thread
A special type of a thin, continuous length of tightly twisted ply
yarn used primarily for sewing. Thread occasionally is used instead of
yarn, as in the terms
warp thread and filling thread.
carpet thread
A heavy
thread used for repairing carpets and for sewing on buttons. Carpet
thread was originally made of
cotton, but usually is made of polyester today.
cotton thread
Formerly the most common
thread, but difficult to find today. lt is usually made in two types. A plain
thread with a dull surface is called basting
thread. Mercerized
cotton thread has a shiny surface that enables it to slide smoothly through fabric and is suggested for general purpose sewing. Polyester
thread has replaced
cotton thread to a large extent. See
mercerization.
cotton-wrapped polyester (core) thread
A type of polyester
thread made with a polyester core wrapped with
cotton, theoretically giving the
thread characteristics of both fibers.
nylon thread
The
thread introduced as an alternative to
silk thread that has more give than most natural
fiber threads. lt is used extensively for sewing man-made
fiber fabrics, especially knits.
polyester thread
Thread made of 100% polyester. Polyester
thread has more give than most natural
fiber threads and is used extensively for sewing man-made
fiber fabrics, especially knits. lt can be used on almost any fabric. Polyester
thread is strong, but tends to knot easily.
silk thread
A classic sewing
thread for fine work and for sewing
silks and woolens. lt has more give than other natural
fiber threads, but less than polyester or nylon. lt is used primarily for sewing on
silk fabrics.
basket weave
One of the most important patterns in weaving. Basket weave is made with two or more filling threads passing over and under an equal number of
warp threads on alternate rows.
Benares
Benares is a lightweight fabric from India. Named after the town of Benares it is usually woven with
metallic threads.
bobbin lace
Bobbin
lace is a
lace made by using a pillow to hold the pins around which
thread is arranged. Other names for bobbin
lace are bobbinette
lace and pillow
lace.
broadcloth
Although the term broadcloth originally meant any fabric made on a
loom of a certain width, it now means a fine, tightly woven fabric with a faint
rib. Originally, it was made of mercerized
cotton, but today the term is used to desc
ribe several dissimilar fabrics made with different
fibers, weaves, and finishes. (1) Originally, a
silk shirting fabric so named because it was woven in widths exceeding the usual twenty-nine inches. (2) A plainweave, tightly woven, high-count
cotton fabric, with fillingwise
rib finer than poplin. Best grades are made of combed pima or Egyptian
cotton, usually with high
thread counts (136x60 or 144x76). The fabrics are usually mercerized, sanforized, and given a soft lustrous finish, and are used for women’s blouses, tailored summer dresses, and men’s shirts. (3) A closely woven, medium-weight
wool cloth with a smooth nap, velvety feel, and lustrous appearance. Wool broadcloth can be made with a two-up-and-two-down
twill weave or
plain weave. In setting up a
loom to make the fabric, the
loom is
threaded wide to allow for a large amount of shrinkage during the filling process. The fabric takes its name from this wide
threading. High-quality
wool broadcloth is fine enough for garments that are closely molded to the figure or draped. Its high-
luster finish makes it an elegant cloth. Wool broadcloth is ten to sixteen ounces per yard and is now being made in
chiffon weights. (4) A fabric made from
silk or man-made
filament fiber yarns and woven in a
plain weave with a fine crosswise
rib obtained by using a heavier filling than
warp yarn.
brocade
Brocade is used as a drapery or upholstery fabric. It has a Jacquard weave with an allover interwoven design, normally figures or flowers. The name is derived from the French word meaning “to ornament”. The brocade pattern is accentuated with varying surfaces or colors and often has gold, silver, or other
metallic threads running through it. Although true brocades still are produced, nowadays the term is also used for knits with a similar luxurious look. A brocade rug, in carpeting, is one in which different yarns of the same color create a subtle pattern.
chine
This French word, meaning speckled, is used for fabrics in which the
warp threads are printed before weaving whereas the filling threads are left plain, giving a shadowy effect to the fini
shed fabric.
corduroy
A
ribbed, high-
luster, cut-pile fabric with extra filling
threads that form lengthwise
ribs or wales. The
rib has been sheared or woven to produce a smooth,
velvet-like nap. The
thread count varies from 46 x 116 to 70 x 250. Traditionally made of
cotton, corduroy can be made of many different fibers, such as
rayon and polyester blends. lt is used for dresses, coats, sports jackets, sports shirts, bathrobes, slacks, and draperies.
