Cable Knit and Aran
A stitch that produces the appearance of a heavy cord or braid; popular in sweaters and sport socks. Two or more adjacent wales pass over and under one another. Aran is a sweater made of undyed, cream-coloured sheep’s wool and occasionally from unwashed wool that still contains the sheep’s natural lanolin. Each pattern is two to four inches in width and moves down the sweater in columns from top to bottom. Usually the patterns are symmetrical to a center axis extending down the center of the front and back panel. The patterns usually extend down the sleeves as well.
Cabled Yarn
A yarn formed by twisting together two or more plied yarns.
Cabled Stitch
A knit effect produced by crossing a group of stitches over a neighboring stitch group.
Cable Twist
A construction of thread, yarn, cord, or rope in which each successive twist is in the direction opposite the preceding twists; i.e., an S/Z/S or Z/S/Z construction.
Calendering
A mechanical finishing process for fabrics to produce special effects, such as high lustre, glazing, moiré, and embossed effects. In this operation, the fabric is passed between heated rolls under pressure.
Calico
A plain, closely woven, inexpensive cloth, usually cotton or a cotton/manmade fibre blend, characteristically having figured patterns on a white or contrasting background. Calico is typically used for aprons, dresses, and quilts.
Cambric
A soft, white, closely woven cotton or cotton blend fabric that has been calendered on the right side to give it a slight gloss. Cambric is used extensively for handkerchiefs.
Camel’s Hair
A natural fibre obtained from the hair of the Bactrian camel, a two-humped pack carrying species. The fibre is used primarily in coats, sweaters, and suits.
Cami –Strap
Very narrow shoulder straps.
Candlewick Fabric
An unbleached muslin based fabric used to produce a chenille-like fabric by applying candlewick (heavy plied yarn) loops and cutting the loops to give a fuzzy effect.
Canvas
The simplest weave in textiles is a plain weave (1x1) where the filling yarn is passed over and under individual warp yarns. Using thick yarns, makes the fabric into a canvas.
Card
The product formed by twisting together two or more plies of yarn.
Carding
The industrial yarn preparation process where raw cotton is separated, opened, cleaned and made into sliver. The process involves wires or metal teeth to separate, align, and deliver the fibers into the sliver form.
Cashmere
The extremely soft hair of the cashmere goat. Cashmere is often blended with sheep’s wool in fabrics. Crafted from the finest, two-ply yarns from Inner Mongolia, the world’s premier source for cashmere. It has a lightweight, yet dense feeling, resists pilling and is soft to the touch.
Casual
Microfibre 100% Polyester Microfibre fabric that is water repellent and wind resistant.
Catalyst
A substance or agent that initiates a chemical reaction and makes possible for it to proceed.
Catchstitch
Stitch that looks like a series of uneven X’s; a flexible, extensible stitch as well as a decorative one. Stitch Type 204.
Cavalry Twill
A type of Twill Weave (Pattern of the Twill).
Cellulose
The basic structural component of plant cell walls, cellulose comprises about 33 percent of all vegetable matter (90 percent of cotton and 50 percent of wood are cellulose) and is the most abundant of all naturally occurring organic compounds. Cellulose is processed to produce papers, fibres and is chemically modified to yield substances used in the manufacture of such items as rayon, plastics, and photographic films. Other cellulose derivatives are used as adhesives, explosives, thickening agents for foods, and in moisture-proof coatings.
Cellulosic Fibres
The chemical processing of short cotton fibres, linters, or wood pulp produce fibres like rayon, acetate, and triacetate. Other materials modified to produce fibres include protein, glass, metals, and rubber.
Chain Tacking (“Latch Tacking”)
The sewing of the overedge chain back into the stitch to prevent the seam from unraveling. Usually performed at the beginning of a seam. The thread chain is pulled off the overedge stitch tongue and then aligned and sewn back into the beginning of the next seam.
Chaining-off
When sewing operators sew on or off the fabric at the beginning or end of a seam without stopping. Both overedge and coverstitch machines have needle plates with chaining fingers or stitch tongues to aid in chaining-off between pieces.
