Abrede: To roughen a mesh surface, yielding what is termed "tooth."

Air Jet: Technique for bulking filament yarns by treating them with pressurized air from a miniature spout. Most commonly used in Taslan process.

Allen Solley Placket: A one-piece placket that is hidden after being sewn.

Anti-Pilling: A treatment applied to the garment to prevent pilling, or the formation of the little balls of fabric due to wear.

Applique: Shaped pieces of fabric sewn onto one another for decoration that adds dimension and texture. Designs with applique are economical because they reduce the number of embroidery stitches needed to fill the design area.

Argyle: A diamond pattern woven into a garment with a checkerboard arrangement.

Backed Cloth: Single textile material with an extra warp or filling added for wieght and warmth.

Backing: A woven or non-woven support material added to the back of the fabric being embroidered. It can be hooped with the item or placed between the machine throat plate and the hooped garment. It comes in various weights in three types: tear-away, cutaway and wash-away.

Back Pleats: Small folds in the back of a garment to allow for greater movement.

Basket Weave: Variation of the plain weave, made by grouping yarns and weaving them as one. Two-by-two and four-by-four patterns are common. A semi-basket weave is made by grouping the yarns in only one direction.

Batiste: A medium-weight, plain-weave fabric, usually made of cotton or cotton blends. End uses include blouses and dresses.

Bean Stitich: Three stitches placed back and forth between two points. Often used for outlining, because it elimnates the need for repeatedly digitizing a single-ply running stitch outline.

Bengaline: Lustrous, durable fabric with a heavy crosswise rib made from textile fibers in combinatino. Used to make coats and suits.

Birdseye: Cotton or linen cloth woven to produce a small pattern that has a center dot resembling a bird's eye.

Blanket Cloth: Thick, heavily fulled woolen fabric with a softly brushed finish similar to an actual blanket, used for outerwear.

Blazer Cloth: General term for a variety of flannels and meltons used to make blazers.

Bleeding: The running of color from wet-dyed material onto a material next to it or the running of colors together.

Blend: A term applied to a yarn or a fabric that is made up of more than one fiber.

Bobbin: Spool or reel that holds the bobbin thread, which forms secure stitches on the underside of the fabric.

Boiled Wool: Thick, dense fabric that is heavily fulled to completely obscure its knitted construction. It has the supplenss of a knit, with the stability and shape retention of woven fabric.

Boring: Open work incorporated into embroidered designs: a sharp-pointed instrument punctures, or bores, the fabric, and stitches are made around the opening to enclose raw edges.

Boucle: French for buckled, curled or ringed. It describes a knitted or woven fabric characterized by loops, knots or curls on one or both sides, made with a variety of looped, curled or slubbed yarns in one or both directions.

Broadcloth: A close, plain-weave fabric made of cotton, rayon, or a blend of the two along with polyester. The name is a reference to a plain or twill-weave wool or wool-blend fabric that is highly napped and then pressed flat.

Buckram: Coarse cotton woven fabric treated with a glue substance to stablize fabric for stitching. It is commonly used for caps to hold the front panel in place.

Calvary Twill: Strong, rugged fabric with a pronounced double-twill line on the face and flatter, single twill line on the back. Used for sportswear, uniforms, coats, suits.

Camel: Made from the soft, caramel-colored under fleece of the Bactrian camel of Mongolia and western China.

Canvas: A heavy, rough, plain-weave material made from linen, hemp or cotton.

Cashmere: Fine, downy undercoat hair of the cashmere goat from Tibet; produces luxuriously soft garments.

Challis: High-quality, lightweight, especially soft fabric made with tightly spun worsted yarns and a plain weave, although sometimes a twill weave is used.

Chambray: A plain-woven fabric that can be made from cotton, silk or manufactured fibers, but is most commonly cotton. It incorporates a colored warp (often blue) and white filling yarns.

Chenille: A form of embroidery in which a loop stitch is formed on the top side of the fabric. Heavy yarns made of wool, cotton or acrylics are used.

