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If you’re new to garment sewing or taking up the craft again and need a brief refresher, there are a lot of words you should familiarize yourself with to better practice your hobby. Enrolling in a sewing class is a great way to improve your skills, but you’ll likely encounter a lot of patterns mentioning styles or materials you don’t know. Here is a list of basic terms you should know while you’re getting into sewing.

Sewing Terms for Beginners

1. Bias

Often called “the bias,” it refers to the direction of woven fabric. The bias describes warp and weft threads at a 45-degree angle.

2. Bias Tape

Bias tape is a thin strip of fabric that is cut on the bias. The strips are often used to make piping or finish raw edges or bind seams.

3. Baste

When you join fabric together temporarily with lengthy removable stitches, it’s called basting. It can be done by hand or with a sewing machine.

4. Binding

When you need to finish a seam or hem on a garment, you can bind it. Binding is achieved by pressing or rolling the trim before it’s stitched.

5. Crossgrain

This refers to the line of fabric threads that move perpendicular to the edge on cut fabric.

6. Inseam

sewingInseams are the vertical seams that run between the pant legs.

7. Selvage

In woven fabric, selvage is the self-finished edge of fabric that runs parallel to the warp.

8. Serger

To handle seams, trim, and raw edges simultaneously, a serger is used. It’s similar to the sewing machine, but it does specialized stitches.

9. Warp & Weft

Warp is the thread that runs lengthwise on woven fabric and parallel to selvage. Warp thread remains stationary while the weft crosses over-and-under it to make fabric.

 

Learning common sewing terms should inspire you to continue practicing your craft. Stop by The Sewing Center in Kalispell, MT, to sign up for sewing lessons and purchase high-quality sewing accessories. Whether you’re a professional tailor, hobbyist, or somewhere in between, their experienced staff can help. Call (406) 752-7058 today to learn more about their products and services, and visit them online for additional information.

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