Houston Canvas Photo Prints, Custom Made Picture Frames & Plaque Mounts, Face Mounting Prints On PlexiGlass

Glossary Of Fabric Terms [739]

A Aba A coarse, often striped, felted fabric from the Middle East, woven from goat or camel hair. A loose-fitting sleeveless garment, made from aba or silk, worn by Arabs.
Abrasion A gradual loss of surface material due to rubbing, scraping, or wear. An abrasion may look like a roughened surface, a matte area, or a group of scratches. It may be done intentionally to smooth or clean a surface or it may be unintentional, resulting in damage.
Abrasion test The act of putting or exposing a material against the elements in order to determine their resistance to scratching under a specified set of conditions. Materials can include metals, composites, ceramics or thick spray coatings (such as the matte UV coatings sprayed on printed canvas). Fabrics are also put under abrasion test as well, to observe their durability, resistance and wear.
Absorbency The ability of a textile material to absorb and retain liquids within its structure.
Acetate Acetate is a synthetic fiber.
Acid dye Dye which is a salt of a sulfuric, carboxylic or phenolic organic acid. In the laboratory, home, or art studio, the acid used in the dye-bath is often vinegar or citric acid. In textiles, acid dyes are effective on protein fibers, i.e. animal hair fibers like wool, alpaca and mohair. They are also effective on silk.
Acrylic Synthetic fibers made from a polymer. First acrylic fibers were created in 1941 and trademarked under the name Orlon. Strong and warm, acrylic fiber is often used for sweaters and tracksuits and as linings for boots and gloves, as well as in furnishing fabrics and carpets. It is manufactured as a filament, then cut into short staple lengths similar to wool hairs, and spun into yarn.
Acrylic fiber Acrylic fiber, a synthetic fiber of polyacrylonitrile.
Aertex A British clothing company based in Manchester, established in 1888, and also the name of the original textile manufactured by the company.
Aida cloth Open, even-weave fabric traditionally used for cross-stitch embroidery. This cotton fabric has a natural mesh that facilitates cross-stitching and enough natural stiffness that the crafter does not need to use an embroidery hoop.
Airdura A synthetic fabric used for motorcycle clothing with summer or warmer riding conditions. The cloth is light and claimed to be "breathable".
Airguard A fabric made of polyamide hollow fibres. Air pockets of the fibres provide heat insulation. The polyamide material ensures a degree of abrasion-proofness and tear-resistance. The fabric is used for motorcycle clothing but is definitely unsuitable as a safe outer material.
Alençon lace A needle lace that originated in Alençon, France in 16th century. UNESCO recognized the unusual craftsmanship of this lace and added it to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in November 2010.
Alnage Formerly the official supervision of the shape and quality of manufactured woollen cloth in England. It was first ordered during the reign of Richard I in the 12th century.
Alpaca An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance. In the textile industry, "alpaca" primarily refers to the hair of Peruvian alpacas, but more broadly it refers to a style of fabric originally made from alpaca hair, but now often made from similar fibers, such as mohair, Icelandic sheep wool, or even high-quality English wool.
Amicor Anti-microbial fibre that is woven inside textile materials to provide protection from the growth of harmful microbes. It is an effective fibre that is versatile and has been designed to protect the entire fabric.
Angora fibre Angora hair or Angora fibre refers to the downy coat produced by the Angora rabbit. While their names are similar, Angora fibre is distinct from mohair, which comes from the Angora goat. Angora fibre is also distinct from cashmere, which comes from the cashmere goat. Angora is known for its softness, thin fibres, and what knitters refer to as a halo (fluffiness). It is also known for its silky texture. It is much warmer and lighter than wool due to the hollow core of the angora fibre. It also gives them their characteristic floating feel.
ANSI The American National Standards Institute. This national group determines the guidelines governing a wide variety of commercially produced goods.
Antique satin Also called satin-back shantung, refers to any five or eight harness satin weave that uses slubbed or unevenly spun yarns in the weft (filling). It is reversible in that one side is satin and other shantung and is used for simulating 17th and 18th century silks and clothing such as blouses, lingerie and evening wear.
Antistatic agent Compound used for treatment of materials or their surfaces in order to reduce or eliminate buildup of static electricity.
Apparel Clothing (also called clothes and attire) is fiber and textile material worn on the body.
Appliqué Ornamental needlework in which pieces of fabric are sewn or stuck on to a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. This technique is very common in some kinds of textiles, but may be applied to many materials. The term originates from the Latin "applicare" and subsequently from the French "appliquer" or "apply". The technique is accomplished either by hand or machine.
Aramid Class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic-rated body armor fabric and ballistic composites, in bicycle tires, and as an asbestos substitute.
Argentan lace Lace produced in Normandy from the 17th century. In Argentan lace each side of every mesh was closely stitched over in buttonhole fashion, giving it a thicker or weightier look. This stitching, combined with impressively dense designs, made Argentan lace a favourite of the French court throughout the mid 18th century.
Argyle Pattern made of diamonds or lozenges. The word is sometimes used to refer to an individual diamond in the design, but more commonly refers to the overall pattern. Most argyle contains layers of overlapping motifs, adding a sense of three-dimensionality, movement, and texture. Typically, there is an overlay of intercrossing diagonal lines on solid diamonds.
Armenian needlelace A pure form of needle lace made using only a needle, thread and pair of scissors. Originates from Armenia.
Asbestos Highly heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral that can be woven into fabrics. Its large-scale mining began at the end of the 19th century, when manufacturers and builders began using asbestos for its desirable physical properties:sound absorption, average tensile strength, resistance to fire, heat, electricity, and affordability. However, prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious and fatal illnesses including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.
Autoclave A pressure chamber used to carry out industrial processes requiring elevated temperature and pressure different from ambient air pressure. Autoclaves are used in medical applications to perform sterilization and in the chemical industry to cure coatings.

B ^^Top Backstrap loom Simple loom which has its roots in ancient civilizations consists of two sticks or bars between which the warps are stretched. One bar is attached to a fixed object, and the other to the weaver usually by means of a strap around the back. The weaver leans back and uses his or her body weight to tension the loom. To open the shed controlled by the string heddles, the weaver relaxes tension on the warps and raises the heddles. The other shed is usually opened by simply drawing the shed roll toward the weaver. Both simple and complex textiles can be woven on this loom.
Baize A coarse woolen (or in cheaper variants cotton) cloth. Baize is most often used on snooker and billiards tables to cover the slate and cushions, and is often used on other kinds of gaming tables such as those for blackjack, baccarat, craps and other casino games. It is also found as a writing surface, particularly on 19th century pedestal desks.
Balanced cloth Fabric made up of equal numbers and sizes of warp and filling yarns.
Ballistic nylon a thick, tough, nylon fabric. Modern applications of ballistic nylon include luggage, cave packs, tool belts, police duty belts, watch straps, motorcycle jackets, knife sheaths, and skin-on-frame kayaks.
Bally Ribbon Mills (BRM) American company involved in the design, development, and manufacture of highly specialized engineered woven webbing, tapes, and specialty fabrics. Their products are designed for aerospace, defense, medical, safety, automotive, commercial, and industrial applications.
