As a beginner sewer, you’ll first want to familiarize yourself with the essential sewing terms. This will make it easier for you to pick up techniques and understand what a complex project might look like.
Once you go through this handy guide to sewing terms and definitions, you can become more familiar with the different sewing machine needle sizes and types.
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Sewing Terms You Need to Know
Whether you’re looking to develop your sewing skills for small craft projects or go full-on garment making or alterations, your starting point should be understanding the main sewing terms.
Knowing the meanings of basic words like seam allowance and basting can help you sew with accuracy and precision, as well as allow you to communicate effectively with other sewists.
I’ve put together a handy guide on the essential sewing terms to help boost your confidence and take on your first sewing challenges in no time.
You can also download a printable version of the sewing glossary that contains all the following sewing terms and definitions, ad-free and with no pictures. Great to keep it close in your sewing room.
Sewing Glossary
A
APPLIQUE
The technique of embellishing a sewing project by applying fabric shapes to a background fabric and stitching around its edges using a close zigzag stitch.
ACRYLIC TEMPLATES
These tools are available in different shapes and are incredibly helpful for precise cutting, like when you’re cutting shapes like triangles. The acrylic templates can come in handy when you’re working on small sewing craft projects.
ARMHOLE
The armhole is the opening in the bodice where you attach the sleeve.
ARMHOLE CURVE RULER (FRENCH CURVE)
This is a tool that measures and marks armholes in bodice patterns.
B
BACKSTITCH
Backstitches are reverse stitches used to secure seams that are not going to be oversewn later. At the beginning of a seam, you’ll be sewing 3-4 stitches forwards, then 3-4 backstitches, then sew forwards again. When you reach the end of the seam, you’ll be stitching 3-4 backstitches to secure it.
To backstitch just hold down the reverse lever on your machine and the machine will sew backward.
BAR TACK
Bartack is a series of high-density zig-zag stitches used to reinforce stress points on garments. They are used on jeans zippers, pocket openings, buttonholes, and belt loops.
BASTING (TACKING)
Basting or tacking refers to sewing pieces of fabric together using a long, loose line of stitches. Basting secures the fabric before permanent sewing.
BIAS
The bias of the fabric refers to the 45-degree angle diagonal of the fabric’s grain line. Cutting on the bias allows a little “give” and it’s sometimes called for in garments (dresses or skirts) so the fabric will stretch around curves without puckering.
BIAS BINDING
Bias binding refers to covering the raw edge of a hem or seam with bias tape. If the binding is attached around a curve (neckline, armholes) it will stretch easily. Alongside covering the raw edge of a seam, you can add a bit of color to your item by using a contrasting fabric color for the bias tape.
BIAS TAPE
Bias tape is a strip of fabric cut on the diagonal at a 45-degree angle used for finishing edges on some items. You can easily make it yourself using either a bias binding machine or a small bias tape maker, or you can buy it from fabric stores.
BLOCKING THE FABRIC
Preparing the fabric for sewing is known as blocking. Washing fabrics, either by hand or machine, can lead to shrinking or altering the texture of the material. Thus, it’s important to wash the fabric before you sew it to get an idea of the end result.
BOBBIN
A bobbin is a small spool with thread that comes up from the bottom and meets the thread from the top spool to form a stitch. When you are setting up your sewing machine, you will need to wind the bobbin and put it in the bobbin case in order to stitch.
BONING
Boning is used when making dresses and corsets and provides structure to a strapless bodice so it remains in place without straps. Boning is sewn directly to the inner lining or underlining seam allowances, without going through the front of the fabric.
BOUND SEAMS
Bound seams are a great way to give your project a neat and professional look. All you need to do is use double-fold bias binding to finish the raw edge of the seam allowance. Double-fold bias binding is basically just single-fold bias tape that’s been folded in half.
One downside to this technique is that it can add a bit of bulk to your seam allowance.
BUTTON BAND
The button band in sewing (there are also knitted button bands) refers to 2 strips of fabric, where one holds the buttons, and the other one the buttonholes.
BUTTONHOLE
A buttonhole is a machine-sewn opening for a button to slip through. Many modern sewing machines come with an automatic buttonhole function. A buttonhole consists of 2 parallel rows of narrow zigzag stitches (bar tacks), sewn continually without cutting the thread. When done, carefully cut open the fabric between the stitches using a seam ripper.
C
CLIPPING AND NOTCHING
Clipping and notching are small cuts that reduce bulk or ease tension in curved seams, such as armholes and necklines. Clips are straight cuts inside the curve, while notches are v-shaped cuts outside it. Be sure to cut close, but not through the line of stitches.
D
DARTS
Darts are triangle-shaped folds that help shape the bodice (waist, bust, and shoulders). Trace the stitching line of the darts, but do not cut them out.
E
EASE
Ease is the extra room in clothing that allows you to be comfortable and move around with ease. When constructing your pattern, add the right amount of ease to your body measurements so you’ll feel comfortable in the finished garment.
