RBSE Sec Voc Apparel Made-Ups and Home Furnishing flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Staple versus filament fibre

Staple fibres are short, measured in centimetres, and must be spun into yarn; filament fibres are continuous strands that can be used directly or cut into staple.

Moisture regain

The percentage of moisture a dry fibre absorbs from standard atmosphere, expressed as a percentage of its dry weight. Cotton is about 8.5 percent and polyester about 0.4 percent.

Tex and denier

Direct yarn count systems. Tex is the mass in grams of 1000 metres of yarn; denier is the mass in grams of 9000 metres. Larger numbers mean coarser yarn.

Plain weave

The simplest weave where each warp end passes alternately over and under each weft pick. It is strong and firm but has low tear strength and little drape.

Twill weave

A weave producing diagonal lines on the fabric surface because warp and weft interlace in a stepped pattern. It drapes well and hides soil, as in denim and gabardine.

Dart manipulation

Moving a dart from one position to another around a pivot point without changing fit, or slashing and spreading to add volume for gathers and flares.

Trueing a pattern

Checking that adjoining pattern edges match in length and shape, that notches align, and that corners are squared, so pieces sew together without distortion.

Grain line

A line marked on the pattern showing the direction of the warp threads. It must run parallel to centre front or back so the garment hangs straight.

Grading increments

The size difference added or subtracted between consecutive sizes at each cardinal point, commonly four to six centimetres at bust and hip per size step.

Seam allowance

The extra fabric beyond the stitching line, typically one centimetre on seams and more at hems and waistlines, allowing the garment to be joined and altered.

Lockstitch 301

A two-thread stitch formed by a needle thread and bobbin thread interlocking in the fabric. It is the standard seam stitch for woven garments.

Overlock stitch

A multi-thread stitch that trims and encases the raw edge while joining seams. It is used for neatening edges and for stretch knits.

French seam

An enclosed seam where the raw edges are hidden inside a fold and stitched twice. It suits light, sheer fabrics and gives a neat inside finish.

Stitch density

The number of stitches per inch or centimetre. Ten to fourteen stitches per inch is typical for woven apparel; too few cause seam grin.

Cap ease

The extra length of a sleeve cap over the armhole, usually two to four centimetres, which is eased in to shape the sleeve over the shoulder.

Elements of design

The building blocks of a design: line, shape or form, colour, texture and space. They are combined using principles such as balance and proportion.

Complementary colour scheme

A colour scheme using hues opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as blue and orange. It gives strong contrast and visual emphasis.

Technical flat sketch

A scaled, detailed line drawing of a garment showing seams, topstitching, closures and trims as they would appear flat, used for specification and production.

Fashion cycle

The stages a style passes through: introduction, rise in popularity, peak, decline and obsolescence. Classics have long cycles and fads have short ones.

Appliqué

A technique where fabric shapes are cut and stitched onto a base fabric. Variants include raw-edge, turned-edge and reverse appliqué.

Batik resist dyeing

A resist technique where hot wax is applied to fabric before dyeing; waxed areas resist the dye and create crackle patterns after the wax is removed.

Satin stitch embroidery

Closely packed straight stitches worked side by side to fill a shape with a smooth, glossy surface. It is used for petals, leaves and monograms.

Curtain fullness ratio

The fabric width divided by the window width. Pencil pleat needs about 1.5 times fullness, gathered and eyelet headings about two to two and a half times.

Thread count

The number of warp and weft threads in one square inch of fabric. For cotton sheeting, 200 to 400 is considered good quality.

Fitted sheet pocket depth

The mattress depth plus an allowance of ten to fifteen centimetres, so the sheet tucks under the mattress and stays in place after washing.

Marker efficiency

The area of pattern pieces divided by the total marker area, expressed as a percentage. Higher efficiency means less fabric waste in cutting.

CMT garment trade

Cut, Make and Trim: the buyer supplies fabric and the manufacturer charges only for cutting, sewing and finishing. The buyer retains design and material risk.

Break-even quantity

Fixed costs divided by the difference between unit selling price and variable cost per unit. It is the number of units that must be sold to cover costs.

Cost-plus pricing

A pricing method that adds a fixed markup percentage to the total cost of materials, labour and overheads to arrive at the selling price.

Care label symbols

Standard pictograms for washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and dry cleaning. Dots and bars indicate temperature and treatment intensity.

AQL inspection

Acceptable Quality Level sampling, where a defined number of units is inspected and a lot is accepted if defects fall within the sampling plan limits.

Burn test for wool

Wool burns slowly with the smell of burning hair, forms a black crushable ash and self-extinguishes. Cotton instead smells of burning paper and leaves grey ash.