The Alchemist Diaries

Appliqué: A decorative technique where one fabric is stitched onto another to create a design.

Blind Hem: A hemming technique where the stitches are nearly invisible on the right side of the fabric.

Backstitch: A reverse stitch used at the beginning and end of a seam to secure the stitches.

Basting: Temporary stitches used to hold fabric pieces together before permanent sewing.

Bias: The diagonal direction of a fabric, often used for cutting strips or binding due to its stretch.

Bobbin: A small spool that holds the lower thread in a sewing machine.

Buttonhole: An opening in fabric through which a button is fastened.

Clipping: Making small cuts into the seam allowance to allow curved or shaped seams to lie flat.

Drape: The way fabric hangs or falls, often used to describe the overall look and feel of a garment.

Dart: A tapered seam that adds shape to a garment, typically used for fitting.

Ease: The slight gathering of fabric to make one piece fit into another.

Edge Stitching: Stitching close to the edge of a seam or fabric for a decorative or reinforcing effect.

Feed Dogs: The teeth-like mechanisms on a sewing machine that move the fabric through the machine during stitching.

Fusible Interfacing: Interfacing that has a heat-activated adhesive and is attached to fabric with an iron.

Grading Seams: Trimming seam allowances at different widths to reduce bulk in a seam.

Gathering: The process of easing in fabric to create fullness.

Grainline: The direction of the threads in a fabric, usually indicated by an arrow on a pattern.

Hem: The finished edge of a garment, folded and stitched to prevent fraying.

Inseam: The seam on the inner side of a garment, often found in pants or trousers.

Interfacing: A layer of fabric placed between the main fabric and lining to provide structure and support.

Lining: A separate layer of fabric on the inside of a garment, providing a finished look and added comfort.

Mitered Corner: A technique for neatly finishing the corners of items like quilts or napkins.

Mock Flat-Felled Seam: A seam finishing technique that mimics the appearance of a flat-felled seam.

Nap: The texture or pile of a fabric that can change appearance when brushed in different directions.

Notions: Small, additional sewing supplies such as buttons, zippers, and thread.

Overcasting: Stitching along the raw edge of fabric to prevent fraying.

Pivot: To stop the sewing machine with the needle down, lift the presser foot, and turn the fabric.

Pattern: A template for cutting fabric pieces to create a garment.

Pinking Shears: Scissors with serrated blades used to reduce fabric fraying.

Presser Foot: The attachment on a sewing machine that holds the fabric in place while stitching.

Quilting: The process of stitching through multiple layers of fabric and batting to create a padded textile.

Raw Edge: The cut edge of fabric that is not finished.

Seam Allowance: The area between the fabric edge and the line of stitching.

Seam Finish: Any technique used to prevent raw edges from fraying, such as serging or zigzag stitching.

Selvage: The finished edge of a fabric that runs parallel to the warp.

Serger/Overlocker: A specialized sewing machine that trims, stitches, and finishes seams in one step.

Slash and Spread: A pattern adjustment technique involving cutting and spreading to add fullness.

Sleeve Placket: An opening in a garment’s sleeve to allow ease of putting it on and taking it off.

Staystitching: A row of straight stitches sewn along a curved edge to prevent stretching.

Stitch Length/Width: The distance between stitches or the width of a stitch.

Tack: A small, temporary stitch used to hold fabric in place.

Topstitching: Decorative stitching on the outside of a garment, usually parallel to a seam.

Twin Needle: A needle with two points, used for creating parallel rows of stitching.

Underlining: A layer of fabric sewn to the wrong side of the main fabric for added support and structure.

Understitching: A technique where the seam allowance is stitched to the facing to prevent it from rolling to the outside.

Vent: An opening in a garment, often found in skirts or jackets, to allow for movement.

Walking Foot: A presser foot that evenly feeds multiple layers of fabric through the sewing machine.

Yoke: A shaped pattern piece that provides support and shaping in a garment, often found in shirts or skirts.

Zigzag Stitch: A sewing machine stitch that creates a zigzag pattern, often used for finishing edges or sewing stretch fabrics.

Zipper Foot: A presser foot designed for attaching zippers to fabric.