F
FEED DOG LEVER
The feed dog lever is used to raise or lower the feed dogs.
FEED DOGS
The feed dogs are saw-shaped teeth on your sewing machine that move the fabric during stitching. You can lower the position of the feed dogs when you need to control the fabric’s direction.
FACING
Facing is a great way to add strength and structure to a part of a garment, and help it keep its shape. It’s a mirrored image of just a part of a pattern, like a neckline or an armhole. Compared to the lining, separate facings use less fabric, so it’s a more economical option.
FUSIBLE INTERFACING
Fusible interfacing can be bonded with the wrong side of the fabric to give strength and structure to your garment.
FAT QUARTER
A fat quarter is a yard of fabric that you cut into two pieces: one going lengthwise down the middle and the other going horizontally straight down the middle.
FOOT PEDAL
The foot pedal is the floor pedal that you press with your foot to make the machine sew.
G
GATHERS/GATHERING
The gathering is a way to form frills and add volume to cloth. Gathers are typically used when making drapes or skirts and are relatively unstructured.
GRAINLINE
The grain line is the arrow depicted on a pattern and indicates the direction in which the pattern should be placed on the fabric. An arrow pointing up and down means that you should place the pattern so it aligns with the lengthwise grain. If the arrow points diagonally across the pattern, then you should lay the pattern on the bias.
H
HEM
A hem is the most common way of finishing the edge of a project. You’ll fold the edge of the fabric to the wrong side and stitch it in place.
I
INTERFACING
Interfacing is used to give stability and structure to garments. It’s usually used on collars, cuffs or neckline facings.
INVISIBLE ZIPPER
An invisible zipper is sewn so the teeth or coils of the zipper are concealed under narrow flaps of fabric. You will need a special foot when sewing zippers, called a zipper foot.
K
KNIT FABRICS/KNITS
Knit fabrics are created by looping and interlocking yarns which makes them stretchy. If you’re looking to sew knit fabrics you will need a serger sewing machine. Alternatively, you can use a regular sewing machine with a small zigzag stitch and a ballpoint needle.
L
LINING
The lining is a layer of fabric that is placed beneath your garment. Generally, the lining is made in the same way as the clothing. Just like the underlining, it can bring structure or stop the main fabric from being see-through.
M
MARK
Marking refers to transferring pattern markings onto the fabric. You can use dressmaker carbon paper, chalk, water-soluble transfer fabric, tailors tacks, or pins.
MITRED CORNERS
Mitred corners is the technique of sewing a hem on items with square corners.
N
NOTCH/CLIP
Clipping and notching are small cuts that reduce bulk or ease tension in curved seams, such as armholes and necklines. Clips are straight cuts inside the curve, while notches are v-shaped cuts outside it. Be sure to cut close, but not through the line of stitches.
P
PINS
Pins are essential tools for sewing because they keep your fabric in place while you sew. When you pin, make sure you place the pins so they’ll be easy to remove as you sew – that way, you won’t accidentally hit the pinhead.
PIN CUSHION
Unlike embroidery pin cushions where you store your needles when sewing you’ll use pin cushions to hold your pins. They can be fabric-based or magnetic.
PRESS
Iron pressing is a great way to make your seams look neat and tidy. Pressing is the action of pressing down and lifting the iron instead of running the iron over the fabric.
PRESS CLOTH
In order to protect your fabric when ironing you will have to use a piece of fabric in between. This will prevent marking from your iron or protect your iron if you’re using fusible interfacing.
I usually use cotton muslin as a press cloth.
PRESSER FOOT
The presser foot is the metallic part of your sewing machine that holds the fabric against the feed dogs.
R
RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER
This means placing the right sides of the fabric facing each other on the inside with the wrong sides of the fabric showing on the outside.
RIGHT SIDE
The right side refers to the front of the fabric, and for many fabrics, there is a clear distinction between the right and wrong sides. If you find it difficult to identify which side is the right or wrong side, use pins or chalk to label the fabric.
RUNNING STITCH
A running stitch is a hand-sewn stitch that creates a dotted line. To sew a running stitch, come up from the back and create a straight stitch, then come again up and create another straight stitch, leaving a small gap between your stitches.
S
SAFETY PINS
Safety pins come in handy when you’re turning sewn small fabric pieces inside out.
SATIN STITCH
The satin stitch in sewing is basically a zigzag stitch sewn very close together.
SEAM
The seam is a line of straight stitching used to sew two or more fabrics together.
SEAM ALLOWANCE
The seam allowance is the distance between the raw edge of your fabric and your stitching line. The standard seam allowance is 5/8” (1.5cm), but you should always check the pattern’s instructions as this might vary.
Most modern sewing machines will have the seam allowance marked on the throat plate, making it easy to align your fabric to the marking and start sewing.
SEAM FINISH
Depending on the project and fabric you’re working on, you might want to finish the raw edges. A seam finish (finishing the seam allowance) prevents your fabric from fraying and gives your project a professional look.