Cheviot: Broad term for rough-surfaced, heavily fulled woolen or worsted fabrics used to make suits and overcoats.

Chino: Classic all-cotton "army twill" fabric made of combed two-ply yarns. At one time chino was soley for army uniforms, but it's now finding popularity in mainstream apparel.

Collar: The upright or turned-over neckband of a coat, jacket or shirt.

Colorfastness: A term used to describe a dyed fabric's ability to risit fading due to washing, exposure to sunlight and other environmental conditions.

Column Stitch: A series of zigzag stitches placed closely together to form a column. Also known as a Steil Stitch or Satin Stitch.

Combed Cotton: Cotton that has been combed to remove short fibers and straighten long fibers for a smooth, finer hand.

Combing: The combing process is an additional step beyond carding. In this, the fibers are arranged in a highly parallel form and additional short fibers are removed, producing high-quality yarns with excellent strength, fineness and uniformity.

Cool Knit: A pique variation with a defined surface texture resembling a "waffle" pattern.

Copy: Lettering imprinted on an item. Can be an advertiser's name, slogan or trademark.

Cord Locks: A stopper or toggle on a drawcord that keeps the cord from retracting into the garment.

Corduroy: A cut filling pile cloth with marrow to wide ribs. Once corduroy was a cotton fabric, now it can be found in polyester, and man-made blends.

Cotton: Soft vegetable fiber obtained from the seedpod of the cotton plant and one of the major fashion fibers inthe textile industry. The longer the fiber, the better the quality. Lengths vary from less than one-half inch to more than two inches. Cotton is currently grown in 19 states and is a mojor crop in 14 states.

Cover Stitiching: Using two needles to overlap threads underneath, covering the over-edged seams with smooth-seamed layers of threads.

Covert: Rugged water-repellent fabrics made with a compact twill weave and tightly twisted worsted yarns. Usually two shades of a color are twisted together, creating a two-ply yarn with a flecked or speckled appearance. Used for top coats, suits and sportswear.

Custom: Designing a specific garment to fit the needs of a client.

Deboss: Depressed imprint created by a machine pressing a dye into the surface of fabric or material. Popular in leather decoration.

Denim: Durable cotton twill traditionally a shade of blue. Once denim was strictly used for jeans or work pants; now popular in all modes of apparel.

Diagonal: Another name of any fabric with a visible twill line.

Digitizing: A method of programming a design. Artwork is converted into a series of digital commands to be read by an embroidery machine's computer.

Dobby Weave: A decorative weave, characterized by small figures, usually geometric, that are woven into the fabric structure. Dobbies may be of any weight or compactness, with yarns ranging from very fine to coarse and fluffy.

Donegal Tweed: Woolen tweed fabric that is characterized by thick, random multicolored slubs.

Double-Faced Fabrics: Heavy, reversible fabric made by weaving two separate cloths together with an extra binder in the warp or filling. Also called double cloth.

Double Knit: A circular knit fabric knitted via double stitch on a double-needle frame to provide a double thickness. Most double knits are made of polyester.

Double-Needle: Two rows of parallel stitching at the sleeve and/or bottom hem for a cleaner, more finished look.

Double-Stitched: The finish on a sleeve and/or bottom hem that uses two needles to create parallel rows of visible stitiching. It gives the garment a cleaner, more finished look and adds durability.

Down: The soft, fluffy under feathers of ducks and geese, primarily used as insulation in outerwear.

Drop Tail (or Extended Tail): a longer back than front of the purpose of keeping the shirt tucked in during activity.

Duck: A heavy, closely woven material, often cotton, used for heavyweight shirts or outerwear.

Embossing: Decoration on fabric using thread to produce designs either by hand or machinery.

End-on-End: A two-ply weave of different color yarns that run parallel to each other so that both colors are visible, creating a soft contrast in the garment.

Enzyme Washed: Chemical wash that gives fabric a very soft finish, smoother appearance or reduces shrinkage.