Chainstitch
A stitch that interloops the needle thread(s) with a bottom looper thread on the underside of the seam. Most main seams sewn in woven apparel are sewn with this stitch formation.
Challis
A very soft, lightweight plain-weave fabric, usually printed with a delicate floral pattern. The name is derived from the Anglo-Indian term “shalee” meaning soft.
Chambray
A plain weave fabric, with a single but different warp and weft color. In jeanswear, fabric mills usually use a medium depth indigo warp color and natural (unbleached) weft.
Chameleon
A variable multicolored effect achieved by using warp yarns of one color and two filling yarns of different colors in each shed. It is sometimes used in taffeta, faille, or poplin made from silk or man-made filament yarns.
Char Length
In flammability testing, the distance from the edge of the sample exposed to the flame to the upper edge of the charred or void area.
Cheese
A cylindrical package of yarn wound on a flangeless tube.
Charmeuse
A lightweight silk or synthetic dress fabric with a supersoft drape and hand. It is smooth and has a semilustrous satin face and a dull back. Hard twist yarn is used for the warp with a crepe yarn filling.
Cheesecloth
A low-count, plain-weave, soft cotton or cotton blend cloth also known as gauze.
Chenille
A yarn with a fuzzy pile protruding from all sides cut from a woven chenille weft fabric. Chenille yarns are made from all fibres, and they are used as filling in fabrics and for embroidery, fringes, and tassels.
Cheviot
A rugged tweed made from uneven yarn, this fabric usually has a harsh hand.
Chevron
A broad term applied to prints in zigzag stripes or to herringbone weaves.
Chiffon
A plain-weave, lightweight, sheer, transparent fabric made from fine, highly twisted yarns. It is usually a square fabric, i.e., having approximately the same number of ends and picks and the same count in both warp and filling.
Chino
The name came from both the trouser style worn by British Colonial troops in the 1800s and the fabric used for the garment. Today a cotton trouser is considered as a chino and the fabric would be considered as a tightly woven 2 ply right hand 3x1 combed cotton twill.
Chintz
A glazed fabric produced by friction calendering. Unglazed chintz is called cretonne.
Ciba-Geigy AG
Swiss multinational holding company created in 1970 in the merger of two concerns headquartered in Basel-Ciba AG and J.R. Geigy SA. The group consists of affiliates in some 50 countries and is engaged in the manufacture and marketing of dyes and chemicals; pharmaceuticals; plastics and additives; agricultural chemicals and fertilizers; photographic products; and household and garden products and toiletries.
Cloth
A generic term embracing all textile fabrics and felts. Cloth may be formed of any textile fibre, wire, or any other material, and it includes any pliant fabric woven, knit, felted, needled, sewn, or otherwise formed.
Coated Fabric
A fabric to which a substance such as lacquer, plastic, resin, rubber, or varnish has been applied in firmly adhering layers to provide certain properties, such as water impermeability
Coir
A reddish-brown-to-buff coarse fibre obtained from the fruit of the palm Cocos nucifera.
Collarette
The trim around the neck of a t-shirt or sweatshirt.
Colorfastness
The ability of a thread to retain its color during normal wear, laundering and exposure to sunlight. A dye may be colorfast when exposed to one agent, but less so when exposed to another. Polyester and nylon threads generally exhibit the best colorfastness; vat-dyed cotton threads have reasonable colorfastness.
Threads used for contrast stitching should possess an “AA” colorfastness rating.
Combed Cotton
Cotton yarn that has been combed to remove short fibres and straighten or arrange longer fibres in parallel order resulting in a smooth yarn used in finer garments.
Combed Peeler (CP)
Cotton grown in California. CP cotton is not as strong as SAK cotton and is also less expensive.
Combing
An industrial yarn preparation process where fibres are combed to make them parallel in the sliver and where foreign matter and short fibres are extracted.
Combed Yarn
A yarn whose sliver is combed - uses finer fibre than carded yarns and is more regular and expensive than carded yarn.