Bamboo textile Cloth, yarn, and clothing made out of bamboo fibres. While historically used only for structural elements, such as bustles and the ribs of corsets, in recent years a range of technologies have been developed allowing bamboo fibre to be used in a wide range of textile and fashion applications. Modern clothing labeled bamboo is usually rayon.
Ban-Lon A trademarked, multistrand, continuous-filament synthetic yarn used in the retail clothing industry. It is artificially crimped in order to achieve greater bulk than ordinary yarns. It is frequently associated with 1950s and 1960s American clothing and culture, and at the time was most commonly used to make sweaters.
Barathea A soft fabric, with a hopsack twill weave giving a surface that is lightly pebbled or ribbed. The yarns use cover various combinations of wool, silk and cotton. Worsted barathea (made with a smooth wool yarn) is often used for evening coats, such as dress coats, dinner jackets, and military uniforms, in black and midnight blue.
Barkcloth Barkcloth is a soft, thick, slightly textured fabric, so named because it has a rough surface like that of tree bark. This barkcloth is usually made of densely woven cotton fibers. Historically, the fabric has been used in home furnishings, such as curtains, drapery, upholstery, and slipcovers.
Basket weave The process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into two- or threedimensional artefacts, such as mats or containers. Craftspeople and artists specialised in making baskets are usually referred to as basket makers and basket weavers. Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials—anything that will bend and form a shape. Examples include pine straw, stems, animal hair, hide, grasses, thread, and fine wooden splints.
Basket weaving Basket weaving (also basketry or basket making) is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into two- or three dimensional artefacts, such as mats or containers.
Batch dyeing The most popular and common method used for dyeing of textile materials. Batch dyeing is also sometimes referred to as Exhaust dyeing. In this process, the dye gets slowly transferred from a comparatively large volume dyebath to the substrate or material that is to be dyed. The dye is meant to 'exhaust' from dyebath to the substrate. In batch processes, textile substrates can be easily dyed at any stage of their assembly into the desired textile product. This includes fiber, yarn, fabric or garment.
Batik An art technique that involves soaking wax-covered fabric in dye. The wax resists the dye, and is then removed with boiling water. As a result, the sections of the fabric covered with wax are uncolored. If multiple colors are required, the wax-covered sections can be dyed once the wax is removed.
Batik dyeing Technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth, or cloth made using this technique. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a canting, or by printing the resist with a copper stamp called a cap. The applied wax resists dyes and therefore allows the artisan to colour selectively by soaking the cloth in one colour, removing the wax with boiling water, and repeating if multiple colours are desired. A tradition of making batik is found in various countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Nigeria; the batik of Indonesia, however, is the best-known.
Batiste Batiste is a fine cloth made from cotton, wool, polyester, or a blend, and the softest of the lightweight opaque fabrics. Batiste was often used as a lining fabric for high-quality garments and for handkerchiefs and lingerie.
Battenberg lace A type of tape lace. The name for this American lace was chosen in honour of a wedding of the Battenberg family, which occurred about the time a patent for making the lace was applied for at Washington.
Beam Also called cloth roll. It is a roller, located at the front of a loom, on which woven material is wound after it leaves the breast beam.
Beaming The process of rolling the warp threads onto the back, yarn storage beam of the loom – the warp beam.
Beating–Up In weaving, the movement of the weft threads over the warp toward the edge of the fabric. Beating-up is one of the basic operations in the production of fabric on a loom. The most widely used working unit for this process is the reed, which moves the weft along the entire width of the warp. On some looms, beating-up is accomplished with devices that press and compact the weft (circular looms) or with disks (on looms with multiple sheds).
Bedford cord Named after the town of Bedford in England, it is a durable fabric that resembles corduroy. The weave has faint lengthwise ridges, but without the filling yarns that make the distinct wales characteristic of corduroy. It can have the appearance of narrow-width stripes with thin lines between. Because of its stiff construction, it is often used in upholstery or in outerwear that does not require draping.
Beetling The pounding of linen or cotton fabric to give a flat, lustrous effect. It is the part of the finishing of the linen cloth. The hammering tightens the weave and give the cloth a smooth feel.
Benarasi sari A saree made in Varanasi, a city which is also called Benares or Banaras. The sarees are among the finest sarees in India and are known for their gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. The sarees are made of finely woven silk and are decorated with intricate design, and, because of these engravings, are relatively heavy.
Bengaline A type of woven silk and cotton blend that was highly popular in the 1880s - 1890s. Originally made in Bengal, India, and is known for its durability, vibrancy, and similarity to genuine silk while using less material. It is characterized by its fine warp yarns that are tied in a crosswise fashion, and is mainly used in coats, dresses, suits, ribbons, draperies and swimsuits.
Bengaline silk A woven material which became fashionable for women and children to wear in the 1880s and 1890s. It offered the impression of genuine silk but was made with lesser amounts of silk than cotton.
Bespoke tailoring Clothing made to an individual buyer's specifications by a tailor.
Beta cloth A type of fireproof silica fiber cloth used in the manufacture of Apollo space suits. Beta cloth consists of fine woven silica fiber, similar to fiberglass. The resulting fabric will not burn, and will melt only at temperatures exceeding 650 °C. To reduce its tendency to crease or tear when manipulated, and to increase durability, the fibers are coated with Teflon.
Bi-directional fabric Fabric comprised of a first set of strong, substantially parallel, unidirectional yarns lying in a first plane; a second set of strong, substantially parallel, unidirectional yarns lying in a second plane above the first plane and arranged transversely to the first set of yarns; and one or more sets of yarns having lower strength and higher elongation interleaved with the strong yarns. The bi-directional articles of the invention provide superior ballistic effectiveness compared to ordinary woven and knitted fabrics but retain the ease of manufacture on conventional looms and knitting machines.
Bias The bias grain 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. A garment made of woven fabric is said to be "cut on the bias" when the fabric's warp and weft threads are at 45 degrees to its major seam lines.
Bicomponent yarns Yarn which has two different types of continuous filament components. The two components may, for example, be different polymers which shrink differently.
Binding Finishing a seam or hem of a garment, usually by rolling or pressing then stitching on an edging or trim (sewing).
Biosteel A trademark name for a high-strength fiber-based material made of the recombinant spider silk-like protein extracted from the milk of transgenic goats, made by Nexia Biotechnologies, and later by the Randy Lewis lab of the University of Wyoming and Utah State University. It is reportedly 7-10 times as strong as steel if compared for the same weight, and can stretch up to 20 times its unaltered size without losing its strength properties. It also has very high resistance to extreme temperatures, not losing any of its properties within −20 to 330 degrees Celsius.
Biostoning A process of finishing fibers or fabrics using enzymes, it gives the finished textile product a stone washed appearance.
Biotextiles Structures composed of textile fibers designed for use in specific biological environments where their performance depends on biocompatibility and biostability with cells and biological fluids. Biotextiles include implantible devices such as surgical sutures, hernia repair fabrics, arterial grafts, artificial skin and parts of artificial hearts.
Bleaching Removing colour from fabric or making it whiter by physical or chemical removal of colour.
Blended fibers Fibers created by combining two or more different fibers.
Blending The process of creating a new fabric is with unique properties by mixing two or more different fabrics together.
