Sewing has a language all of its own, and nobody is born knowing it. So here are the words you'll bump into most often, explained as simply as we can. Keep this page handy and pop back whenever you encounter a puzzling term in your pattern instructions.
Getting to know your fabric
- Right side (RS): The pretty side, the one everyone sees when you wear it. When a pattern says "right sides together", it means face to face.
- Wrong side (WS): The back of the fabric, which ends up on the inside.
- Selvage (or selvedge): The firm edges running down both sides of your fabric. They won't fray, and they're your guide for finding the grain.
- Grainline: The direction the lengthwise threads run, parallel to the selvage. Fabric is at its most stable this way, so most pieces are cut along it.
- Cross grain: The threads running across the fabric, from one selvage to the other. You'll notice it has a little more give.
- Bias: Any diagonal line across the fabric. True bias is at 45 degrees, and it's where fabric stretches and drapes the most. It's the secret behind those figure-hugging bias-cut dresses.
- Nap: A fuzzy or textured surface that runs in one direction, like velvet or corduroy. Cut all your pieces facing the same way, or the colour can look different from one panel to the next.
- Pre-washing: Washing and drying your fabric before you cut, the same way you'll wash the finished garment. It gets any shrinking out of the way, so your garment stays the size you sewed it.
Reading your pattern
- Grainline arrow: The long arrow on each pattern piece. Line it up parallel to the selvage and your piece will be cut on grain.
- Place on fold: Often one edge of the piece will be placed on the folded edge of your fabric, so that when you cut and open it up it results in one symmetrical piece.
- Notches: Small markings, typically little triangles or lines along the edge. They help align the pieces perfectly.
- Circles: Typically these show the tip of a dart, or may be used to indicate other important locations. Transfer them to your fabric with chalk or a marking pen.
- Dart: A wedge-shaped fold stitched to a point. Darts shape flat fabric around your curves at the bust, waist or hips.
- Finished garment measurements: How big the garment itself will be, not your body. Comparing these with your own measurements tells you how much ease the garment will have.
- Ease: The extra room between your body and the garment. Some is there so you can move and breathe - called wearing ease; the rest is design ease, which gives a style its shape, like a relaxed oversized fit for example.
All about seams
- Seam: The line of stitching that joins two pieces of fabric.
- Seam allowance (SA): The strip of fabric between your stitching and the cut edge. Your pattern will tell you how wide it is, in our patterns it's 1 cm (3/8") but you may be used to 1.5 cm (5/8") in some other patterns. Our patterns always include it, if uncertain always check whether seam allowance is included before cutting the fabric.
- Grading seam allowances: Trimming each layer of the seam allowance to a slightly different width, or trimming only one layer of seam allowance. This is normally done after sewing the seam. It cuts the bulk in collars, facings and waistbands, so you get a more professional finish. Leave the layer that sits closest to the outside of the garment the widest.
- Trimming seam allowances: Cutting the seam allowance narrower after you've stitched, usually in spots that'll be turned and tucked away inside such as a round neckline.
- Clipping: Snipping little cuts into the seam allowance on an inward curve, like a neckline, right up to the stitching but not through it. It lets the curve spread out and lie flat once turned.
- Notching: Snipping small wedges out of the seam allowance on an outward curve, like a rounded collar. It takes out the extra fabric so the curve doesn't bunch up.
- Clipping corners: Cutting across a corner close to the stitching, so it turns out nice and sharp. As long as you don't cut into the thread it's ok to cut very close to the corner
- French seam: A seam sewn twice so the raw edges are tucked away completely. It's perfect for sheer or delicate fabrics where you can see the inside. The fabric pieces are first sewn wrong sides facing, then the seam allowance is trimmed and the seam sewn again with right sides facing.
- Pressing open / pressing to one side: Once a seam is sewn, you either press the allowances apart or press them both the same way. Your pattern will say which. And yes, pressing as you go really does make all the difference!
Stitching techniques
- Backstitching (back tacking): A few stitches in reverse at the start and end of a seam, to lock everything in place so it doesn't unravel.
- Staystitching: A line of stitching just inside the seam allowance on curved or bias edges, like a neckline, sewn before you start putting things together. It stops those edges stretching out of shape while you handle them.
- Basting: Long, temporary stitches, by hand or machine, that hold pieces together while you try things on or before the final stitching. They pull out easily.
- Understitching: One of those little steps that makes a big difference. After attaching a facing or lining, press the seam allowances towards it and stitch them down to it, close to the seam. The facing then rolls neatly to the inside and stays there, instead of peeking out at your neckline or armholes.
- Topstitching: Stitching on the outside of the garment, running alongside an edge or seam. It keeps layers flat and can be a lovely decorative detail (think of the stitching on your jeans).
- Edgestitching: Topstitching really close to an edge or seam, about 2–3 mm (1/8") away, for a crisp, tidy look.
- Stitching in the ditch: Sewing on the outside right in the groove of an existing seam, so the stitches pretty much disappear. Handy for securing waistbands and bindings.
- Gathering: Sewing two rows of long stitches and gently pulling the threads to scrunch the fabric into soft folds, like on a gathered skirt or puff sleeve.
- Easing: Fitting a slightly longer edge to a shorter one without any visible gathers or tucks, as when you set in a sleeve.
- Pivoting: Stopping with the needle down in the fabric, lifting the presser foot and turning your fabric to sew a sharp corner.
Finishing touches and garment parts
- Interfacing: An extra layer, often the iron-on (fusible) kind, added to the wrong side of bits that need a bit more body, like collars, cuffs, facings and button bands.
- Facing: A shaped piece sewn to an edge, like a neckline or armhole, then turned to the inside for a clean finish.
- Lining: A whole inner layer that hides the seams and helps the garment hang nicely (and feel lovely to wear).
- Bias binding (bias tape): Folded strips of fabric cut on the bias, used to wrap raw edges. Because they're cut on the bias, they curve around necklines and armholes without a fuss.
- Hem: The finished bottom edge of a garment or sleeve, usually folded to the inside and stitched down.
- Double-fold hem: A hem folded under twice, so the raw edge is hidden inside the fold.
- Blind hem: A hem sewn so the stitches barely show from the outside, either by hand or with a blind-hem foot.
- Casing: A little fabric tunnel for elastic or a drawstring, like on a pull-on waistband.
- Placket: A finished opening, like a shirt front or a sleeve opening, often where the buttons or a zip go.
- Yoke: A fitted panel across the shoulders or hips, often with a gathered or pleated piece sewn on below.
Tutorials
Some of these techniques are easier to understand with photos. These tutorials go through them step by step:
Now that you are fluent with sewing terms, why not try them out on a new project? You'll find all our patterns here.
