A button which can be covered in a coordinating fabric. A back piece secures the fabric over the top.
Liz Johnson.Editor.Sew4Home
Crosswise grain
A fabric woven perpendicular to the selvage, giving it a slight amount of stretch.
Cutting mat
A mat designed to be used with a rotary cutter. They are often made of self-healing material and have grids printed on them.
Darn
What you yell when you’ve sewn your sleeve to your project. Also, a repair made to a fabric hole by repeated stitches going back and forth.
Drape
The way fabric hangs on an item. Most often used to describe garments.
Drapes
A formal window covering which hangs from a rod.
Edgestitch
A stitch made very close to a folded edge, generally 1/8″ or less.
Embellish
Adding decoration to an item. Includes embroidery, appliqué, decorative stitching, beading, sequins, needlework, etc.
Fabric blends
A fabric made with any combination of fibers: cotton/polyester, wool/polyester, silk/cotton, wool/cotton, etc.
Feed dog
The “teeth” under the needle which pull the fabric forward in synchronization with the stitch.
Finger pressing
Pressing open a seam with your finger where it may not be appropriate to use an iron.
Finish (a edge)
Turning under an edge and sewing or serging it so it doesn’t ravel.
Flat felled seam
A seam that is flattened by having one seam allowance trimmed close to the seam and the other seam allowance sewn over the top of it. Often used to reduce bulk in a seam.
Fold line
Some patterns will have pieces that are placed onto a folded piece of fabric in order to get a piece double the size of the pattern. The fold against which you place the edge of your pattern piece is the fold line.
Foot or presser foot
The foot-shaped piece the sewing machine presses down against the fabric to allow it to be moved by the feed dogs. Sewing machines use many kinds of presser feet, which are specialized for different types of sewing.
Fusible
Having the ability to be permanently attached by ironing. Fusible items use a heat-activated glue.
Gather
Pulling fabric into miniature pleats either to compress it in size or for a decorative effect. To create a gather two parallel basting stitches are sewn on the right side of the fabric ¼” apart. Long tails of thread are left for gathering. The bobbin threads are gently tugged, evenly gathering the fabric.
Grain
The direction on the fabric that’s parallel to the selvage.
Interlining
A layer of material that goes between curtain fabric and the lining. In home decor It’s used in panel curtains.
Lining
Material that goes on the back of shades or curtains. Linings can allow more or less light through as desired. For instance blackout lining is desirable for bedroom window coverings.
Machine embroidery
Generally, any decorative stitch made by a sewing machine. Includes running stitches and embroidery designs sewn in a hoop.
Muslin
A basic cotton fabric often off-white in color and inexpensive.
Needle
The sharp item which the machine uses to push the thread through the fabric to form a stitch. There are many different types of needles for different types of sewing. Rule of thumb: Start each project with a new needle.
Notion
Any item used for sewing other than the fabric or machine.
Overcasting
A stitch done on the edge of fabric to keep it from raveling.
Overlock
A stitch made by a serger that finishes the fabric edge. Sergers are sometimes called overlockers outside the U.S.
Pile
The nap or raised surface or of a fabric. Fabrics with a nap include velvet, terrycloth and corduroy.
Pins
Many different kinds of pins are used in sewing. Home decor sewing requires basic versions like straight pins and safety pins.
Pintuck
Narrow, raised rows of fabric, created for a decorative look. Can be created by stitching with a pintuck foot.
Piping
A length of cord covered in fabric. Often used around the edge of pillows and seat cushions.
Pleat
A fold in fabric created for functional or decorative fullness. The fold is sewn at one end of the fabric and allowed to gradually relax such as in pleated drapes.
Preshrink
Washing and drying a piece of fabric before using it in a sewing project. Preshrinking is important if the finished item is ever to be washed.
Press
Using an iron to smooth out a section of fabric.
Presser foot
See foot.
Raw edge
The edge of fabric that has not been stitched or finished.
Reverse appliqué
Sewing a piece of fabric to the back of another piece of fabric and then cutting a decorative hole in the top fabric to reveal the fabric underneath. The bottom and top layers are then blindstitched together.
Right side
The side of the fabric with the design. In cases where both sides of the fabric are identical then either side can be chosen for the right side.
Roman shade
A fabric shade that forms neat rows of folds when drawn up.
Rotary cutter
It looks a little bit like a pizza cutter. The blade is round and razor sharp. Used with a cutting board, it allows you to cut fabric more quickly and accurately than with shears. A rotary cutter works well for cutting more than one layer of fabric at a time.
Ruler
A straight edge with standard and metric measurements marked out. Sewing rulers are often clear. A popular size is 2″ wide by 18″ long.
Running stitch
A simple stitch used for basting or for marking a decorative stitch.
Satin stitch
A very short zigzag stitch used for appliqué and other decorative effects. Most machines have a built-in satin stitch. But if not, It’s possible to create one by setting a zigzag stitch to a length of almost zero.