Bobbin lace A lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually determined by a pattern or pricking pinned on the pillow. It is also known as pillow lace and bone lace.
Bobbinet A plain-net lacemaking machine invented and patented by John Heathcoat in 1808 .
Boil-off The process of removing sizing, wax, impurities, etc., from fabric by scouring.
Boiled wool Boiled wool is a special type of fabric primarily used in berets, scarves, vests, cardigans, coats and jackets. It is created by a mechanical process using water and agitation, shrinking knitted or woven wool, compressing and interlocking the fibers into a tighter felt-like mass. Produced industrially around the world and characteristically found in the traditional textiles of South America and of Tyrolean Austria.
Bombazine A fabric originally made of silk or silk and wool, and now also made of cotton and wool or of wool alone. Quality bombazine is made with a silk warp and a worsted weft. It is twilled or corded and used for dress-material. Black bombazine was once used largely for mourning wear, but the material had gone out of fashion by the beginning of the 20th century.
Bonded fabrics A nonwoven fabric in which the fibers are held together by a bonding material. This may be an adhesive or a bonding fiber with a low melting point, or the material may be held together by stitching.
Boucle Bouclé is both a yarn and a fabric made from it.
Braid A complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing three or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. In clothing, they are usually woven into a decorative band for edging or trimming garments.
Break factor Any of the factors which affect material's structural integrity, causing it to break.
Breaking strength The stress at which a material fails via fracture.
Breaking tenacity Basically a textile strength, that is a customary measure of strength of a fiber or yarn.
Brilliantine A lightweight, mixed-fibre fabric popular from the mid-19th century into the early 20th century. Brilliantine can be plain or twill woven with a wool or mohair weft on a silk or cotton warp. Brilliantine has a lustrous finish and is known for its dust-shedding properties; it was available in solid colors or printed, and was used for dresses, dusters, and linings.
British Standards Institution (BSI) The national standards body of the United Kingdom which produces technical standards on a wide range of products and services, and also supplies certification and standards-related services to businesses.
Broad goods Cloth woven in standard or wider widths especially in distinction from ribbons, bands, or trimmings.
Broadcloth A dense, plain woven cloth, historically made of wool. Today, most broadcloth is cotton or a cotton blend. The defining characteristic of Broadcloth is not its finished width, but the fact that it was woven much wider and then heavily milled (traditionally the cloth was worked by heavy wooden trip hammers in hot soapy water in order to shrink it) in order to reduce it to the required width.
Brocade Brocade is a class of richly decorative fabrics, often made in colored silks and with or without gold and silver threads. The name comes from from Spanish and Portuguese "brocado" and Italian "broccato", meaning "embossed cloth".
Brocatelle A brocade in which the design is woven in high relief.
Broderie Anglaise A whitework needlework technique incorporating features of embroidery, cutwork and needle lace that became associated with England, due to its popularity there in the 19th century.
Broken end Broken ends appear as equidistant prominent horizontal lines along the width of the fabric tube when a yarn breaks or is exhausted.
Broken pick Filling yarn that is broken in the weaving of a fabric appears as a defect. Improper functioning of weft stop motion results in broken picks undetected and going in to the fabric.
Brushing (or Raising) A finishing process for knit or woven fabrics in which brushes or other abrading devices are used on a loosely constructed fabric to permit the fibers in the yarns to be raised to create a nap on fabrics or create a novelty surface texture.
Buckram Buckram is a stiff cloth, made of cotton, which is used to cover and protect books.
Bunting A term for any festive decorations made of fabric, or of plastic, paper or even cardboard in imitation of fabric. Typical forms of bunting are strings of colorful triangular flags and lengths of fabric in the colors of national flags gathered and draped into swags or pleated into fan shapes.
Burano lace Lace type that originates from the island of Burano near Venice. The heyday of Burano needle lace ranged from about 1620 to 1710, the height of demand among European nobility and royalty.
Burlap Hessian or Burlap is a woven fabric usually made from skin of the jute plant or sisal fibres, which may be combined with other vegetable fibres to make rope, nets, and similar products.
Burn-Out Print (or Devore) A fabric technique particularly used on velvets, where a mixed-fibre material undergoes a chemical process to dissolve the cellulose fibers to create a semi-transparent pattern against more solidly woven fabric. The same technique can also be applied to textiles other than velvet, such as lace or the fabrics in burnout t-shirts.
Burn-out Velvet Also called "devoré", it is a velvet fabric with a pattern formed by burning the pile away with acid. A mixed-fibre material undergoes a chemical process to dissolve the cellulose fibers to create a semi-transparent pattern against more solidly woven fabric. The same technique can also be applied to textiles other than velvet, such as lace or the fabrics in burnout t-shirts.

C ^^Top Cabled yarn A cable yarn is made up of two or more smaller plied yarns twisted together.
CAD The use of computer systems to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design.
Calendering Finishing process used on cloth, paper, or plastic film. A calender is employed, usually to smooth, coat, or thin a material. With textiles, fabric is passed under rollers at high temperatures and pressures. Calendering is used on fabrics such as moire to produce its watered effect and also on cambric and some types of sateens.
Calico Calico is a plain-woven textile made from unbleached and often not fully processed cotton. It may contain unseparated husk parts, for example. The fabric is less coarse and thick than canvas or denim, but it is still very cheap owing to its unfinished and undyed appearance.
Calvary twill A strong cotton, wool, or worsted fabric constructed in double twill, used for apparel.
CAM An acronym for computer-aided manufacturing. Basically, it is a computer system used for controlling the manufacturing process.
Cambric Thin, plain cotton or linen fabric of fine close weave, usually white. Cambric was originally a kind of fine white plain-weave linen cloth made at or near Cambrai, France. Eventually the term came to be applied to cotton fabrics as well. Used as fabric for linens, shirts, handkerchieves, ruffs, lace and needlework.
Camel Cloth made from pure camel hair or a blend of camel hair and another fiber.
Camel's hair Cloth made from pure camel hair or a blend of camel hair and another fiber. The outer protective fur is coarse and inflexible and can be woven into haircloth. Guard hair can be made soft and plush by blending it, especially with wool. The camel's pure undercoat is very soft, gathered when camels molt, and is frequently used for coats. Camel hair is collected from the Bactrian camel, which is found across Asia from eastern Turkey and China to Siberia.
Camlet A woven fabric that might have originally been made of camel or goat's hair, later chiefly of goat's hair and silk, or of wool and cotton. The original form of this cloth was very valuable; the term later came to be applied to imitations of the original eastern fabric.
Canvas A heavy-duty, tightly woven fabric; rolls of specialty canvas are used in inkjet prints to produce Giclée canvas prints. After they are printed, the canvas is treated with a protective coating that guards against scratching, and dust and water damage. Order online: Mounted Artist Canvas Rolled Artist Canvas
Canvas work A type of embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a canvas or other foundation fabric. Common types of canvas work include needlepoint, petit point, and bargello.
Capilene The name that Patagonia uses to describe the fabric employed in the construction of water hating clothing. Basically, it is polyester with a hydrophilic surface finish.
Carbon fiber Carbon fiber is an extremely strong and light fiber-reinforced plastic which contains carbon fibers. Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics or CFRPs can be expensive to produce but are commonly used in aerospace, automotive, civil engineering, sports goods fields.
