Textiles Key Words And Definitions

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Applique

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A technique in which fabric shapes are cut out and sewn onto a larger cloth background.

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Allowance

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An amount that is added to a measurement to give spare material for seams, turnings, hems or zips.

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Batik

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A method of applying dye to fabrics, using wax as a resist.

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Belt

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A strip of material, such as leather or plastic, worn around the waist.

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Bleach

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Used to remove colour from a substance, such as textiles or paper, usually by chemical means

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Blend

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A mixture of different fibres. These are usually spun together before being woven or knitted into fabric.

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Block-printing

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A process where patterned blocks are repeatedly dipped in paint or dye and pressed into fabric or paper to make a larger pattern.

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Bonded fibre

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A process where the fibres are not woven but held together by heat or adhesives.

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Buckle

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A device used to join two ends of a belt

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CAD

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Computer Aided Design

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Cellular material

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These materials have honeycomb structures designed to trap air. They include textiles, foams and sponges.

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Collage

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An artform in which pieces of material, such as paper, fabric or photographs are cut out and fixed to a backing.

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Colourfast

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A textile is decribed as this if it does not fade when it is washed or exposed to light.

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Colourway

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The combination of colours used in any colour design

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Colourwheel

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A diagram showing the relationship of colours to each other.

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Crease-resistant

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Type of fabric that has been treated so that fold-lines caused by packing or crushing fall out easily.

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Curved seam

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A seam that is not straight; it may not lie flat without special attention to its edges.

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Cut on the bias

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To cut an angle in the fabric to warp usually 45*- to allow it to stretch.

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Denier

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A unit of weight that describes the thickness of a yarn such as silk, rayon or nylon.

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Dry Cleaning

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A method of cleaning fabrics in which solvents are used instead of water to remove dirt from textiles.

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Dye

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You use this to change a materials colour by soaking it in a coloured solution.

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Embroider

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To decorate a fabric with coloured thread or silk worked in various stitches or patterns.

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Fibre

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A hair like substance that can be spun and woven together into fabric.

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Filament

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A very thin continuous, natural or synthetic fibre.

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Flame-retardant

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A type of material that has been treated so that it does not easily catch fire, but if it does it will burn slowly.

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Flammability test

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This process shows how easily materials can catch on fire and burn.

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Flat seam

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Two pieces of fabric that have been sewn together with the seam allowance opened and pressed flat.

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Form

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A life-sized dummy used in making clothes, to ensure a good fir, and for displaying finished clothes.

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Fray

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This happens to a fabric when its edges are worn by rubbing or continuous use.

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Geotextiles

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Synthetic materials that are used in civil engineering, for example, to help stop soil erosion or to reinforce roads and banks.

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Glove puppet

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This is a toy that fits over the hand, and the fingers operate its heads and arms.

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Grain

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In textiles this follows the line of the long warp threads.

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Haute couture

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This refers to exclusive fashion designed and made by our top designers or design houses (examples: Armani, Gucci, Vivian Westwood).

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Hem

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This is formed by turning over the edge of a fabric and stitching it, to prevent it from fraying.

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Insulation

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This protects objects and prevents them from getting too cold or too hot.

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Interlining

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A fabric that is stitched or fused into clothes or soft furnishings to give shape, body or stiffness.

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Iron

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An appliance with a flat metal bottom, used when heated, as by electricity, to press or smooth clothes, linens, etc.

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Knitted

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This fabric is made by looping yarn together.

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Knot

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This is formed with thread , cord or rope is looped around on itself and pulled tight.

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Lay-planning

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A process of arranging patterns on fabric to achieve as little waste as possible, for the most economical use of the fabric.

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Line

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This relates to a garments overall appearance.

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Linen

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This is a natural fibre, from the flax plant, that ca be woven into fabric.

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Lycra Reg.

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This is a synthetic, elastic fibre used in thin, stretchy fabric for tight-fitting garments.

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Mesh

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An open fabric, with regular spaces, woven from textiles or wire.

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Neoprene Reg.

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A synthetic rubber, a plastic material.

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Non-woven

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These fabrics are produced by gluing or fusing fibres with heat, instead of weaving or knitting.

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Nylon

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A thermoplastic that is spun into fibres and can be made into various fabrics.

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Overlocked seam

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This is a seam that has been produced using a special stitch that is

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Patchwork

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This is produced by sewing pieces of different fabrics together in a pleasing design.

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Performance textiles

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These are smart materials which have special properties such as breathability, wind-proofing or moisture control.

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Plant fibre

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These come from plants such as cotton and flax.

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Polartec Reg.

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This is a synthetic fabric made from polyester and is used for making fleeces and other specialised clothing.

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Press

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To use an iron to remove creases from textiles.

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Puff paint

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This expands when sprayed onto a textile, to make a decorative effect.

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Puppet

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A small movable toy that can be fitted on the hand, or controlled by strings.

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Resist

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This stops dyes or paints from soaking into textiles.

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Sample

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A small part of a food material or product used for testing.

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Seam

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A row of stitches joining two pieces of fabric.

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Sew

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To join pieces of fabric with stitches, by hand or by machine.

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Sewing machine

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Any of various foot-operated or electric machines for sewing or making stitches, ranging from machines with a shuttle for a spool of thread and a needle for sewing garments to industrial machines for sewing leather, book pages together, etc.

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Silk

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A fine fibre or fabric. The fibres come from silkworm cocoons.

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Smart fabrics

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Interactive textiles that react to changes, for example, in light or temperature automatically.

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Stain-resistant

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This material is one that has been treated so that it will absorb marks.

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Staple

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Short and long fibres are sometimes described as short and long _____.

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Starch

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You use this to stiffen textiles.

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Stitch length

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The length of a stitch.

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Stitch width

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The width of a stitch and is a setting on a sewing machine.

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Straight stitch

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These are single-spaced stitches which lie flat on the surface of the fabric.

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Tease

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To separate the fibres of a thread or textile.

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Tension

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A measure of how tightly stitches are pulled in sewing or knitting.

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Textile

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A general name given to any fabric, whether knitted or woven.

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Thermochromic dyes

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These change colour when heated; the process reverses when the heat source is removed (very popular during the 90's on geo-t-shirts).

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Tie-die

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When textiles are knotted to prevent the dye from soaking into certain parts of the fabric.

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Tjanting

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This tool is a heated pen, with a container for melted wax, used for batik.

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Warp

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This refers to the thread running along the length of the fabric.

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Washability

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A measure of how well a textile will react to washing.

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Water resistance

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The level of ability a substance can prevent the absorption of water

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Waterproof coating

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Applied to fabrics or buildings to prevent them from absorbing water.

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Weave

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To produce fabric or a textile material by interlinking threads.

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Weft

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The threads which go across a fabrics width.

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Woven

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A material made by linking threads or strips of material together into a fabric.

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Yarn

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A thread made from twisted fibres and used for weaving, knitting, sewing and embriodery.

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Zigzag stitch

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A wide stitch produced in a sewing machine on which the needle moves from side to side.

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Zip

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A metal or plastic devise for closing openings in clothes and other textiles such as bags.