Compacted Yarns
Air-jet interlaced yarns. Since the entanglement serves only as a substitute for twist, the degree of interlace or entangle is not as great as in air-jet bulked yarns.
Cone
A package of thread, usually a plastic tube, capable of holding thousands of yards of thread for industrial sewing. Thread is wound on a disposable core in an x-shaped pattern for easy release.
Continuous Filament
A fiber of indefinite or extreme length.
Contrast Stitching
The sewing of thread into fabric of a different color. 100% polyester thread will reduce the chance of color migration.
Conventional Cotton
Most popular (commercial) system for growing cotton by feeding plants heavy dosages of synthetic fertilizers, and eliminating competing species for maximum yields. Using toxic pesticides (chemical herbicides, insecticides, and defoliants) the process of providing conventional cotton is dangerous to farmers, people who live near farms, as well as our environment.
Cool Mesh
Similar to a pique knit but with a more open texture for increased breathability. Features a soft hand for better comfort.
Cool Weave
Similar to a pique knit but with a more open texture for increased breathability. Slightly larger knit than the Cool Mesh, it has a denser feel.
Cord
The number of ply in the thread construction such as a 3-cord or 3-ply thread.
Cord Locks
A stopper or toggle on a drawcord that keeps the cord from retracting into the garment.
Corduroy
The French originally called this lush velvety fabric “Cord Du Roi”, cord of the King. The fabric is ribbed throughout the length and the ribs are cut and sheared so that a smooth velvety surface appears. Fourteen wale corduroy was one of the most important jeans fabrics in the 1960s and 1970s when jeans became universal.
The fabric has a rounded plush velvet type cord, rib, or wale surface formed by cutting the pile. The fabric is woven by having one warp and two fillings. After weaving the back of the fabric is coated with glue, and the ribs are cut open down the centre. Once the glue is removed from the face, the fabric is finished by a series of brushings, waxings, and singeings.
When the pile is made from extra fillings rather than from extra warp, the fabric is called velveteen.
Corespun or Core Thread
A thread manufactured by wrapping a cotton or polyester staple cover around a bundle of continuous filament polyester fibers. Two or more of these strands are then plied together to make a sewing thread. Core threads of varying sizes are used in everything from fine blouses to heavy coveralls, are recommended for automatic sewing machines. Cotton-wrapped core thread has the best needle-heat resistance.
Core Dyeing
Considered by some as a requisite for quality indigo fabrics. The colour remains on the surface of the yarn and does not soak to its core. Denim dyed this way is called core denim.
Core Spinning
The process of making a core spun yarn. It consists of feeding the core yarn ( an elastomeric filament yarn, a regular filament yarn, or a previously spun yarn) into the front delivery roll of the spinning frame and covering the core yarn with a sheath of fibers during the spinning operation.
Core Spun Yarn
a yarn in which a base yarn is completely wrapped by a second yarn.
Cotton
Cotton, genus Gossypium, one of the world’s most important crops, produces white fibrous bolls that are manufactured into a highly versatile textile. The plant has white flowers, which turn purple about two days after blooming, and large, divided leaves.
Length of fibre ranges from 3/8” to 2” (Egyptian, Sea Island). The longer the fibre, the higher the price and the more luxurious the fabric.
Cotton withstands high temperatures, can be boiled and hot pressed. It is resistant to abrasion, has good affinity to dyes, and increases in strength 10% when wet.
The world’s leading producers of cotton are China, the United States, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Turkey, Australia, and Egypt.
Cotton Count
The yarn numbering system based on length and weight originally used for cotton yarns and now employed for most staple yarns spun on the cotton, or short-staple system.
It is based on a unit length of 840 yarns, and the count of the yarn is equal to the number of 840-yard skeins required to weigh 1 pound. Under this system, the higher the number, the finer the yarn.
Cotton Gin
On March 14, 1794, Eli Whitney patented his invention of a machine that could take seeds out of cotton. Although one of the most important hardware developments in the history of cotton textiles, Whitney’s gin invention was pirated and this put Whitney’s company out of business by 1796.
Cotton Inspection
The grading, and classing of cotton to facilitate interstate and foreign commerce in cotton by providing official quality determinations.