Carding A mechanical process that disentangles, cleans and intermixes fibres to produce a continuous web or sliver suitable for subsequent processing.
Care labelling/Care labels Labels which indicate the proper way of treating the fabric. They include standardized pictograms which represent the method of washing, for example drying, dry-cleaning and ironing.
Carpet A textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing.
Carrickmacross lace A form of lace that may be described as decorated net. A three-layer 'sandwich' is made consisting of the pattern (at the bottom), covered with, first, machine-made net and then fine muslin, through which the pattern can be seen. Carrickmacross lace was introduced into Ireland in about 1820.
Casement A sheer fabric made of a variety of fibers, used for window curtains and as backing for heavy drapery or decorative fabrics.
Cashgora A goat that is a cross between a cashmere goat and an angora goat, whose wool is used in textile industry.
Cashmere A fiber obtained from cashmere goats and other types of goat. Cashmere is fine in texture, strong, light, and soft. Garments made from it provide excellent insulation, approximately three times that of sheep wool. Cashmere is also softer than regular wool.
Cavalry twill A strong cotton, wool, or worsted fabric constructed in double twill, used for apparel.
Cedar bark Textile used by indigenous people in the Pacific Northwest region of modern-day Canada and the United States. Historically, most items of clothing were made of this material. The name is confusing, as it is made from Thuja (redcedar) and cypress bark, not cedar bark. After the western red cedar or yellow cypress bark was peeled in long strips from the trees, the outer layer was split away, and the flexible inner layer was shredded and processed. The resulting felted strips of bark were soft and could be plaited, sewn or woven into a variety of fabrics that were either dense and watertight, or soft and comfortable.
Cellulose An insoluble substance that is the main constituent of plant cell walls and of vegetable fibers such as cotton. It is a polysaccharide consisting of chains of glucose monomers.
Cellulosic fibers Fibre made with ether or esters of cellulose, which can be obtained from the bark, wood or leaves of plants, or from a plant-based material. Besides cellulose, these fibers are compound of hemicellulose and lignin, and different percentages of these components are responsible for different mechanical properties observed.
Celtic knot A knot formed by interfaced ribbons that lead seamlessly into one another. Same as everlasting knot.
Chalk cloth Flexible fabric which can be used a chalk board.
Challis A lightweight woven fabric, originally a silk-and-wool blend, which can also be made from a single fibre, such as cotton, silk or wool. First manufactured in Norwich, England, in about 1832, when it was designed as a thin, pliable, matt-textured soft material.
Chantilly lace A delicate silk, linen, or synthetic bobbin lace, in black or white, scalloped along one edge and often having an outlined design of scrolls or vases or baskets of flowers, widely used for bridal gowns and evening gowns. Although named after the city of Chantilly in France, most of the lace bearing this name was actually made in Bayeux in France and Geraardsbergen, now in Belgium.
Char cloth Swatch of fabric made from vegetable fiber (such as linen, cotton or jute) that has been converted into a slow-burning fuel of very low ignition temperature. It can be ignited by a single spark that can in turn be used to ignite a tinder bundle to start a fire.
Charm quilt A quilt made of many small pieces of fabric where each piece is a different fabric. The idea is to have a scrap-pieced top with no two pieces alike.
Charmuese A lightweight fabric woven with a satin weave, in which the warp threads cross over four or more of the backing (weft) threads. These float threads give the front of the fabric a smooth finish—lustrous and reflective—whereas the back has a dull finish. It can be made of silk or a synthetic lookalike such as polyester.
Charvet Fabric woven of silk or acetate in warp-faced rib weave, of a reversed reps type with a double ridge effect. The fabric's name derives from its frequent and "clever" use in the 19th century by the Parisian shirtmaker Charvet. It is characterized by a soft handle and shiny appearance.
Cheese cloth A loose-woven gauze-like cotton cloth used primarily in cheese making and cooking.
Chenille A tufty, velvety cord or yarn, used for trimming furniture and made into carpets or clothing.
Chiengora A yarn or wool spun from dog hair. The word derives from the French word for a dog "chien" and "angora." It is up to 80% warmer than wool and it is not elastic.
Chiffon A very thin, almost transparent cloth of silk or nylon. Woven of alternate S and Z-twist yarns, which gives it some stretch and a slightly rough feel. Chiffon is most commonly used in evening wear, especially as an overlay, for giving an elegant and floating appearance to the gown. It is also a popular fabric used in blouses, ribbons, scarves and lingerie.
Chino Twill fabric, originally made of 100% cotton. The most common items made from it, trousers, are widely called chinos. Today it is also found in cotton-synthetic blends.
Chintz Cotton cloth, usually with patterns of flowers, that has a slightly shiny appearance. Originally it was glazed calico textiles, specifically those imported from India, printed with designs featuring flowers and other patterns in different colours. Since the 19th century the term has also been used for the style of floral decoration developed in those calico textiles, but then used more widely, for example on chintzware pottery and wallpaper.
Chite Painted linens that originated in Chitta (India) in the 17th century.
Chitosan Biodegradable chemical used in textile dyeing process.
CIM Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is the manufacturing approach of using computers to control the entire production process.
Cloqué Cloth with a raised woven pattern and a puckered or quilted look. The surface is made up of small irregularly raised figures formed by the woven structure. The Americanized spelling is "cloky".
Cloth Cloth is a finished piece of fabric used for a specific purpose. Fabric is a material made through weaving, knitting, spreading, crocheting, or bonding that may be used in production of further goods. Textile refers to any material made of interlacing fibres.
Cloth of gold Fabric woven with a gold-wrapped or spun weft—referred to as "a spirally spun gold strip". In most cases, the core yarn is silk wrapped with a band or strip of high content gold. In rarer instances, fine linen and wool have been used as the core.
Coated fabrics Fabrics that have been coated with a lacquer, varnish, rubber, plastic resin of polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene, or other substance to make them longer lasting or impervious to water or other liquids.
Coating Covering that is applied to the surface of an object, usually referred to as the substrate. The purpose of applying the coating may be decorative, functional, or both. The coating itself may be an all-over coating, completely covering the substrate, or it may only cover parts of the substrate.
Coir Coconut fibre - a natural fibre extracted from the husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes and mattresses.
Colorfastness Material's color's resistance to fading or running. The term is usually used in the context of clothes. The first known use of the word colorfast was in 1916. In general, clothing should be tested for colorfastness before using bleach or other cleaning products.
Colour standard A colour matching system used in Europe that is created and administrated by the German RAL Institute.
Colour wheel An abstract illustrative organization of color hues around a circle, which shows the relationships between primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors etc.
Colourway Any of a range of combinations of colors in which a style or design is available.
Combined fabric A fabric containing different yarns, made of different fibers or using different twists.
Composite Material made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties that, when combined, produce a material with characteristics different from the individual components. The individual components remain separate and distinct within the finished structure.
Conditioning Process of allowing textile materials to reach equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere.
Cone Cone Mills Corporation was a world leader in textile manufacturing of corduroy, flannel, denim and other cotton fabrics for most of the 20th century. The company was based in Greensboro, North Carolina and its mills were mostly in North and South Carolina. The company was known as the world's largest producer of denim. It was disestablished in 2004.
