lockstitch
A stitch made by a sewing machine in which two threads are interlocked.
Textile production
250 entries in this trade.
loft
The thickness of a soft object when not under pressure.
long and short stitch
A pattern of alternating long and short stitches.
longarm
A free-motion sewing machine with an extended arm and frame for holding large quilts.
longtail cast-on
A type of cast-on technique involving a long tail of yarn.
LYS
Initialism of local yarn store
M
Initialism of medium (the manufactured size or an item of that size).
macaroni dress
A type of extravagant and flamboyant clothing worn by a subculture of young English men in the late 18th century.
machine lace
A style of lace that is made or replicated using mechanical means.
Martindale
A unit for quantifying the abrasion resistance of textiles, especially when used for upholstery.
Martindale method
A test designed to measure the durability of a fabric.
matchbox skirt
A type of skirt consisting of a boxy and rectangular shape.
medium
One of several common sizes to which an item may be manufactured, smaller than a large but larger than a small.
mi-parti
adjectiveTextile production
Vertically divided into distinctly-coloured or patterned halves; party per pale.
mirrorwork
A type of embroidery which attaches small pieces of reflective metal to fabric.
mock turtleneck
A neck collar for a knit garment that is shorter and typically not as loose as a regular turtleneck.
motif
A decorative appliqué design or figure, as of lace or velvet, used in trimming.
nap dress
A type of women's dress having heavy smocking, overexaggerated puff sleeves and a typically long, slightly pleated skirt.
needle threader
A device for pulling a thread through the small eye of a needle.
New Zealand cotton
A fiber from the bast of Plagianthus betulinus that resembles cotton.
nostepinne
A tool used to wind yarn into a ball for use in knitting, crocheting, or weaving.
nun's thread
A specific type of fine, white sewing thread historically associated with the needlework of nuns.
one-size-fits-all
adjectiveTextile production
Of a garment, designed to be worn with comfort by people with a wide range of sizes.
Orleans
A cloth made of worsted and cotton, used for making clothes.
overbust
The circumference of a woman's chest, measured over the breasts.
overtop
A garment designed to be worn over the top portion of other clothes, such as an overshirt, vest, or overtunic.
Pamela hat
A straw hat or bonnet popular from the 1790s to the 1870s.
parka
A long jacket with a hood which protects the wearer against rain and wind.
pattern box
A box at each side of a loom containing the various shuttles that may be used.
peak
visor (horizontal part of a cap sticking out in front and shading the wearer's eyes)
peekaboo blouse
A blouse that is made partially or completely of fabric that is sheer or transparent and usually reveals portions of the breasts.
peekaboo dress
A dress that is made partially or completely of fabric that is sheer or transparent and that reveals small portions of skin.
percale
A fine, closely woven fabric, made from cotton, polyester or a mix of these, and used for sheets and clothing.
Peter Pan collar
A flat collar with rounded ends, cut to fit around the curve of the neckline, usually white or pale-coloured.
pfleiderer
A toothed machine for shredding cellulose in the manufacture of synthetic materials.
pick stitch
A simple running stitch that catches only a few threads of the fabric, showing very little of the thread on the right (outer) side of the garment.
picqué work
pounced work; decoration by dots or slight depressions
pie crust collar
A high collar which has an even ruffle in the shape of a fluted pie crust.
piece goods
textiles sold by pieces or fixed sizes, such as cloth from clothes-making, calicos, sheetings, etc.
piece-dye
To dye (a finished fabric) after it has been woven or knitted, but before it is cut and sewn into finished products like garments.
pill
A small piece of any substance, for example a ball of fibers formed on the surface of a textile fabric by rubbing.
pincushion
A device, originally like a small, stuffed cushion, designed to have sewing pins and needles stuck into it to store them safely; some modern pincushions hold the objects magnetically.
pink salt
Any salt that is pink in color. Especially:
pinking shears
A pair of scissors with zigzag cutting edges, used to cut fabric: the zigzag edge helps keep the fabric from fraying.
playshorts
Shorts meant for casual or leisure activities, particularly for younger people.
pleat
A fold in the fabric of a garment, usually a skirt, as a part of the design of the garment, with the purpose of adding controlled fullness and freedom of movement, or taking up excess fabric. There are many types of pleats, differing in their construction and appearance.
A bag stitched to an item of clothing, used for carrying small items.
pocket square
A handkerchief worn in a breast pocket as an accessory to a suit.
point presser
An object with a free-standing point for use in ironing collars, corners and facings.
pouf
Part of an item of clothing consisting of gathered fabric in a bunch.
princess cut
A garment style in which vertical panels of material are shaped to follow the outline of the figure.
quilting needle
A specialized sewing needle designed for quilting, consisting of a short length, fine diameter, a sharp or slightly rounded tapered point, and a small round eye to enable even stitches.
race
A guide or channel that a component of a machine moves along:
red liquor
A solution consisting essentially of aluminium acetate, used as a mordant in the fixation of dyestuffs on vegetable fiber.
reed
A comb-like part of a beater for beating the weft when weaving.
regain
The amount of width a woven cloth grows by when the fibers swell, used to determine the width of the reed to use in weaving.
rev st st
Abbreviation of reverse stocking stitch; reverse stockinette stitch.
right side
The side of a fabric, often with a more visible color or pattern, that is intended to face outward on a finished project.
ring spinner
A machine for spinning, in which the twist, given to the yarn by a revolving bobbin, is regulated by the drag of a small metal loop which slides around a ring encircling the bobbin, instead of by a throstle.
rocking tree
The axle from which the lay of a loom is suspended.