Glossary of textile manufacturing

Alphabetical list of terms relating to the manufacture of textiles

The manufacture of textiles is one of the oldest of human technologies. To make textiles, the first requirement is a source of fiber from which a yarn can be made, primarily by spinning. The yarn is processed by knitting or weaving, which turns yarn into cloth. The machine used for weaving is the loom. For decoration, the process of colouring yarn or the finished material is dyeing. For more information of the various steps, see textile manufacturing.

A

absorbency
Absorbency is a measure of how much amount of water a fabric can absorb.
acetate
Acetate is a synthetic fiber.
acrylic
Acrylic fiber is a synthetic polymer fiber that contains at least 85% acrylonitrile.
Aida cloth
Aida cloth is a coarse open-weave fabric traditionally used for cross-stitch.
alnage
Alnage is the official supervision of the shape and quality of manufactured woolen cloth.
alpaca
Alpaca is a name given to two distinct things:
  • The wool of the Peruvian alpaca.
  • A style of fabric originally made from alpaca fiber but now frequently made from a similar type of fiber.
angora
Angora refers to the hair of the angora rabbit, or the fabric made from angora rabbit fur. (Fabric made from angora goat is mohair.)[1]
appliqué
Appliqué is a sewing technique in which fabric shapes, lace or trim, are sewn onto a foundation fabric to create designs.[2]
aramid
Aramid fiber is a fire-resistant and strong synthetic fiber.
argyle
An argyle pattern is one containing diamonds in a sort of diagonal checkerboard pattern.

B

backstrap loom
Backstrap looms, as the name implies, are tied around the weaver's waist on one end and around a stationary object such as a tree, post, or door on the other. Tension can be adjusted simply by leaning back. Backstrap looms are very portable, since they can simply be rolled up and carried.
baize
Baize is a coarse woollen or cotton cloth, often coloured red or green.
ballistic nylon
Ballistic nylon is a thick, tough synthetic fabric used for a variety of applications.
balloon
The Balloon (textile) is an oscillation pattern of the yarn while unwinding from the bobbin due to centrifugal forces.
barathea
Barathea is an indistinct twill or broken rib – usually a twilled hopsack weave – with a fine textured, slightly pebbled surface. Often of silk or silk blended with wool, used for neckties, women's fine suits and coats, men's and women's evening wear.
batik
Batik is an Indonesian traditional word and refers to a generic wax-resist dyeing technique used on fabric.
Bedford cord
Bedford cord is a combination of two kinds of weave, namely plain and drill. It is a durable fabric that is often used in upholstery or outerwear.
bias
The bias direction of a piece of woven fabric, usually referred to simply as "the bias", is at 45 degrees to its warp and weft threads. Every piece of woven fabric has two biases, perpendicular to each other.
binding
In sewing, binding is used as both a noun and a verb to refer to finishing a seam or hem of a garment, usually by rolling or pressing then stitching on an edging or trim.
blend
A blend is a fabric or yarn made up of more than one type of fiber.
bobbin
A bobbin is a spindle or cylinder, with or without flanges, on which wire, yarn, thread or film is wound.
bobbin lace
Bobbin lace is a delicate lace that uses wound spools of thread (the bobbins) to weave together the shapes in the lace.
bobbinet
Bobbinet is a tulle netting with hexagonal shaped holes, traditionally used as a base for embroidery and lingerie.
bolt
A bolt is a standard commercial textile unit comprising a length of fabric rolled around a flat or tube. They come in widths ranging from 35-60 inches, while length varies based on type of material.[3]
bombazine
Bombazine is a fabric originally made of silk or silk and wool, and now also made of cotton and wool or of wool alone. It is twilled or corded and used for dress-material.
braid
To braid is to interweave or twine three or more separate strands of one or more materials in a diagonally overlapping pattern.
broadcloth
Broadcloth is a material of superior quality.
brocade
Brocade is a fabric where the patterns are woven with a supplementary weft.
broella
Broella, from Old French:brouelle, is a type of coarse fabric that was commonly used for the everyday attire of both peasants and the monastic clergy during the Middle Ages.[4][5][6]
buckram
Buckram is a stiff cloth, made of cotton or linen, which is used to cover, and protect, a book, and although more expensive than its lookalike, Brella, is stronger and resistant to cockroaches eating it. Buckram can also be used to stiffen clothes.
burlap
Burlap is a North American term for a type of cloth often used for sacks. In the UK the equivalent nomenclature is Hessian.