Converting The process of combining raw materials such as polyesters, adhesives, silicone, tapes, foams, plastics, felts, rubbers, liners and metals, as well as other materials, to create new products.
Coolmax Brand name for a series of moisture-wicking technical fabrics developed in 1986 by DuPont Textiles. Found in a wide variety of garments from mountain climbing gear, to casual sportswear and underwear.
Cord A trimming made by twisting or plying two or more strands of yarn together. Cord is used in a number of textile arts including dressmaking, upholstery, macramé, and couching.
Cordura Brand name for a collection of fabrics used in a wide array of products including luggage, backpacks, trousers, military wear and performance apparel. Cordura fabrics are known for their durability and resistance to abrasions, tears and scuffs.
Corduroy Corduroy is a textile composed of twisted fibres that, when woven, lie parallel (similar to twill) to one another to form the cloth's distinct pattern, a "cord." Corduroy is, in essence, a ridged form of velvet. It is considered a durable cloth, mostly being found in the construction of trousers, jackets and shirts. Other names are often used for corduroy, such as corded velveteen, elephant cord, pin cord, Manchester cloth and cords.
Core spinning Process by which fibres are twisted around an existing yarn, either filament or staple spun yarn, to produce a sheath core structure in which the already formed yarn is the core.
Core-spun yarn Two-component structure with core and sheath. Generally continuous filament yarn is used as core and the staple fibres used as sheath covering. The core-spun yarn used to enhance functional properties of the fabrics such as strength, durability and stretch comfort.
Cost control The practice of identifying and reducing business expenses to increase profits.
Cost price Cost price is the total amount of money that it costs a manufacturer to produce a given product or provide a given service.
Cotton A soft fiber made from the cotton plant. It is highly versatile, and in picture framing is used in mat boards, fine art papers and canvas. This white vegetable fiber grown in warmer climates in many parts of the world, has been used to produce many types of fabric for hundreds of years. Cotton fabric feels good against the skin regardless of the temperature or the humidity.
Cotton gin A machine invented in 1793 purportedly by American Eli Whitney to mechanize the production of cotton fiber.
Coutil Woven cloth created specifically for making corsets. It is woven tightly to inhibit penetration of the corset's bones and to resist stretching. Coutil may be made to be plain (similar to 100% cotton facing), satin, or brocade.
Crash A plain linen fabric used for towels.
Crazy quilting The term used to refer to the textile art of crazy patchwork. Crazy quilting does not actually refer to a specific kind of quilting, but rather to a specific kind of patchwork lacking repeating motifs and with the seams and patches heavily embellished.
Crease recovery The ability of a creased or wrinkled fabric to recover its original shape over time.
Creel Bar with skewers for holding bobbins in a spinning machine.
Crepe A silk, wool, or synthetic fiber fabric with a distinctively crisp, crimped appearance. Commercially they are distinguished as single, double, three-ply and four-ply crapes, according to the nature of the yarn used in their manufacture. They are almost exclusively dyed black and used in mourning dress, and among Roman Catholic communities for nuns' veils, etc.
Crepe Charmeuse A lightweight silk satin with a grenadine warp and crêpe reverse.
Crepe de Chine A fine, lightweight silk, cotton, or worsted, with a plain weave and crêpe-twist filling.
Crepe-back satin Reversible fabric with a satin face and a crêpe reverse.
Cretonne Strong, printed cotton cloth. It is usually unglazed and may be printed on both sides and even with different patterns. Frequently cretonne has a fancy woven pattern of some kind which is modified by the printed design.
Crewel Crewel embroidery, or crewelwork, is a type of surface embroidery using wool. A wide variety of different embroidery stitches are used to follow a design outline applied to the fabric. The technique is at least a thousand years old.
Crimp The waviness of a fibre, i.e. the condition in which the axis of a fibre under minimum external stress departs from a straight line and follows a simple or a complex or an irregular wavy path.
Crimplene Brand name for a type of artificial cloth, used for clothes, that does not easily crease.
Crinoline Stiffened or structured petticoat designed to hold out a woman's skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair and cotton or linen which was used to make underskirts and as a dress lining. Crinolines were worn by women of every social standing and class across the Western world, from royalty to factory workers.
Cro-hook A special double-ended crochet hook used to make double-sided crochet. It employs the use of a long double-ended hook, which permits the maker to work stitches on or off from either end.
Crochet A process of creating fabric by interlocking loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials using a crochet hook. The name is derived from the French term "crochet", meaning small hook. These are made of materials such as metal, wood, or plastic. The major difference between crochet and knitting is that each stitch in crochet is completed before proceeding with the next one, while knitting keeps a large number of stitches open at a time.
Crochet hook An implement used to make loops in thread or yarn and to interlock them into crochet stitches. It is basically a round shaft pointed on one end, with a lateral groove behind it. The point eases the insertion of the hook through the material being crocheted and the groove makes it possible to pull a loop back through the material. The shaft is then divided into a working area that determines the hook's nominal diameter and ensures the uniform sizing of the loops formed on it, and a handle.
Crocking The process in which dye rubs off fabric and on to skin or another fabric.
Cross dyeing The dyeing of one kind of fiber (as wool) after it has been woven with other fiber (as cotton) already dyed in the form of yarn.
Cross-stitch A form of sewing and a popular form of counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, raster-like pattern are used to form a picture.
Cupro A rayon made from cellulose dissolved in cuprammonium solution.
Cut and sew The term used to denote a garment that has been customized from raw fabric rather than one that has been purchased from a third-party supplier and then screenprinted or altered.

D ^^Top Damask A reversible figured fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibres, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin weave and the ground in weft-faced or sateen weave. It is named after the city of Damaskus in Syria.
Darlexx Omnidirectional warp knit fabric laminated to a monolithic film. It is a sports performance fabric used in gloves, boots, wet suits, ski apparel, clean rooms, and in medical applications. It was designed to keep a person "warm when the environment is cold and cool when the environment is hot" and is breathable, windproof, and waterproof.
Darning mushroom A mushroom-shaped tool usually made of wood. The sock is stretched over the curved top of the mushroom, and gathered tightly around the stalk to hold it in place for darning.
Dazzle Type of polyester fabric that is widely used in making clothes like basketball uniforms, football uniforms, rugby ball uniforms and casual clothing because it absorbs moisture quickly. It is a lightweight fabric that allows air to circulate easily around the body.
Delaine wool Wool produced by Delaine Merino, a type of Merino sheep predominant in North America.
Denier Denier or den (abbreviated D), a unit of measure for the linear mass density of fibers, is the mass in grams per 9000 meters of the fiber. The denier is based on a natural reference: a single strand of silk is approximately one denier; a 9000-meter strand of silk weighs about one gram. The term denier comes from the French denier, a coin of small value.
Denier per filament (dpf) Denier measurement which relates to a single filament of fiber.
