UPMSP Intermediate Sewing flashcards
UPMSP Intermediate Sewing · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Selvedge
- The finished lengthwise edge of a woven fabric where the weft yarns turn back. It does not fray and is used to identify the lengthwise grain when laying out a pattern.
- Bias grain
- The direction at 45 degrees to the warp and weft yarns. Bias fabric has the greatest stretch and drape, which is why bias-cut garments hang softly and bias tape curves easily around edges.
- Wearing ease
- The extra room added to a pattern beyond the body measurement so the wearer can move and breathe. A fitted bodice typically needs about 5 to 10 cm of ease at the bust.
- Grainline arrow
- A long arrow printed on a pattern piece that must be placed parallel to the selvedge. Aligning it correctly keeps the garment hanging straight and prevents twisting after washing.
- Dart
- A wedge-shaped fold stitched into fabric to remove excess fullness and shape it to the body. Darts are common at the bust, waist, and shoulder and are pressed toward the centre.
- Stay-stitching
- A row of straight stitches sewn about 1 cm inside the seam line on curved edges such as necklines and armholes. It stops the fabric from stretching before the garment is assembled.
- French seam
- A seam that encloses its raw edges inside a double row of stitching. It is made by stitching wrong sides together, trimming, turning, and stitching again, and suits sheer or light fabrics.
- Flat-fell seam
- A strong seam in which one allowance is trimmed and the other folded over it, then topstitched. It encloses raw edges, is very durable, and is typical of jeans and workwear.
- Clipping a curve
- Cutting small snips into the seam allowance of a concave curve so it can spread and lie flat. Clipping is done after stitching and before pressing, and must not cut the stitching line.
- Notching a curve
- Cutting small wedges out of the seam allowance on a convex curve so the fabric can lie flat without bulk. It is used on collars, pocket corners, and curved hems.
- Backstitch
- A few reverse stitches sewn at the start and end of a seam to lock the thread. On delicate fabrics or at dart points, threads are tied off instead to avoid bulk and puckering.
- Blind hem
- A hem finish in which tiny stitches catch only a thread or two of the outer fabric, making the stitching almost invisible. It is used for formal wear, trousers, and skirts.
- Invisible zipper
- A zipper inserted so the teeth are hidden behind the fabric folds. It is stitched with a special invisible zipper foot and is used in dresses and skirts where the closure should not show.
- Care label symbols
- Standard pictograms on a garment label showing washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and dry-cleaning instructions. Dots, bars, and numbers indicate temperature and cycle limits.
- Protein stain
- A stain from blood, egg, milk, or meat that must be removed with cold water and enzyme detergent. Hot water sets the protein into the fibres and makes the stain permanent.
- Oxygen bleach
- A colour-safe bleaching agent that releases oxygen to lift stains and brighten fabrics. Unlike chlorine bleach, it can be used on coloured cottons and does not damage wool or silk.
- GSM
- Grams per square metre, the standard measure of fabric weight. Light fabrics are roughly 50 to 150 GSM, medium 150 to 300 GSM, and heavy fabrics above 300 GSM.
- Burn test
- A fibre identification test in which a small yarn sample is burned. Cotton smells of burning paper and leaves soft ash, wool smells of burning hair, and synthetics melt into a hard bead.
- Marker efficiency
- The percentage of fabric used by pattern pieces compared with the total fabric in the marker. It is calculated as pattern area divided by fabric area times 100, and higher is better.
- SAM
- Standard Allowed Minute, the time allowed to complete one sewing operation including allowances. It is used for costing, line balancing, and wage calculation in garment factories.
- AQL
- Acceptable Quality Level, the defect rate a buyer is willing to accept in a lot. Inspectors sample a batch and accept or reject it based on the number of defects found.
- Grading
- Increasing or decreasing a pattern by a fixed amount per size to create a size range. The design lines and grainline stay proportional, and bust, waist, and hip grow at different rates.
- Toile
- A test garment made in inexpensive fabric such as muslin to check fit and design before cutting the final fabric. It is adjusted and used as a guide for the real garment.
- Ballpoint needle
- A needle with a rounded tip that pushes between the loops of knit fabric instead of cutting them. It prevents ladders and skipped stitches in jersey, rib, and interlock fabrics.
- Upper thread tension
- The tension set by the discs on the machine head that controls the top thread. Loops appearing underneath the fabric mean the upper tension is too loose and needs increasing.
- Walking foot
- An attachment with its own feed dogs that moves thick or slippery layers evenly through the machine. It is used for quilting, vinyl, and multiple layers of fabric.
- Seam gauge
- A small metal ruler with a sliding marker used to measure and mark seam allowances and hem depths consistently. Consistent seam allowance is the key to pieces fitting together.
- Pinking shears
- Shears with zigzag blades that cut a sawtooth edge on fabric. The zigzag edge slows fraying on woven fabrics and is used as a quick raw-edge finish on seams.
- Needle safety
- Rules for handling needles and pins, including never leaving a broken needle in the fabric, storing pins in a magnetic holder, and disposing of broken needles in a sharps container.
- Break-even point
- The number of garments a business must sell for income to equal total costs. It is calculated by dividing fixed costs by the price per unit minus the variable cost per unit.
- Pressing cloth
- A piece of cotton or muslin placed between the iron and the garment. It protects delicate fabrics, prevents shine on wool and synthetics, and stops fusible interfacing from sticking.
- Slip stitch
- A hand stitch used for invisible hems. The needle picks up a tiny bit of the outer fabric and then a thread of the hem fold, so the stitching does not show on the right side.