denim
A
cotton twill weave fabric made of single hard-twisted yarns. The
staple type has colored
warp and white or undyed filling
thread. When the fabric (and the look) became popular, the name denim was given to many other types of fabric, including cross-dyed fabrics and bru
shed fabrics, both knit and woven, that resemble true denim. Most jeans are made of denim and the most popular and traditional denim color is blue. Sports denim is softer and lighter in weight. It is now available in many colors, and in plaids and stripes. Woven-in stripes and plaids are popular for draperies, upholstery, and bedspreads.
dimity
Literally, double thread
duck
Originally, a fabric lighter in weight than
canvas. Today, the terms are synonymous. A durable plain-weave, closely woven
cotton, generally made of ply yarns, in a variety of weights and
thread counts. It is used for uniforms, belts, awnings, tents, and sails. See
canvas.
embroidery
The term for a group of decorative, usually ornamental and nonfunctional needlework done with
thread or
yarn on fabric. Most ma
chine embroidery is done by the Schiffli ma
chine which can imitate many different hand embroidery
stitches. Although embroidery is usually thaught of as being done in several colors, white work (white embroidery on white fabric) and black work (black embroidery on white fabric) are fairly common. Embroidery terms are tremendously variable, with different words being given to the same
stitches in different countries, and even different sections of the same countries. Some of the most common embroidery
stitches are
beading, buttonhole
stitch, chain
stitch,
chevron stitch,
satin stitch, stem
stitch, back
stitch, and straight
stitch.
jute
One of the natural fibers still used extensively for fabrics. It is a
bast fiber that comes from jute plants grown primarily in India, 1’akistan, and Bangladesh. Jute is used for many purposes, including the manufacture of burlap, gunny sacks, bags, cordage (twine and rope), trimmings,
binding threads, and backings for rugs and carpets.
knitting
The process of constructing an elastic, porous fabric by interlocking a series of loops of one or more yarns with needles. It may be done by hand or by ma
chine. These yarns form a series of connecting loops that support one another like a chain. Almost any textile item can be and has been knitted, including rugs. A
warp knit is made on a ma
chine in which parallel yarns run lengthwise and are locked into the series of loops. Warp knits have a good deal of crosswise stretch. Wett knits are made on a ma
chine that forms loops in a circular direction and have one continuous
thread running across the fabric. The following entries are common knit terms.
lace
A decorated openwork fabric created by looping, inter
lacing, braiding, or twisting threads. [t is made (either on a background fabric of net or without a background fabric) with a design formed by a net work of threads made by hand or on special lace ma
chines, with bobbins, needles, or hooks. The pattern in lace is usually open and most often floral in design. Ma
chine-made lace is most commonly seen today and many patterns formerly only made by hand, are imitated by ma
chine. hace is the traditional bridal fabric, but it is also used for other nonformal clothing such as sports clothes. The following entries are some of the major types of lace.
pillow face
Lace made by using a pillow to hold pins around which
thread is arranged. See
bobbin lace.br />
tatting
A method of
lace-making worked with the fingers and a
shuttle that holds the
thread. Tatting forms a narrow, knotted
lace, often used for edging.
latex
The name for the liquid form of natural or man-made
rubber. It can be formed into
thread for use as an elastic
yarn. La
tex is also used extensively as part of the backing in the manufacture of rugs and at one time, was used extensively in corsets and brassieres. Now, however, although some la
tex foundation garments are still made, it has been largely replaced by
spandex. Solid la
tex is sometimes referred to as
rubber. See
spandex.
macrame
An ancient method of forming open fabrics by knotting string,
yarn, or other threads. Macrame can be used to make anything from delicate trimmings to sturdy items such as hammocks. Recently, wall hangings of macrame have also become popular.
marquisette
A light, strong,
sheer, open-
textured curtain fabric in
leno weave, often with dots woven into the surface. The
thread count varies from 48 x 22 to 60 x 40. Marquisette, extremely popular for curtains and
mosquito netting, is made of
cotton,
rayon,
acetate, nylon, polyester,
acrylic, glass,
silk, or mixtures.