Denim A sturdy cotton textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. The most common denim is indigo denim, in which the warp thread is dyed, while the weft thread is left white. As a result, one side of the textile is dominated by the blue warp threads and the other side is dominated by the white weft threads. This causes blue jeans to be white on the inside. The indigo dyeing process, in which the core of the warp threads remains white, creates denim's signature fading characteristics. Denim initially gained popularity in 1870s when Jacob W. Davis, a tailor from Nevada, manufactured the first pair of denim pants upon customer's request to make a pair of strong working pants for her husband who was a woodcutter. He started to work for Levi Strauss, and the rest is history.
Dent Abrasion, scratch, blemish, or imperfection caused by a collision.
Design Brief (or Proposal) A written document for a design project developed by a person or team in consultation with the client. They outline the deliverables and scope of the project including any products or works, timing and budget.
Design Specification A detailed document providing information about the characteristics of a project to set criteria the developers will need to meet.
Desizing The process done in order to remove the size from the warp yarns of the woven fabrics.
Devore Print Also called burnout, it is a fabric technique particularly used on velvets, where a mixed-fibre material undergoes a chemical process to dissolve the cellulose fibers to create a semi-transparent pattern against more solidly woven fabric. The same technique can also be applied to textiles other than velvet, such as lace or the fabrics in burnout t-shirts.
Digital Printing Digital printing refers to methods of printing from a digital-based image directly to a variety of media. It usually refers to professional printing where small-run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources are printed using large-format and/or high-volume laser or inkjet printers. Digital printing has a higher cost per page than more traditional offset printing methods, but this price is usually offset by avoiding the cost of all the technical steps required to make printing plates. It also allows for on-demand printing, short turnaround time, and even a modification of the image used for each impression.
Dimensional Stability The vital characteristics of a fabric which determines whether a fabric has the potential to retain its original shape and remain stable, indicating it will not bubble or sag over time, when applied over a substrate, and its suitability for a specified use.
Dimity A lightweight, sheer cotton fabric, used historically, having at least two warp threads thrown into relief to form fine cords. It is a cloth commonly employed for bed upholstery and curtains, and usually white, though sometimes a pattern is printed on it in colors. It is stout in texture, and woven in raised patterns. Originally dimity was made of silk or wool, but since the 18th century it has been woven almost exclusively of cotton.
Direct Dye Also called substantive dye, it is any of a class of coloured, water-soluble compounds that have an affinity for fiber. Direct dyes are usually cheap and easily applied.
Discharge Printing Also called extract printing, it is a method of applying a design to dyed fabric by printing a colour-destroying agent to bleach out a white or light pattern on the darker coloured ground.
Disperse Dye Disperse dyes are the only water-insoluble dyes that dye polyester and acetate fibers. Disperse dye molecules are the smallest dye molecules among all dyes.
Dobby A woven fabric produced on the dobby loom, characterised by small geometric patterns and extra texture in the cloth. The warp and weft threads may be the same colour or different. Satin threads are particularly effective in this kind of weave as their texture will highlight the pattern. Polo shirts are usually made with dobby.
Doeskin Soft leather made from the skin of a deer, lamb, or goat, used especially for gloves.
Doff The act of removing bobbins, material, etc., and stripping fibers from a textile machine.
Donegal tweed Handwoven tweed manufactured in County Donegal, Ireland. The Donegal area is best known for a plain-weave cloth of differently-coloured warp and weft, with small pieces of yarn in various colours woven in at irregular intervals to produce a heathered effect.
Dotted Swiss Traditionally plain weave cotton covered in small dots placed at regular intervals. These can be woven in, flocked or printed. Colors may be introduced, although the most common is all white. Nowadays the cotton is sometimes blended with manufactured fiber. Dotted swiss fabric is mostly used for blouses, dresses and curtains.
Double Cloth A kind of woven textile in which two or more sets of warps and one or more sets of weft or filling yarns are interconnected to form a two-layered cloth. The movement of threads between the layers allows complex patterns and surface textures to be created. Double weaving is an ancient technique. Surviving examples from the Paracas culture of Peru have been dated to before AD 700. Modern applications of double cloth include haute couture coats, blankets, furnishing fabrics, and some brocades.
Double Knit A jerseylike fabric knitted on a machine equipped with two sets of needles so that a double thickness of fabric is produced in which the two sides of the fabric are interlocked.
Double knitting Form of knitting in which two fabrics are knitted simultaneously on one pair of needles. The fabrics may be inseparable, as in interlock knitted fabrics, or they can simply be two unconnected fabrics.
Double Rub Double rubs are a measurement of a fabric’s abrasion resistance. They are listed with most fabrics and are helpful in determining which fabric is right for your particular application. Double rubs are found through a mechanized test called the Wyzenbeek Test.
Double weave The same as "double cloth."
Dowlas Plain cloth, similar to sheeting, but usually coarser. It is made in several qualities, from line warp and weft to two warp and weft, and is used chiefly for aprons, pocketing, soldiers' gaiters, linings and overalls. The finer makes are sometimes made into shirts for workmen, and occasionally used for heavy pillow-cases.
Down Soft bird feather found under the tougher exterior feather. Down is a fine thermal insulator and padding, used in goods such as jackets, bedding (duvets), pillows and sleeping bags.
Drape Piece of cloth intended to block or obscure light, or drafts, or water in the case of a shower curtain. A curtain is also the movable screen or drape in a theater that separates the stage from the auditorium or that serves as a backdrop.
Drawing-in The process by which the yarn or fiber is elongated by passing it through a series of pair of rollers, each pair moving faster than the previous one.
Drop Wires In weaving process, drop wires detect warp yarn rupture and enable looms to continue operating while minimizing fabric quality loss.
Drugget Coarse woollen fabric felted or woven, self-coloured or printed one side. Formerly used for cloathing.
Duck Also called duck cloth or duck canvas, and commonly called "canvas" outside the textile industry, is a heavy, plain woven cotton fabric. There is also linen duck, which is less often used. Duck is used in a wide range of applications, from sneakers to over tents to sandbags. Duck fabric is woven with 2 yarns together in the warp and a single yarn in the weft.
Dungarees Historical term for what is now known as denim. Cotton twill with indigo dyed warp thread is now more commonly referred to as denim, or more specifically blue denim.
Dupioni An irregular silk thread reeled from two or more entangled cocoons and producing a coarse yarn generally used in fabrics such as shantung or pongee.
Durability The ability of a textile product to perform its required function over a lengthy period under normal conditions of use without excessive expenditure on maintenance or repair.
Dye A natural or synthetic substance used to add a color to or change the color of something.
Dye lot A record taken during the dyeing of yarn to identify yarn that received its coloration in the same vat at the same time. Yarn manufacturers assign each lot a unique identification number and stamp it on the label before shipping. Slight differences in temperature, dyeing time, and other factors can result in different shades of the same color between different dye lots of otherwise identical production.
Dye Sublimation Sublimation is a process where an image can be printed onto transfer paper using dye-based inks and then with heat and pressure become transferred into the substrate. Dye sublimation on hard surface surfaces is possible if the surfaces have been coated. Instead of printing images directly on a surface, which may scratch easily, the image is infused into the coating to provide permanent protection and durability.
Dye-bath Bath prepared for use in dyeing; a solution of coloring matter in which substances to be colored are immersed.
Dyeing The process of adding color to textile products like fibers, yarns, and fabrics. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material. After dyeing, dye molecules have uncut chemical bond with fiber molecules. The temperature and time controlling are two key factors in dyeing. There are mainly two classes of dye, natural and man-made.