You can finish your seams by stitching a zigzag stitch or overlock stitch (if your machine has this option) using a regular sewing machine, or with a serger stitch using a serger sewing machine. In some cases using pinking shears will be enough to stop the fabric from fraying.
SEAM GUIDES
Most modern sewing machines will have seam guides marked on the throat plate, making it easy to align your fabric to the marking and start sewing. If your machine doesn’t have seam guides, you can place masking tape at a 1.5cm (or how much your seam allowance should be) distance from the needle and use this as a sewing guide.
SEAM RIPPER
A seam ripper is a small tool you can use to remove sewing mistakes or temporary basting stitches. I sometimes use it for hand embroidery too, for the same purpose, to fix stitching mistakes.
SERGER STITCH
A serger stitch is a stretchy stitch used when sewing knits and finishing the raw edge of a seam allowance by wrapping it in thread. This prevents your fabric from fraying and gives your garment a more professional look. You can see this in most mass-produced garments.
You will need a special serger sewing machine for this stitch though. If you don’t have access to a serger sewing machine, check your sewing machine for the overlock stitch, which produces a similar stitch. For the overlock stitch (if your machine comes with it) you will need a special presser foot.
STAYSTITCH
A stay stitch is a line of stitches done to stabilize the fabrics cut out in curves, like a neckline or armhole, before sewing it into a garment.
Why do you need staystitching? When you cut a piece of fabric in a curved shape and you start manipulating it (moving to and from the sewing machine, turning it) it tends to stretch. To avoid distorting the fabric you should staystitch it right after you cut it out, using a short stitch length, and sewing inside the seam allowance, close to the final stitching line.
STRAIGHT STITCH
Straight stitch is the most basic of all machine stitches. You’ll also find it under the name of “lock” stitch and it produces, as the name suggests, a straight line of stitches. You can use it for sewing seams (sewing two or more fabrics together), topstitching, hems, attaching zippers, binding and piping.
STITCH LENGTH
The stitch length depends on the thickness of your fabric and the purpose of your stitch (stitching a seam or topstitching). Check your machine guide for the right sizes.
Or, use these approximate sizes:
- Fine fabrics: 2-2.5mm
- Medium fabrics: 2.5-3mm
- Heavy fabrics – 4.5-5mm
- Basting, gatherings, and topstitching: 4.5mm
STITCHING LINE
The stitching line is the line you will actually sew. When you’re modifying a pattern you’ll need to draw this line yourself.
SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES
When sewing using a sewing machine you will need special needles to do the job. There’s a wide variety of sewing machine needle sizes and types and choosing the right one depends on the fabric type, fabric weight, and thread type you’ll be using.
SEWING SCISSORS
When cutting fabrics you will need good-quality sharp dressmaking scissors. Keep these scissors only for cutting fabrics.
Use all-purpose scissors for cutting paper or other materials, small sharp embroidery scissors for cutting threads, and pinking shears (zigzag scissors) for cutting fabrics that might fray.
SPOOL OF THREAD
The spool of thread is sitting at the top of your machine and it’s fed down to the needle eye. A machine stitch needs two threads, one fed from the top spool and the other from the bottom threaded bobbin. You should use matching color threads for the top spool and the bottom bobbin.
T
TAILOR’S TACKS
Tailor’s tacks refer to temporary loose hand stitches used to trace patterns onto the fabric.
THREAD TENSION
Thread tension refers to the stitch tension and depends on the thickness of your fabric. The correct tension means the stitches interlock evenly.
You can easily adjust the thread tension from the upper tension control disc.
TOPSTITCHING
Topstitching is a decorative stitch used on the right side of the fabric to keep the seam allowance flat. It makes the edges look crisp and you’ll sew it with a longer stitch than for a regular seam.
TWIN NEEDLE
Twin needles create two rows of stitches simultaneously and are used for topstitching.
TURN
For certain projects, you have to join the right sides of the fabric together and leave a space open. Turning the right side out involves pulling the fabric to that opening so that the right part of the fabric is now visible.
U
UNDER STITCH
Understitching is a technique used in garment making to stop the facing or lining from showing up on the outside of the garment.
UNDERLINING
Underlining is used to give lightweight fabrics more structure or to stop them from being see-through. The underlining is cut from the same pieces as the main fabric. Pin it to the wrong side of the main fabric and baste the two fabrics together by hand.
W
WEAVE
A fabric weave refers to its construction. The basic weaves are plain, twill, and satin.
WRONG SIDE
The wrong side refers to the back of the fabric, and for many fabrics, there is a clear distinction between the right and wrong sides. If you find it difficult to identify which side is the right or wrong side, use pins or chalk to label the fabric.
Z
ZIGZAG STITCH
A zigzag stitch is used for tidying edges, making buttonholes, and in applique.
ZIPPER
Zippers are perfect for adding functional and stylish fastening to any project. They can be hidden or made into a design feature for a more eye-catching effect.
ZIPPER FOOT
This is a special foot designed with notches on either side, allowing the presser foot to get as close as possible to the zipper’s teeth.
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