metallic doth
Any fabric, such as
lame, woven with gold, silver, tinsel, or other metal threads.
mixture
Although the word mixture is often ignored in favor of the word blend, it should be used to describe fabrics made from a combination of two or more fibers in which one of the fibers is used for the filling
thread. See blend and
biconstituent fiber.
monofilament
A single, fine
thread of continuous man-made
fiber (as in nylon hosiery). See multi
filament,
staple, and
tow.
multifilament yarn
A
yarn made of two or more filaments (long threads) of
man-made fibers (monofilaments) that are joined together, usually by twistingally by twisting.
sari
A piece of fabric twelve to sixteen feet long used by Hindu women to drape and cover the body. The fabric is often
silk with silver or gold threads forming a border design.
sewing-knitting machine
The latest ma
chine for making fabrics. In the best known of these, the malimo ma
chine, the
warp thread is placed on top of the filling
thread and the two are stitched together with a third
thread.
shoot
Another term for filling,
weft,
woof, and
shute. The crosswise
thread that interlaces with the
warp threads on a woven fabric.
shute
Another term for
weft,
woof,
shoot, and filling. The crosswise
thread that interlaces with the
warp threads on a woven fabric.
silk
The product of the silk worm and the only natural
filament fiber (it is produced in a long thread). Silk was the leading luxury
fiber for thousands of years. There were many types of silk and many ways of making it into cloth. foday, man-made
fibers have to a very large extent replaced silk, but the traditional names for certain silk fabrics are still used and include the following:
skein
A coil of
yarn, which, unlike a spool of
thread, has no center supporting object. The term skein and hank are sometimes considered synonyms. See hank.
smocking
Rows of
shirring done in a pattern to add some give (stretch) to a gannent and for decoration. A common pattern of smocking is to gather the fabric with stitches that cross each other diagonally, forming a
honeycomb-like pattern. It is often done with colored
embroidery thread and gives an effect similar to
shirring. See
shirring.
spinning
A method of drawing out and
twisting together fibers to make a continuous
thread or
yarn. Spinning also refers to the manufacture of man-rnade fibers as they are formed by fcucing the
material from which they are rnade through a
spinneret. In conventional spinning, the tighter the
twist, the stronger the
yarn, but too tight a
twist can weaken the final
yarn. Crepe
yarns have such an extremely high
twist that the
yarn actually turns back on itself (kinks), producing the characteristic
crepe or corksc_rew look. Pabrics can be given shadow effects by the Lise of two
yarns which have been
twisted in opposite directions during spinning. This will strike each of these
yarns in a different way producing this effect. See
spinneret.
stitch
A single passage of a threaded needle through fabric and back again, as in sewing or
embroidery. Stitches may be made by hand or done on a sewing ma
chine to hold layers of fabric together or to clecorate fabric such as
embroidery,
stitchery, and needlepoint. The most commonly used hand stitches follow. See
embroidery, needlepoint, and
stitchery.
tapestry
A Jaquard woven fabric in
cotton,
wool, or
man-made fibers. Traditionally, a decorative wall hanging woven to depict a scene. The filling threads are changed in color to fit the design. On the back, shaded stripes identify this fabric. It is used extensively for wall hangings, table covers, draperies, and upholstery. Some rugs are made in tapestry weaves. The word is also used for needlepoint, but this use is generally considered incorrect. Ma
chine-made fabrics, also called tapestry, have regular designs on the surface and a slightly looped pile. They are used for such things as coats and handbags.
thread
A special type of a thin, continuous length of tightly twisted ply
yarn used primarily for sewing. Thread occasionally is used instead of
yarn, as in the terms
warp thread and filling thread.
carpet thread
A heavy
thread used for repairing carpets and for sewing on buttons. Carpet
thread was originally made of
cotton, but usually is made of polyester today.
cotton thread
Formerly the most common
thread, but difficult to find today. lt is usually made in two types. A plain
thread with a dull surface is called basting
thread. Mercerized
cotton thread has a shiny surface that enables it to slide smoothly through fabric and is suggested for general purpose sewing. Polyester
thread has replaced
cotton thread to a large extent. See
mercerization.
cotton-wrapped polyester (core) thread
A type of polyester
thread made with a polyester core wrapped with
cotton, theoretically giving the
thread characteristics of both fibers.