Dyneema Super-strong fiber made from Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, providing maximum strength with minimum weight. Invented by Albert Pennings in 1963. Used in armor, cut-resistant gloves, bow strings, climbing equipment, fishing line, spear lines for spearguns, high-performance sails, suspension lines on sport parachutes and paragliders, rigging in yachting, kites, and kites lines for kites sports.

E ^^Top E-textiles Fabrics that enable digital components (including small computers), and electronics to be embedded in them. Also known as smart garments, smart clothing, electronic textiles, smart textiles, or smart fabrics.
Egyptian cotton Extra long staple cotton varieties produced in Egypt and used by luxury and upmarket brands worldwide.
Eisengarn A light-reflecting, strong, waxed-cotton thread. It was invented and manufactured in Germany in the mid-19th century, but is now most well known for its use in cloth woven for the tubular-steel chairs designed by Marcel Breuer while he was a teacher at the Bauhaus design school. The yarn is also known as Glanzgarn ('gloss' or 'glazed' yarn).
Elastane Also known as Spandex and Lycra, it is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is stronger and more durable than natural rubber. It is a polyester-polyurethane copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers. When introduced in 1962, it revolutionized many areas of the clothing industry. Because of its elasticity and strength, spandex has been incorporated into a wide range of garments, such as activewear, dance belts, gloves, and hosiery.
Elastic Modulus Elastic modulus (also known as the tensile modulus, or Young's modulus) is a number that measures an object or substance's resistance to being deformed elastically (i.e., non-permanently) when a force is applied to it.
Elasticity The capacity of a stressed textile to recover its original size and shape immediately after removal of the stress.
Elastomers Polymers with viscoelasticity and very weak inter-molecular forces. The term usually refers to rubber like solids with elastic properties.
Electrical Conductivity Material's ability to conduct an electric current.
Electronic Data Interchange or EDI An electronic communication method that provides standards for exchanging data via any electronic means. By adhering to the same standard, two different companies or organizations, even in two different countries, can electronically exchange documents (such as purchase orders, invoices, shipping notices, and many others).
Elongation Property of a fiber related to how much it will stretch or lengthen, before breaking. it does not imply that the fiber will return to its original length.
Embossing A technique in which images and patterns are created on the surface of a product through the application of heat and pressure. It is the creative impression of a design, decoration, or pattern on any surface. During the process of embossing, the surface of the embossed material raises adding a new dimension to the object. Embossing can be done on various materials like paper, metals, textiles etc.
Embroidery The handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Today, embroidery is most often seen on caps, hats, coats, blankets, dress shirts, denim, stockings, and golf shirts. Embroidery is available with a wide variety of thread or yarn color. The art of embroidery has been found worldwide and several early examples have been found. Works in China have been dated to 5th to 3rd Century BC.
Ends per inch (EPI) The number of warp threads per inch of woven fabric. In general, the higher the ends per inch, the finer the fabric is.
Epinglé fabric A type of velvet fabric woven on a wire loom or épinglé loom. The épinglé velvet is specific by the fact that both loop pile and cut pile can be integrated into the same fabric. The art of épinglé weaving in Europe originates from Lucca (Italy) and later Venice and Genova. Actually the term 'Genova velvet' is still in use.
Epinglé loom A type of weaving machine whereby steel rods are inserted in a top shed which is formed over the bottom shed in which the weft is inserted. The steel rods are inserted into the fabric every second or third pick by a separate mechanism that is synchronized with the weaving motion. The same mechanism also extracts the rods from the fabric . If the rod carries a cutting blade at the tip the warps that are woven over the rods are cut, creating a cut pile effect. In case the rod has no blade, then the warp ends from a loop pile. Alternating cut and loop wires create cut and loop pile in the fabric. This weaving technology is used for weaving velvets for furnishing and apparel applications.
Even-weave Any woven textile where the warp and weft threads are of the same size.
Exhaust dyeing In exhaust dyeing, all the material contacts all the dye liquor and the fibre absorbs the dyes. The dye concentration in the bath therefore gradually decreases. The degree of dye bath exhaustion is therefore a function of time describes the rate and extent of the dyeing process. For a single dye, the exhaustion is defined as the mass of the dye taken up by the material divided by the total initial mass of dye in the bath.
Eyelet A small grommet, that is a ring or edge strip inserted into a hole through thin material, typically a sheet of textile fabric, sheet metal and/or composite of carbon fiber, wood or honeycomb. Grommets are generally flared or collared on each side to keep them in place, and are often made of metal, plastic, or rubber. An eyelet is used on shoes, tarps and sails for lacing purposes.

F ^^Top Fabric Fabric is a material made through weaving, knitting, spreading, crocheting, or bonding that may be used in production of further goods. Textile refers to any material made of interlacing fibres. Cloth is a finished piece of fabric used for a specific purpose.
Fabric Simulation The term used for simulating fabric within a computer program; usually in the context of 3D computer graphics.
Fabrics Spreading The process by which plies of fabric is spread in order to get required length and width
Facing A small piece of fabric, separate or a part of the fabric itself, used to finish the fabric edges.
Fade Resistance A material's color's resistance to fading.
Faille A plain weave fabric with pronounced, fairly flat crosswise ribs and a silky, somewhat lustrous surface, faille is the name given to such fabric in a range of weights. The weave is constructed with heavier weft yarns and finer and more numerous warp yarns. The warp fibers are usually filament (silk, manufactured fibers) while the weft is usually cotton or cotton blends, sometimes wool or silk. Used for evening dresses, skirts, under skirts, spring coats and suits.
Fastening An item, such as a hook, used to attach one thing to another firmly.
Fat Quarter Pre-cut pieces of cotton fabric. They are taken from one yard of fabric, cut in half lengthwise, and then in half widthwise. The dimensions are approximately 18" x 22" (46cm x 56cm).
Faux Fur Also called fake fur or fun fur, is any material made of synthetic fibers designed to resemble fur. It is usually used as a piece of clothing, but also for stuffed animals, fashion accessory and home decorations like pillows and bedding. It was first introduced in 1929 and has been commercially available since the 1950s, but its increasing popularity has been credited to its promotion by animal rights and animal welfare organizations.
Faux Leather An artificial leather made of synthetic materials. Intended to substitute for leather in fields such as upholstery, clothing, footwear and fabrics, and other uses where a leather-like finish is required but the actual material is cost-prohibitive, unsuitable, or unusable for ethical reasons.
Faux Suede Faux suede is an animal-friendly material made from polyester microfiber that mimics the look and feel of natural suede. The plastics are much less susceptible to water damage and can be easily cleaned. Because of this particular quality, faux suede is especially suitable for clothing items prone to stains, such as shoes, jackets, and handbags.
Felt A textile that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool, or from synthetic fibers. Felt from wool is considered to be the oldest known textile. Felt is used in a wide range of industries and manufacturing processes, from the automotive industry and casinos to musical instruments and home construction.
Fiber Fiber or fibre is a natural or synthetic substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate fibers, for example carbon fiber and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene.
Filament A very fine thread or threadlike structure; a fiber or fibril.
