightweight, warm, and never wrinkles.

Lycra Knit Blends
Lycra is combined with nylon, cotton, linen and wool and stretches in one or both directions. Cotton/Lycra is matte and often used for excercise wear. Nylon/Lycra is shiny and often used for swimsuits, biking shorts and leotards for dance and stage wear.

Lycra Woven Blends
Lycra is a man-made elastic fibre which is often combined with wool, linen, denim, microfiber, silk or polyester to produce wovens with a 5% to 10% stretch factor in width and none in length. These lycra blends look exactly like their 100% natural fibre counterparts except that they have stretch which can make them more comfortable to wear.

Loosely Woven Weaves
Loosely woven fabrics are often the most interesting but must be stabilized to avoid snagging and sagging later. It is suitable for loose unstructured jackets and tops with a minimum number seams. Pre-test your pattern first or hand-baste side seams for fit since stitches are difficult to remove in loose weaves.

Linen
Dressy or casual, for a day at the office or a day on the beach, garments made of natural linen are comfortable, versatile and attractive. Natural linen has long been a fashionable choice for people wanting an easy-care, go-everywhere fabric.

Gabardine
Gabardine is a twill weave that has a beautiful drape and is highly wrinkle resistant. While wool gabardine is the most common, gaberdine also comes in silk, cotton and rayon. It is widely used for tailored suits, trench coats, tailored jackets, tailored trousers, straight skirts or loose shirts. Styles with drape do very well in gabardine. Since g...

Georgette
Georgette is a fabric traditionally made from silk, although synthetic fibers such as polyester are often used as well. The thing that makes georgette fabric distinctive is the crinkly crepe-light texture, which feels slightly rough and dull, but gives the fabric a bouncy, flowing look.

Felt
Felt is the oldest type of fabric known to mankind as its production involves the matting of fibres and no weaving techniques are required. It is a sturdy fabric that can withstand numerous applications without losing its overall shape. This is due to its homogeneous structure, which can be strong enough to withstand industrial usages over a long p...

Faux Suede
Faux suede is widely used to make clothing, shoes, bags and furniture. It is a soft, synthetic fabric made from 100% polyester. The material can come in many forms, including micro suede and microfibre. It also comes in a variety of colors and patterns.

Faux Leather
Faux leather is essentially fake leather. Instead of being made of animal skins, these fabrics are made of other materials and may receive numerous treatments so that they replicate the look of leather and some of its common attributes. There are many names under which faux leather may be sold which include leatherette, leathercloth and leather-loo...

Faux Fur
Faux fur comes in many different varieties and qualities. These range from craft furs, long and short piles, through to luxury soft furs. Simple styling shows off fur to the best advantage. To preshrink machine-wash in cold water and machine-dry. When working with faux fur, if you are allergic to hair, wear a face mask during cutting and vacuum fre...

Duchess Satin
A highly lustrous, smooth, very finely woven fabric. Used in bridal or evening wear where volume without bulk is desired. It has a very subtle sheen that is classic and elegant. Often used for couture wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, eveningwear or extravagant valances, duchesse satin has been around since ancient China. It accompanies lace, velv...

Dress Lining
Fabrics used for lining may or may not be made specially for the purpose. To be suitable, a fabric should be smooth to the touch, soft, pliable, and light enough in weight not to interfere in any way with the hang of the garment fabric. Fiber content and construction may vary, but if possible use an anti-static fabric for lining ,as this will preve...

Drill
A strong, dense, medium-to heavy weight cotton with a twill weave. Drill is a very versatile fabric and is used in a variety of applications from uniforms and work clothes to mattress ticking, aprons, cushions and handbags.

Crinkle Cotton
Available in 100% cotton and cotton blends, crinkles are formed by tightening the fabric weft and heat setting. Crinkles tend to seat out but can be restored with steam. These fabrics are suitable for unstructured styles and are great for travelling! To preshrink, machine-wash in warm water and permenant press dryer cycle. After preshrinking, fabri...

Crepe
Crepe is a twisted weave fabric with a pebbly appearance that doesnt wrinkle. While wool and polyester crepes are the most commen, silk, rayon and occasionally cotton crepes are also available. Wool crepe varies in quality. More expensive wool crepe resists wrinkles better and is more opaque than its less expensive look-alikes.

Crushed Velvet
This velvet has a flat finish and a very luxurious look and feel with a crushed, irregular effect. It drapes well and is ideal for making all types of garments aswell as uses for home furnishing. It has a beautiful texture which captures a luxurious shine and feels wonderfully soft to touch. It is commonly used in robes, gowns and capes, but it als...