Face: The right side or the better-looking side of the fabric.

Facing: A piece of fabric that is sewn to the collar, front opening, cuffs or arms of a garment to create a fnished look.

Felt: Non-woven fabric made by layering thin sheets of carded wool fibers, then applying heat, moisture and pressure to shrink and compress the fibers into a thick matted cloth that will not ravel or fray.

Fill Stitch: A series of running stitches commonly combined to cover large areas.

Findings: Pockets, linings, zippers and other supplementary items used in the manufacture of garments.

Finishing: Processes performed after embroidery is complete. Includes trimming loose threads, cutting or tearing away excess backing, removing topping, cleaning any stains, pressing or steaming to remove wrinkles or hoop marks, and packaging for sale or shipment.

Flannel: Soft woolen or worsted fabric with a slightly fuzzy nap on one or both sides. Usually made with a twill weave and softly twisted filling yarns, which provide the nap when fabric is brushed.

Fleece: Fabrics with thick, deep nap that provides warmth without weight. May be twill or plain weave.

Gabardine: A firm durable cloth used in both men's and women's apparel. The fabric has a distinct, closely set diagonal rib on the face and a plain back.

Gray Goods: Cloth that has been woven but has received no dry or wet finishing instructions, including color.

Grommets: Found underarm or in the back neck, grommets are small holes that allow for air circulation and ventilation.

Gun Club Check: Double-check design that uses three colors to form a larger check over a smaller check.

Hand: The way the fabric feels when it is touched. Terms like softness, crispness, dryness and silkiness are all used to describe the hand of the fabric.

Harris Tweed: A trademark for an imported tweed made of virgin wool from the Highlands of Scotland, spun, dyed and hand-woven by islanders in Harris and other islands of the Hebrides.

Henley: Knit shirt with buttoned placket at neckline, no collar.

Herringbone: A variation on the twill weave construction in which the twill is reversed, or broken, at regular intervals, producing a zigzag effect.

Hoop: A round device made from wood, plastic or steel with which fabric is held in place for machine embroidering

Houndstooth: A textile design of small broken checks woven into the fabric. The charactersitcs of the twill line are not readily apparent.

Hydrophilic Fibers: Fibers which absorb water readily, such cotton, linen or rayon.

Hydrophobic Fibers: Fibers that are normally nonabsorptive and repel water, such as nylon and polyester.

Interfacing: Fabrics used to support, reinforce and give shape to fashion fabrics in sewn products. Often placed between the lining and the outer fabric, it can be made from yarns or directly from fibers, and may be either woven, nonwoven or knitted. Some interfacings are designed to be fused (with heat from an iron), while others are meant to be stitched to the fabric.

Interlining: An insulation, padding or stiffening fabric, either sewn to the wrong side of the lining or the innner side of the outer shell fabric. The interling is used primarliy to provide warmth in coasts, jackets and outerwear.

Interlock: The stitch variation of the rib stitch, which resembles two separate 1 x 1 ribbed fabrics that are interknitted. Plain (double knit) interlock stitch fabrics are thicker, heavier and more stable than singleknit constructions.

Jacquard Knit: A double-knit fabric in which a Jacquard type of mechanism is used. This device individually controls needles or small groups of needles, and allows very complex and highly patterned knits to be created, typically using two or more colors.

Jersey Fabric: The consistent interlooping of yarns in the jersey stitch to produce a fabric with a smooth, flat face and a more textureed, but uniform, back. Jersey fabrics may be produced on either circular or flat weft knitting machines.

Jute: Also known as burlap, this is a course fiber from the bark of an Asian tree.

Lapel: Either of the two folded-back front edges of a jacket or shirt that are continuous with the collar.

Linen: A flax product, linen absorbs moisture quickly and doesn't soil easily.

Locker Loop: A looped piece of fabric in the neck of a garment for the convenience of hanging the garment on a hook. Can also be located at the center of the back yoke on the inside or outside of a garment.

