RBSE Prav Voc Apparel Made-Ups and Home Furnishing key terms

The set of lengthwise yarns held under tension on a loom or knitting machine; they run parallel to the fabric selvedge and form the structural base of a woven cloth.

The crosswise yarns inserted over and under the warp during weaving, running from selvedge to selvedge; also called filling or pick yarns.

The firmly woven, self-finished edge running along both lengthwise sides of a woven fabric that prevents fraying and marks the fabric's straight grain direction.

The direction of yarns within a fabric. Lengthwise grain follows the warp, crosswise grain follows the weft, and true bias lies at 45 degrees to both, giving maximum stretch.

A diagonal line at 45 degrees to the lengthwise and crosswise grain of a woven fabric; bias-cut strips stretch and curve well, making them useful for binding and drape.

A natural or manufactured fibre cut or grown to a short, measurable length, such as cotton or wool; staple fibres are twisted together to form spun yarns.

A continuous, indefinite-length fibre such as silk or extruded polyester; filaments may be used as single strands or cut into staple for spinning.

A numerical expression of yarn thickness. Direct systems (tex) count mass per fixed length; indirect systems (cotton count, metric count) count length per fixed mass.

A yarn made by twisting two or more single yarns together; plying increases strength, balances twist and reduces the tendency of the yarn to snarl or kink.

The spiral direction of twist in a yarn, described as S-twist or Z-twist according to the slant of the fibres; twist direction affects fabric appearance, hand and pilling.

Grams per square metre, the standard measure of fabric weight. It guides fabric selection for a garment or home furnishing item and helps estimate material cost.

A fibre-preparation process that opens, cleans and aligns staple fibres into a loose rope called a sliver before spinning, improving yarn evenness and removing short fibres and trash.

A flat, to-scale technical drawing of garment pieces built from body measurements, including seam allowances, darts and grain lines, from which production patterns are cut.

The extra width of fabric added outside the stitching line on a pattern piece, typically 1 to 1.5 cm, so the seam can be sewn and finished without reducing the garment.

A wedge of fabric folded and stitched to remove excess fullness so flat cloth conforms to body curves such as the bust, waist or shoulder blade.

The difference between body measurements and garment measurements that allows movement and comfort; design ease shapes the silhouette while wearing ease permits function.

The systematic process of increasing or decreasing a pattern's dimensions across sizes using grade rules, while preserving proportions, fit and design intent.

A plain-woven cotton fabric used to cut a test garment, or toile, that checks fit, proportion and drape before the final fabric is cut.

Any treatment applied to raw seam edges to prevent fraying and give a neat interior, such as overlocking, French seams, flat-felled seams or bound edges.

The basic two-thread sewing machine stitch formed by a needle thread interlocking with a bobbin thread; strong and reversible, it is used for most garment seams.

A multi-thread stitch that loops around the fabric edge, simultaneously seaming and finishing it to control fraying; common on knits and on woven seam allowances.

The number of stitches per unit length, usually stitches per inch or centimetre; too few cause weak seams, too many cause puckering and needle damage.

An unwanted ridge or wrinkle along a seam caused by incorrect thread tension, differential feed, needle size or fabric shrinkage, and a frequent defect in quality inspection.

Acceptable Quality Level: the maximum percentage of defective units tolerated in a sampled lot. Inspectors compare found defects against the AQL limit to accept or reject a shipment.

A fabric inspection method that assigns 1 to 4 penalty points to defects according to size, then compares total points per 100 square yards against an agreed acceptance limit.

The reduction in fabric dimensions after washing or pressing, especially in cellulosic and knit fabrics; patterns and care labels must allow for it to keep fit stable.

A permanently attached label giving laundering, drying, ironing and bleaching instructions for the item, protecting the consumer and limiting damage claims.

A circular arrangement of hues used to plan colour schemes; it shows primary, secondary and tertiary colours and the relationships of complementary, analogous and triadic harmony.

The lightness or darkness of a colour, independent of hue; value contrast controls legibility, emphasis and the mood of a design or furnishing scheme.

The unit of a printed or woven design that recurs at regular intervals; repeat size and matching determine fabric yield and seam placement in garments and curtains.

A fabric's resistance to colour loss or transfer during washing, light exposure, rubbing or perspiration, assessed on a grey scale and stated on care labels.

The process of applying colour to fibre, yarn, fabric or garment so the colour penetrates and bonds; stage of dyeing affects evenness, cost and design flexibility.

Decorative treatment added to the surface of fabric or a product, including embroidery, applique, printing, quilting, beadwork and lace insertion, to add visual and tactile value.

A decoration made by cutting a shape from one fabric and stitching it onto another, with edges turned under or finished by satin stitch or blanket stitch.

A strip of fabric, often cut on the bias, folded and stitched over a raw edge to enclose and finish it, used on necklines, armholes, quilts and furnishing edges.

A statement itemising material, labour, overhead and other costs of a product to calculate total cost, unit price and margin before quoting a buyer.

Producing a prototype or first sample to confirm design, fit, fabric and construction with the buyer before bulk production; approved samples become the reference standard.

A table of body and garment measurements for each size in a range, used to grade patterns consistently and to guide buyers and consumers in selecting fit.

The design of workstations, tools and tasks to match the human body, reducing strain, fatigue and repetitive-strain injury in cutting, sewing and finishing operations.

Personal protective equipment such as eye guards, needle guards, gloves and masks worn to protect workers from machine hazards, dust, chemicals and flying debris.