Cotton
The use of cotton for fabric is known to date to prehistoric times. Cotton is used to make a number of textile products and comes in many weights and forms. These include towelling for bath towels and robes, denim and chambray for jeans, corduroy, seersucker, cotton twill, sheeting, etc. Socks, underwear, and most T-shirts are made from cotton. Bed...

Corduroy
Corduroy is derived from the French 'cordon du roi', which means 'cord of kings'. Corduroy is widely used for tops, skirts, tailored shirts, structured jackets, trousers and children's clothing. Sewing Tip: Sew in direction of pile. To preshrink fabric machine-wash in warm water and dry in a delicate cycle. If you plan to dry-clean finished garment...

Chenille
This soft-to-the-touch fabric wears better and does not stretch out of shape if it is fully interfaced with fusible interlining suitable for knits. If you prefer the soft drapiness, choose a style where slight stretching is acceptable. Sewing Tips: Overlock all pieces seperatley right after fusing or cutting if using as it is. Pushing fabric toward...

Chiffon
Chiffon, from the French word for a cloth or rag, is a lightweight, balanced plain-woven sheer fabric woven of alternate S- and Z-twist crepe (high-twist) yarns. The twist in the crepe yarns puckers the fabric slightly in both directions after weaving, giving it some stretch and a slightly rough feel.

Chino
A durable twill-cotton fabric with a slight sheen that makes excellent work clothes or casual trousers.

China Silk/Habotai
A lightweight, plain woven silk suitable for lining garments because it breathes and doesnt add bulk. However it does wrinkle and is not very durable. The terms habotai and China silk are interchangeable and denote a fine, lightweight silk used for scarves and lightweight, sheer garments. Habotai is a plain weave fabric with a soft sheen. Habotai a...

Chambray
Chambray has the appearance of very fine denim, with a plain weave using coloured warp and white weft. Makes great shirts and summer clothing.

Cashmere
Cashmere is the number one luxury fabric in softness and warmth without bulk. Woven cashmere makes a beautiful jacket or coat. Knitted cashmere makes a nice sweater top, cardigan, clingy dress, gored skirt or luxurious bathrobe. To preshrink hold an iron half an inch above fabric or preshrink at the dry-cleaners.

Buckram
Buckram is coarse, stiff, and a plain open-weave fabric used as a stiffener and typically made with a cotton base. It?s used in the production of many everyday items to allow them to stay erect and upright or maintain a stiff silhouette. It is also used to cover and protect books. Various methods have been used in the production of buckram, though ...

Burn-Out Fabric
Made from two different yarns where pattern is created by buring out one yarn with a chemical. A burnout pattern is a special type of treatment for tufted fabric which creates a distinctive look for jackets, scarves, coats, and skirts. More rarely, it is used in upholstery, usually as an ornamental accent. It is often used on materials like brocade...

Broderie Anglaise
Anglaise fabric is based on a whitework needlework technique of the 19th century. It features eyelets (small holes) and buttonhole stitches. Broderie Anglaise fabric can be found on multiple fabrics, including a standard Polycotton fabric and a stretch jersey fabric and is widely used for baby and children's wear.

Brocade
A heavy jacquard woven fabric with raised floral or geometric patterns that emphasise surface contrast or colour. Brocade fabric is one of the several shuttle-woven fabrics that creates intricate patterns often including flowers, plants and other natural images. Brocade is used in a number of different applications around the home, as well as a des...

Boucle
Boucle is a loosely woven or knitted fabric with small curls or loops that provide a nubby surface. Used mainly for sweater looks and unstructured styles. For Wool Boucle, preshrink by holding a steam iron half an inch above the fabric surface.

Broadcloth
A fine, closely woven, lustrous cotton blend with an unbalanced weave that creates a fine rib. An excellent shirting material because of its soft but firm finish.

Bengaline
A Nylon (or Poly), Rayon (Viscose), Lycra (Elastane) blend. A woven, not a knit, the stretch runs lengthwise on the fabric, parallel to the selvege. It has a sheen on one side and is more matte on the other. Often used for trousers, jackets and skirts.

Alpaca
Alpaca is a close relative to cashmere in its softness and luxury. It is also very warm to wear without being bulky. Woven alpaca makes a beautiful jacket or coat. Knitted alpaca makes a gorgeous sweater top, cardigan, clingy dress or gored skirt. To preshrink, hold an iron half an inch above fabric or preshrink at the dry-cleaners.

Acrylic
A synthetic fibre that has a soft hand and good wrinkle resistance. It can be machine-washed and machine-dried. It is often used for blankets, jackets and coats.