Locker Patch (a.k.a. Half Moon Patch): An oval panel sewn into the inside back of a sportshirt, under the collar seam.

Loden: Thick, soft fabric woven of coarser wools that are especially water-repellent.

Madras: One of the oldest materials in the cotton family. Madras is made on a plain weave background, which is usually white; stripes, cords or minute checks may be used to form the pattern.

Melton: a smooth, heavy wool cloth used primarily in outerwear. Quality varies depending on the type of stock used.

Mercerizing: A finishing process used extensively on cotton yarn and cloth consisting of treating the material with a cold, strong sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) solution. The treatment increases the strength and affinity for dyes and gives the fininshed fabric a soft, silk-like feel.

Merino: The highest, finest grade of wool.

Mesh: Any fabric, knitted or woven, with an open texture, fine or coarse, for added comfort and ventilation.

Mohair: Soft fleece of the angora goat that absorbs dying very well.

Moire: An undesirable pattern sometimes resulting when two sets of lines or dot patterns in a process-color design overlap.

Monogram: Embroidered design composed of one or more letters, usually the initials in a name.

Mylar: A polyester film used to cover a metallic yarn. Often used in apparel decoration.

Nap: A fuzzy, fur-like feel created when fiber ends extend from the basic fabric structure to the fabric surface. The fabric can be napped on either one or both sides.

Nail Head: General term for a variety of small woven patterns, including birds eye, dots and small houndstooth. It is usually associated with clear-finished worsted suiting, such as sharkskin.

Nylon: A synthetic polymer, a plastic, durable fabric used in apparel and other everyday items.

Ombre: Design that has gradations in color; usually it is shades of one family of color or can change colors, such as from green to blue; means " shaded" in French.

Open-End Yarn: A cost saving process that eliminates some manufacturing steps needed for ring -spun yarn.

Ottoman: A tightly woven plain weave ribbed fabric with a hard, slightly lustered surface. The ribbed effect is created by weaving a finer silk or manufactured warp yarn with a heavier filler yarn, usually made of cotton or wool.

Overall: A print whose image or images cover the entire substrate, front and back. Also referred to as "all over."

Oxford: A fine, soft, lightweight woven cotton, sometimes blended with manufactured fibers, in a 2 x 1 basket weave variation of the plain-weave construction. The fabric is used primarily for shirts.

Pad Printing: Pad printing utilizes a flexible silicone rubber transfer pad that picks up a film of ink from a photoeteched printing plate and transfers it to an item. Pad printing is usually used for three-dimensional items.

Paisley: Abstract scroll pattern that originated in Paisely, Scotland, and was used to make imitation cashmere shawls. The popular pattern is often executed in rich, deep colors.

Pattern: An outline of a garment on paper. It usually embodies all the pieces necessary to cut a complete garment from material.

Percale: A smooth, textured, closely woven cotton or polyester fabric.

Piece-Dyed: Dyeing that occurs after a fabric is made, but before it is assembled into a garment.

Pigment: A substance that is added to give color to fabric.

Pill: A tangled ball of fibers that appears on the surface of a fabric as a result of wear, continued friction or rubbing on the surface of the fabric.

Pima Cotton: A high-end yarn made by plying yarns spun from long combed staple. One of the best grades of cotton in the world. Pima cotton has extra-long fiber lengths making it soft, yet strong.

Pincheck: Very small check pattern that is popular for suits, sportswear and outerwear.

Pinpoint Oxford: This tightly woven fabric is similar to classic Oxford cloth but is much finer and dressier.

Pinstripes: Very thin, light or dark, lengthwise stripes.

Pique: A closely woven ribeed fabric produced from natural fibers, usually cotton. Pique is very popular in polo-style shirts.

Placket: The opening of a shirt or jacket where the garment fastens or at a pocket. A reverse placket is the reversed opening for women's garments.

Plain Weave: The simplest weave, also called "one-up and one-down weave," in which each filling yarn passes over and under each warp yarn, forming a checkerboard pattern.

