common sewing 

glossary

sewing pattern:  In sewing and fashion design, a pattern is the template from which the parts of a garment are placed onto fabric before being cut out and assembled. Patterns are usually made of paper.  They can be purchased pre printed or downloaded and assembled at home.

fabric grain:  Grain is the direction of the yarns in a fabric. ... Technically, the term grain only refers to woven fabric. The lengthwise yarns (sometimes called the warp) run parallel to the selvage edge of the fabric.

selvedge:  an edge produced on woven fabric during manufacture that prevents it from unravelling.

sewing pins:  Sewing pins are used to hold fabric together prior to sewing. They temporarily hold the fabric in place when attaching and cutting patterns, or while sewing.

hem:  the edge of a piece of cloth or clothing which has been turned under and sewn.

finished edge:  An edge finish is basically a hem, usually found in garment sewing. ... The last method is folding a thin hem along the edge and then folding it again so that no raw edges are showing.

seam: the join where two or more layers of fabric, leather, or other materials are held together with stitches. ... In clothing construction, seams are classified by their type (plain, lapped, abutted, or French seams) and position in the finished garment (center back seam, inseam, side seam).

Seam allowance: the area between the fabric edge and the stitching line on two (or more) pieces of material being sewn together. Seam allowances can range from 1⁄4 inch wide to as much as several inches.

Topstitch: a sewing technique where the line of stitching is designed to be seen from the outside of the garment, either decorative or functional. Topstitching is used most often on garment edges such as necklines and hems, where it helps facings to stay in place and gives a crisp edge.

facing: In sewing and tailoring, facing is a small piece of fabric, separate or a part of the fabric itself, used to finish the fabric edges. Facing makes a garment look professionally finished with the seams well hidden inside the folds of the facing. Facing is mostly used to finish the edges in necklines, armholes, hems and openings. They are also used widely in all other sewing like quilts and home decor items like curtain hems.

understitching: stitching a line close to the edge of a facing to keep it from rolling toward the outside. It comes in especially handy when sewing around a neckline. It keeps the facing, or lining, firmly on the inside of your garment without any stitches showing on the outside.