Tamil Nadu HSE First Year Textile and Dress Designing key terms

The smallest hair-like unit from which yarns and fabrics are made; it is long in relation to its width, flexible, and can be spun or felted into textile material.

A short natural fibre measured in centimetres, such as cotton, jute or wool; short lengths must be twisted together to form a yarn and give fabrics a softer, less lustrous surface.

A fibre of indefinite or very long length, either produced naturally by the silkworm or extruded through a spinneret; filaments run the full length of the yarn without needing to be overlapped.

A natural cellulose seed hair obtained from the boll of the cotton plant; it is absorbent, comfortable, takes dye well, washes easily, and is the main fibre of the Tamil Nadu textile industry.

A natural protein filament secreted by the silkworm larva to build its cocoon; it is smooth, lustrous, strong and elastic, and is produced in large quantity in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

A natural protein fibre grown as the fleece of sheep; its natural crimp and overlapping scales trap air, giving warmth, elasticity and felting ability, but it shrinks and felts in hot water.

A man-made fibre produced by dissolving a natural polymer and extruding it into filaments, for example viscose rayon made from wood pulp or acetate made from cellulose.

A man-made fibre built from chemical polymers such as polyester, nylon or acrylic; these fibres are strong, quick-drying and thermoplastic, but have low moisture absorption.

A fibre that softens and can be reshaped when heated and hardens again on cooling; this property allows polyester and nylon to be heat-set into permanent pleats and creases.

A continuous, usable assembly of fibres or filaments twisted or laid together, suitable for weaving, knitting or sewing; its twist, count and evenness decide the handle of the final fabric.

The sequence of processes that cleans, aligns, drafts and twists staple fibres into a continuous yarn, traditionally carding, drawing, roving and ring spinning in a spinning mill.

The opening and cleaning process in which fibres are separated into individual strands and formed into a loose rope called a sliver, removing trash and neps before further drafting.

A loose, untwisted rope of parallel fibres produced by carding or combing; it is the intermediate form that is later drawn, roved and twisted into yarn.

A thin, lightly twisted strand of fibres produced just before final spinning; it is drafted to the required fineness and then twisted into yarn on the ring frame.

A process that removes short fibres and impurities from carded cotton, leaving long parallel fibres; combed yarn is smoother, stronger and more expensive than carded yarn.

A number expressing yarn fineness; in the indirect English cotton count a higher number means a finer yarn, while direct systems such as tex give the weight per fixed length.

The spiral turns given to a strand of fibres to hold them together as yarn; twist direction is called S or Z, and more twist gives strength up to a point, then liveliness and harshness.

A yarn made by twisting two or more single yarns together; plying improves strength, evenness and smoothness, and the number of plies is stated, for example two-ply or three-ply.

The machine on which woven fabric is produced by interlacing two sets of yarns at right angles; its main parts are the warp beam, heald shafts, reed, shuttle or weft inserter, and cloth roller.

The lengthwise set of parallel yarns held under tension on the loom; warp yarns must be strong and are usually sized before weaving to resist abrasion.

The crosswise yarn inserted over and under the warp during weaving; weft yarns are usually softer and less twisted than warp yarns and run from selvedge to selvedge.

The simplest weave in which each weft passes alternately over and under one warp end; it gives a firm, reversible fabric such as cotton sheeting, poplin or muslin.

A weave producing diagonal lines on the surface because weft floats step across the warp by two or more ends each pick; twill is firm, drapes well and hides soil, as in denim.

A weave in which floats of four or more yarns lie over each other in a regular order, giving a smooth, lustrous face and a dull back; long floats make it prone to snagging.

The firmly woven lengthwise edge of a fabric formed where the weft turns back; it prevents fraying and is normally removed before cutting garments because it shrinks differently.

A fabric construction method in which loops of yarn are interlocked in rows; knitted fabrics stretch, are porous and comfortable, and are made by weft knitting or warp knitting.

Knitting in which one continuous yarn forms successive horizontal courses of loops; examples are single jersey, rib and interlock, and the fabric stretches mainly across the width.

A fabric made directly from fibres bonded by heat, chemicals, needle punching or adhesive, without spinning or weaving; examples include felt, interfacing and disposable hospital textiles.

The wet and dry treatments applied to fabric after weaving or knitting to improve appearance, handle or performance, such as bleaching, mercerising, calendering, shrinking and softening.

Treatment of cotton with strong caustic soda under tension, which swells the fibre, increases lustre and strength, and improves dye uptake; the fabric must be rinsed thoroughly afterwards.

The process of giving colour to fibre, yarn or fabric by applying dye that penetrates and is fixed to the material; methods include vat, direct, reactive, acid and pigment dyeing.

Applying colour in a designed pattern to one side of a fabric rather than colouring the whole piece; block, screen and roller printing are common methods in Tamil Nadu textile units.

The basic visual components used to build a design: line, shape, form, colour, texture and space; in dress designing they decide silhouette, proportion and the placement of decoration.

The rules for arranging design elements well: balance, rhythm, emphasis, proportion, harmony and unity; they guide the designer in placing colour, line and trimming on a garment.

A circular chart showing primary, secondary and tertiary colours, used to choose harmonious colour schemes such as complementary, analogous and triadic combinations for a garment.

The surface quality of a fabric or design, perceived by touch or sight as smooth, rough, shiny, dull, stiff or soft; texture affects the visual size and warmth of a garment.

The study of an individual's body measurements, posture and proportions so that a pattern can be altered to fit; it notes high or sloping shoulders, prominent abdomen and other variations.

The standard body dimensions such as bust, waist, hip, shoulder width and back length taken with a tape measure; accurate measurement is the basis of a well-fitting pattern.

Drawing a pattern to actual body measurements on paper using set rules and construction lines, producing a basic block such as a bodice or sleeve block from which designs are developed.

Adjusting a drafted pattern to suit an individual figure, for example lengthening a bodice, widening a sleeve or moving a dart, while keeping the balance and grain lines correct.

The extra width added outside the stitching line when cutting fabric, commonly one centimetre or five-eighth inch, so the seam can be stitched, pressed and finished without reducing the garment.

A wedge-shaped fold stitched into fabric to shape it to the curves of the body at bust, waist, hip or shoulder; the dart intake is widest at the seam edge and tapers to a point.

The direction of the warp yarns in a woven fabric; the lengthwise grain is strongest and least stretchy, so patterns are laid with the grain line parallel to the selvedge.

The diagonal direction of a woven fabric at 45 degrees to the warp and weft; bias-cut strips stretch and curve easily, making them ideal for binding curved necklines and armholes.

A machine that forms a stitch by interlocking needle and bobbin threads through the fabric; the domestic lockstitch machine has a needle, bobbin case, feed dog, presser foot and tension discs.

A machine that trims the raw edge and encloses it in a multi-thread stitch, preventing fraying and giving a stretchable finish on knits; it is also called a serger.

The distance between successive needle penetrations, set by the stitch regulator; short stitches suit fine fabrics and stay stitching, while long stitches are used for basting and gathering.

The balance of pull between the upper needle thread and the lower bobbin thread; correct tension makes both threads meet inside the fabric, while loose or tight tension causes loops or puckering.

The line of stitching joining two pieces of fabric, usually with a seam allowance; common types are plain, French, run-and-fell and lapped seams, chosen according to fabric and purpose.

The treatment of raw seam edges to stop fraying and give a neat inside, by overcasting, pinking, binding, zigzag stitching or enclosing within a French seam.

A temporary long running stitch worked by hand or machine to hold fabric layers together before final stitching or fitting; the basting threads are removed once permanent stitching is complete.