Ply: Two or more yarns that have been twisted together.

Polyester: A strong, durable synthetic fabric with low moisture absorbency. Polyester is popular for its comfort and resistance to wrinkles.

Poly filled: A warm polyester lining used in outerwear.

Tension: The tautness of thread when forming stitches.

Tattersall Check: Simple check pattern with a loud appearnace made with two colors against a white or contrasting background. Gaudy combinations of bold colors are common. Checks are usually about half-inch square.

Terry Coth: This cloth has uncut loops on both sides of the fabric. Woven on a dobby loom with a terry arrangement, various sizes of yarns are used in the construction. Terry is a very popular in robes and towels.

Textile: Traditionally a textile is defined as a woven fabric made by interlacing yarns.

Tencel: A fabric made from the fiber found in wood pulp which is processed into a silklike, delicate fabric.

Thread Count: The actual number of warp ends and filling picks per inch in a woven cloth. In knitted fabric, thread count implies the number of wales or ribs.

Torqued: A condition in which one side is higher than the other. This can cause the fabrics to twist, which sometimes damages the screen printed design or causes the shirt to lose its shape.

Tricot: A type of warp-knitted fabric that has a thin texture made from very fine yarn.

Trimming: The action of cutting loose thread, removing backing, etc., from the final embroidered product.

Tubular Knit: A golf shirt with no side seams - a cost advantage because there is less cutting and sewing. Tubular products are at greater risk for body torquing (twisting).

Tweed: Rough, durable woolen cloth with irregular slubs or knots on the surface, made with a twill or herringbone weave.

Twill: A type of fabric woven with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs. It is made by passing the weft threads over one warp thread and then under two or more warp threads. Examples of twill fabric are Gabardine and Tweed.

Underlay Stitching: The stitchzing action that will attach the backing to the fabric being embroidered. It also supports the top embroidery for a more lofty dimensional look.

Velour: A term loosely applied to cut pile cloths in genral; also to fabrics with a fine raised finish. Velour has a soft, comfortable hand.

Virgin Wool: New wool that has never been used before, or reclaimed from any spun, woven, knitted, felted, manufactured or used products.

Waterproof: A garment that is seam-sealed and able to withstand a specific amount of water pressure, keeping the wearer completely dry by blocking water from coming in.

Water-Repellent: Ability of a fabric to resist penetration by water under certain conditions. Various types of tests are used, and these are conducted on samples before and after subjection to standard washing and dry cleaning tests.

Water-Resistant: Fabric treated chemically to resist water. Not to be confused with water-repellent.

Welt: A strip of material seamed to a pocket opening as a finishing as well as a strenghtening devise, or a covered cord or ornamental strip sewn on a border or along a seam.

Whipcord: Compact worsted twill fabric with prominent diagonal cords that run from the lower left to the upper right.

Wickability: the ability of a fiber or a fabric to disperse moisture and allow it to pass through to the surface of the fabric, so that evaporation can take place.

Windowpane: Simple, boxy check or plaid pattern using a minimum of colors and thin lines to form large squares or rectangesl with clear centers.

Wool: Fibers that are grown on sheep fleece. Wool products may also include fibers from lamb, angora or cashmere goat.

Wool Satin: Luxurious worsted fabric with a smooth lustrous face, made with tightly twisted yarns and satin weave.

Worsted: Smooth, uniform, well twisted yarns, usually wool. Little finishing is necessary in these clear surface materials. Plain or fancy weaves are used, and the cloth is usually yarn dyed, but piece-dyed fabrics are also popular.

Wrinkle-Resistant: The application of resin to fabric which is then heated to extremely high temperatures to cure garments to make them hold their shape without wrinkling.

Yarn Dyed: Dyeing that occurs at the yarn stage, before it is made into fabric.

Yoke Back: A piece of fabric that connects the back of a garment to the shoulders. This allows the garment to lie flat.