Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Textile and Dress Designing key terms

The smallest hair-like unit from which yarn and fabric are made; it is long compared with its width and flexible enough to be twisted into thread.

A short fibre measured in centimetres, such as cotton, wool or jute; short fibres must be twisted together in spinning to form a continuous yarn.

A fibre of indefinite or very great length, either natural like silk or man-made from a spinneret; filaments may be used as a single strand or cut into staple.

A fibre whose main substance is cellulose, the material of plant cell walls; cotton, linen, jute and viscose rayon belong to this group and share good absorbency.

A fibre built from protein chains, as in wool and silk from animals; such fibres are warmer, more elastic and more sensitive to alkalis than cellulosic fibres.

A man-made fibre produced by dissolving a natural raw material and forcing the solution through a spinneret, for example viscose rayon from wood pulp.

A man-made fibre built from chemical polymers such as polyester, nylon or acrylic; it is produced by extrusion and is generally strong, quick-drying and thermoplastic.

A fibre that softens and can be reshaped when heated and hardens on cooling; polyester and nylon behave this way, so they need low iron temperatures and care in drying.

A unit expressing the thickness of filament yarn: the weight in grams of 9,000 metres of yarn. A higher denier means a coarser, heavier yarn.

A number describing yarn thickness by relating length to weight, or weight to length; cotton count and metric count are common systems used in mill calculations.

The spiral turns given to fibres or filaments as they are twisted into yarn; twist direction (S or Z) and amount affect yarn strength, smoothness and fabric handle.

An opening and cleaning process in which fibres are separated, straightened and formed into a loose rope called sliver before further drawing and spinning.

The series of operations that draw out, twist and wind fibres into a continuous yarn; ring spinning is the most widely used method in Indian mills.

A yarn or fabric made by mixing two or more fibre types, such as polyester-cotton, so that the good qualities of each fibre compensate for the weaknesses of the other.

The set of lengthwise yarns held under tension on the loom; they form the strong, parallel threads through which the weft is interlaced.

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

The firm, tightly woven edge running along both sides of a woven fabric, formed where the weft turns back; it prevents fraying and helps identify the warp direction.

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

A weave producing diagonal lines on the fabric surface because the weft crosses two or more warp threads in a stepped order; denim and gabardine are familiar examples.

A weave in which floats of warp or weft pass over several threads before interlacing, giving a smooth, lustrous face and a dull back with poor resistance to abrasion.

The direction of yarns in a fabric; lengthwise grain follows the warp, crosswise grain follows the weft, and the bias lies at 45 degrees to both and stretches most.

A line at 45 degrees to the lengthwise and crosswise grains; bias-cut strips are stretchy and are used for piping, facing curves and soft drape.

The machine on which weaving is carried out; it holds the warp under tension and provides the motions for shedding, picking and beating up the weft.

A method of making fabric by interlocking loops of yarn; it stretches more than woven cloth and is used for vests, socks and T-shirts.

The interlacing of two sets of yarns at right angles on a loom to produce woven fabric, as distinct from loop-forming knitting or non-woven bonding.

A wet finishing treatment that removes natural impurities such as waxes, oils and dirt from fabric, usually with soap or alkali, so later dyeing is even.

A finishing process that destroys natural colouring matter so the fabric becomes white and ready to absorb dye uniformly; hydrogen peroxide is widely used for cotton.

Treating cotton under tension with strong caustic soda, which makes the fibre swell, increases lustre and strength, and improves dye uptake.

The process of giving colour to fibre, yarn or fabric by applying a dye that penetrates and is held by the material, usually from an aqueous bath.

A substance such as alum or a metallic salt applied to fibre before dyeing so the dye binds firmly and the colour becomes fast.

The ability of a dyed or printed fabric to keep its colour without fading or bleeding when exposed to washing, light, rubbing or perspiration.

Applying colour to selected areas of a fabric in a pattern, using blocks, screens or rollers, rather than immersing the whole cloth in a dye bath.

Colouring yarn before it is woven or knitted, so that checks, stripes and woven patterns appear as the fabric is made; it gives deeper shade penetration than piece dyeing.

A scaled drawing of a garment part, built on a block or from body measurements, from which a paper pattern is traced with seam allowance added.

A basic, close-fitting master pattern with no design features, made to standard measurements and used as the starting point for developing new styles.

The extra width added beyond the stitching line on a pattern, usually 1 to 1.5 cm, so the pieces can be joined without reducing the finished size.

A trial garment stitched in cheap fabric from the drafted pattern to test fit and design before cutting the final cloth.

A short, tapered fold stitched into fabric to shape it to body curves, for example at the bust or waist; it removes fullness at the seam edge.

Soft folds drawn into fabric by two rows of loose stitching that is pulled up, used to control fullness at waistlines, yokes and sleeves.

A stylised drawing with elongated proportions that communicates a garment idea, fabric and mood, rather than serving as a technical working drawing.

A quick figure sketch, often elongated, on which a designer drapes and draws garments; it forms the base of most fashion illustrations.

A circular arrangement of hues showing primary, secondary and tertiary colours; it helps a designer choose harmonious, contrasting or analogous colour schemes.

A permanently attached label giving washing, bleaching, drying and ironing instructions for a garment, so the user can clean it without damage.

The heat setting suitable for a fabric; cotton tolerates a hot iron, wool a warm one, and polyester or nylon need low heat because they soften and glaze.

The matting of wool fibres caused by heat, moisture and friction, which shrinks the fabric; it is used deliberately in some woollens but must be avoided in washing.

The ability of a fibre or fabric to take up water; cotton and viscose absorb well and feel comfortable, while polyester absorbs little and dries fast.

A person who starts and runs a business, takes the financial risk and organises money, materials and labour to supply goods or services such as tailoring or dyeing.

Working out the total expense of producing a garment or article, including material, labour, overheads and profit margin, to fix a selling price.

A small group of people, often women, who save together, borrow from a common fund and take up joint production such as tailoring, embroidery or handloom weaving.

The practical notebook in which a candidate writes up experiments, samples, drafts and finishes with dated observations; it is assessed as part of internal marks.

A small piece of fabric or a stitched article prepared in practical work to demonstrate a weave, finish, seam or dye result, mounted and labelled in the record book.