nylon thread
The
thread introduced as an alternative to
silk thread that has more give than most natural
fiber threads. lt is used extensively for sewing man-made
fiber fabrics, especially knits.
polyester thread
Thread made of 100% polyester. Polyester
thread has more give than most natural
fiber threads and is used extensively for sewing man-made
fiber fabrics, especially knits. lt can be used on almost any fabric. Polyester
thread is strong, but tends to knot easily.
silk thread
A classic sewing
thread for fine work and for sewing
silks and woolens. lt has more give than other natural
fiber threads, but less than polyester or nylon. lt is used primarily for sewing on
silk fabrics.
ball fringe
A
trimming that consists of round fluffy balls (pompons) attached by threads to a band of fabric by which it is sewn to fabric. lt is often used on curtains and upholstery.
cord
A heavy, round string consisting of several strands of
thread or
yarn twisted or braided together. See
cording.
tuft
A bunch of yarns or threads forced through a
quilt, mattress, or upholstery to secure the stuffing. See
quilt.
Irish tweed
Tweed made in Ireland, Northern Ireland, or Eire. These tweeds generally can be distingui
shed by a white
warp and colored filling threads.
twill
(1) A weave with a diagonal
rib (twill line) that runs from the upper left to the lower right, or from upper right to lower left. In a
twill weave, each filling
thread passes over or under at least two
warp threads, to a point where the filling
thread goes under moving up and over by at least one
thread in each row. Herringbone weave is a broken
twill weave and forms ""V""s in the weave pattern. (2) A narrow
ribbon, fairly heavy in weight. It is stitched into garment areas such as collar lapels, shoulders, and facing edges for strength and to prevent stretching. It is also used in the seams of slipcovers and other home furnishings items for added strength. Twill tape usually is available only in white or black.
vafenciennes lace
A flat
bobbin lace worked with one
thread forming both the background and the design for lace.
velvet
Velvet is a fabric with a short and closely woven nap. The production of velvet varies between two methods. One uses a double-cloth construction in which two shifts of fabric are woven with long threads joining them together. After the double fabric is woven, the center threads are cut, producing two pieces of velvet. The second method of producing velvet uses wires. During the weaving the
yarn is lifted over the wires to form the pile. After removing the wires the
yarn is cut to form the velvet surface. While velvet was originally made of
silk, today many other fibers are used to manufacure velvet (e.g.
rayon or nylon).
voile
A
sheer, transparent, low-count, crisp or soft, lightweight, plain-weave
muslin with a thready feel, made of highly twisted yarns. lt can be comprised of
wool,
cotton,
silk,
rayon, polyester, or other
man-made fibers. Voile is especially popular when made of
cotton or blends for summer wear and is often printed to match heavier fabrics. Voile is used for clothing, especially for blouses and summer dresses, and for curtains and similar items.
warp
The group of yarns placed first on a
loom in weaving. Warp runs parallel to the
selvage, forming the length of the fabric. The filling threads are interlaced over and under the warp threads in a pattern or weave. See weaving and
selvage.
basket weave
Basket weave is made with two or more filling threads passing over and under an equal number of
warp threads on alternate rows.
plain weave
Plain weave, the best known and most basic form of weaving, is made by passing the filling
thread over and under one
warp thread in alternating rows.
satin weave
A weave that produces a very smooth surfaced fabric. It is made by passing the filling
threads under several
warp threads before passing over one
warp thread. Satin weave is used to make sateens in which
cotton filling
thread goes over several
cotton warps, then under one
warp.
twill weave
A weave with a diagonal
rib (
twill line) that runs from the upper left to the lower right, or from upper right to lower left. In a
twill weave, each filling
thread passes over or under at least two
warp threads, with the point where the filling
thread goes under moving up and over at least one
thread in each row. Herringbone weave is a broken
twill weave which forms Vs in the weave pattern.
weft
Another name for filling, the crosswise
thread that interlaces with the
warp threads on a woven fabric. Other names are
woof,
shoot, and
shute.
weft knitting
A process in which the
thread runs back and forth crosswise in a fabric. See
warp knitting.
woof
Another name for filling, the crosswise
thread that interlaces with the
warp threads on a woven fabric. Other names are
weft,
shoot, and
shute. See filling.