Cotton Poplin Sateen
A durable, plain-weave fabric with fine cross ribs produced by warp yarns that have about two or three times as many ends per inch as picks. The surface texture is lustrous and shiny.
Cotton Sheeting
Plain-weave cotton fabric, usually pre-laundered, used for fashion sportswear.
Couch Stitch
A method of embroidery where designs are made by various threads or cords laid up on the surface of the material and secured by fine stitches through it and across the cord. It can be raised or flat.
Count (Yarn)
The size of yarn is defined by its weight and fineness. A numerical designation of yarn size indicating the relationship of length to weight.
Course
The row of loops or stitches running across a knit fabric corresponding to the filling in woven fabrics.
Courtaulds
One of the oldest and largest textile groups in the world. Divided today in 2 groups, Courtaulds Textiles with fabric production, garment manufacturing and retail, and Courtaulds Plc, a chemical company which produces fibres and has developed and marketed Tencel®.
Coverseamed
A finish in which two needles are used to create parallel rows of visible stitching. It is used around the neck, armholes, waistband, and wrists of garments to create a cleaner, more durable finish.
Coverstitch
A stitch, often used to seam knitwear, which consists of at least two needle threads, a looper thread and a top thread passing over the edge of the material. Spun or textured polyester thread is generally used to form these stitches.
Crack
A defect in a woven fabric consisting of an open fillingwise streak extending partly or entirely across the fabric.
Crash
A coarse fabric with a rough, irregular surface made from thick, uneven yarns.
Crepe
A lightweight fabric characterized by a crinkling surface obtained by the use of: 1) hard-twist filling yarns, 2) chemical treatment, 3) crepe weaves, and 4) embossing.
Cretonne
See Chintz.
Crew Collar
A rounded, ribbed collar cut loose to the neck.
Crewel Embroidery
a predominantly hand-embroidered stitch made with crewel yarn—a fine, loosely twisted two-ply worsted wool—usually on a plain-weave fabric.
Crinkle
A textured and treated lightweight cotton or silk that maintains its “crinkly” effect by being rolled up in a bag, which accompanies the product and comes with a “how to store” guide.
Crinkle Cotton
Wrinkled or puckered cotton obtained from the construction or finishing. It is prelaundered and made from cotton finishing.
Crinkle Silk
(also known as plissé: pronounced olee-say) A silk that is given a crinkled or pleated effect through chemical application or mechanical means. Its crinkle is maintained by twisting and knotting the garment before storing it in a cool, dry place.
Crinkle Velvet
An irregular crinkled or crushed effect created by high twist yarns, chemical applications or mechanical means on the surface of the fabric.
Crinkle Wool
A wavy or crinkled effect that is produced by treatment with sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) under highly controlled conditions.
Crinoline
A stiff, heavily sized fabric used as an interlining or to support areas as the edge of a hem.
Crock
A term used to describe how dye rubs off fabric on skin or other fabric. A result of insufficient dye penetration or fixation, the use of improper dyes or dyeing methods, or insufficient washing and treatment after the dyeing operations. Crocking can occur under dry or wet conditions.
Crock Fastness
Resistance to color migration from the thread to the fabric due to rubbing. This is particularly important in contrast stitching applications. Governed by ASTM D-204 Test Methods for both dry and wet testing.
Cross Cut
Fabric knit on a pique machine, which is altered slightly. The face of the fabric is two-toned, which gives it a dimensional, textured look. The garment stitching will have a horizontal appearance rather than a vertical one.
Cross Grain
This term is used for heavyweight fleece fabric. Thye fabric is sewn between ribbed panels on the side part of the garment for extra thickness and durability.
Curing
A process where post-cured piece goods are passed through an oven to activate a wrinkle-resistant finish.
Curly Fleece
Constructed from Jersey-backed polyester microfleece with a jersey back. The face of the fabric is cut in a similar construction to terry towels that give a plush feeling on the surface. The surface loops create added loft,, which provides warmth without extra weight or bulk.
Cutwork
Holes in a fabric; surrounded by embroidery.