Filament Count Number of filaments in the cross-section of a fiber bundle.
Filament Yarn Yarn composed of one or more filaments that run the whole length of the yarn
Filet lace General word used for all the different techniques of embroidery on knotted net. It is a hand made needlework created by weaving or embroidery using a long blunt needle and a thread on a ground of knotted net lace or filet work made of square or diagonal meshes of the same sizes or of different sizes.
Filling Filling, also called Weft, or Woof, in woven fabrics, the widthwise, or horizontal, yarns carried over and under the warp, or lengthwise, yarns and running from selvage to selvage. Filling yarns are generally made with less twist than are warp yarns because they are subjected to less strain in the weaving process and therefore require less strength.
Finish In textile manufacturing, finishing refers to the processes that convert the woven or knitted cloth into a usable material and more specifically to any process performed after dyeing the yarn or fabric to improve the look, performance, or "hand" (feel) of the finish textile or clothing.
Fishnet Hosiery with an open, diamond-shaped knit; it is most often used as a material for stockings, tights, or bodystockings.
Fitness for Purpose Being appropriate, and of a necessary standard for fabric's intended use.
Flame Retardant Textiles that are naturally more resistant to fire than others through chemical treatment or manufactured fireproof fibers.
Flammability Tests Tests which determine a fabric's ability to resist ignition with the flame size and duration in the test conditions. The result is a comparative test, which provides a measure of the material's resistance to propagating combustion caused by small scale ignition sources.
Flannel Soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness or remain unbrushed. Commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, bed sheets, and sleepwear.
Flat Bed Screen Method of fabric printing which is basically an automated version of the silk-screen process. It is semi-continuous printing process in which color is forced onto the fabric through a series of perforated flat screens, one screen per color.
Flax A food and fiber crop cultivated in cooler regions of the world. The textiles made from flax are known in the Western countries as linen, and traditionally used for bed sheets, underclothes, and table linen. Flax fiber is soft, lustrous, and flexible. It is stronger than cotton fiber, but less elastic. The best grades are used for linen fabrics such as damasks, lace, and sheeting. Coarser grades are used for the manufacturing of twine and rope, and historically for canvas and webbing equipment. The use of flax fibers dates back tens of thousands of years and linen, a refined textile made from flax fibers was widely worn by Sumerian priests over 4,000 years ago. Flax mills for spinning flaxen yarn were invented in England in 1787. New methods of processing flax have led to renewed interest in the use of flax as an industrial fiber.
Fleece A woolen coat of a domestic sheep or long-haired goat, especially after being sheared (but before being processed into yarn or thread).
Flock Printing A printing process in which short fibers of rayon, cotton, wool or another natural or synthetic material are applied to an adhesive-coated surface. This adds a velvet or suede-like texture to the surface. Since the fibers can be dyed, flocking can also add a color to a printed area.
Flocking The process of depositing many small fiber particles (flocked) onto a surface. The flocked area will remain raised from the surface and is generally done in a patterned design. Flocking also refers to the texture produced from this process as well as any material that is used primarily for its flocked surface.
Foulard A lightweight fabric, either twill or plain-woven, made of silk or a mix of silk and cotton. Foulards usually have a small printed design of various colors. Foulard can also refer by metonymy to articles of clothing, such as scarves and neckties, made from this fabric.
Frieze A Middle English term for a coarse woolen, plain weave cloth with a nap on one side.
Fulling also known as tucking or walking, is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth (particularly wool) to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker.
Fully fashioned knitting machines Flat and circular knitting machines that produce custom pre-shaped pieces of a knitted garment. Instead of knitting a whole rectangular sheet of fabric, instructions from a knit pattern on a punch card or computer file guide a fully fashioned knitting machine's needles to add or drop stitches to create custom two-dimensional shapes appropriate to the desired finished garment structure. The pieces emerge from the machine ready to be sewn together.
Fustian Variety of heavy cloth woven from cotton, chiefly prepared for menswear.

G ^^Top Gabardine Tough, tightly woven fabric used to make suits, overcoats, trousers, uniforms, windbreakers and other garments. The fibre used to make the fabric is traditionally worsted wool, but may also be cotton, texturised polyester, or a blend. Gabardine is woven as a warp-faced steep or regular twill, with a prominent diagonal rib on the face and smooth surface on the back.
Gannex Waterproof fabric composed of an outer layer of nylon and an inner layer of wool with air between them and was invented in 1951 by Joseph Kagan, a British industrialist and the founder of Kagan Textiles.
Gante A cloth made from cotton or tow warp and jute weft. It is largely used for bags for sugar and similar material, and has the appearance of a fine hessian cloth.
Gantt Chart A type of bar chart, devised by Henry Gantt in the 1910s, that illustrates a project schedule, including start and finish dates of its terminal elements and its summary elements. It is used in many industries, including the textile one.
Garment Specification A document of a product which contains the sketch of garment design, fabric construction and its other required characteristics. It is provided by the buyer to the garment merchandisers at the beginning of a garment production order.
Gauge In knitting, the word gauge is used both in hand knitting and machine knitting; the latter, technical abbreviation GG, refers to "Knitting Machines" fineness size. In both cases, the term refers to the number of stitches per inch, not the size of the finished garment. In both cases, the gauge is measured by counting the number of stitches (in hand knitting) or the number of needles (on a knitting machine bed) over several inches then dividing by the number of inches in the width of the sample.
Gauge Wire The measurement of how large a wire is, either in diameter or cross sectional area.
Gauze Thin, translucent fabric with a loose open weave.
Gazar Silk or wool plain weave fabric made with high-twist double yarns woven as one. Gazar has a crisp hand and a smooth texture. Much used in bridal and evening fashion due to its ability to hold its shape
Genova velvet The type of black velvet produced in Genoa, Italy. Among Venice and Florence, Genoa has traditionally been recognized as the most important Italian center of high-quality velvet production.
Georgette Sheer, lightweight, dull-finished crêpe fabric named after the early 20th century French dressmaker Georgette de la Plante. Originally made from silk, Georgette is made with highly twisted yarns. Its characteristic crinkly surface is created by alternating S- and Z-twist yarns in both warp and weft. Georgette is made in solid colors and prints and is used for blouses, dresses, evening gowns, saris, and trimmings. It is springier and less lustrous than the closely related chiffon
Geotextiles Permeable fabrics which, when used in association with soil, have the ability to separate, filter, reinforce, protect, or drain. Typically made from polypropylene or polyester, geotextile fabrics come in three basic forms: woven (resembling mail bag sacking), needle punched (resembling felt), or heat bonded (resembling ironed felt). Geotextiles and related products have many applications and currently support many civil engineering applications including roads, airfields, railroads, embankments, retaining structures, reservoirs, canals, dams, bank protection, coastal engineering and construction site silt fences or geotube.
Ghalamkar Type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile, produced in parts of India and Iran. Only natural dyes are used in kalamkari, as it is also called, and its application involves seventeen steps. Paintings mostly depict epics such as the Ramayana or Mahabharata, howvere, more recent applications of the technique depict Buddha and Buddhist art forms.
Gingham Medium-weight balanced plain-woven fabric made from dyed cotton or cotton-blend yarn. It is made of carded, medium or fine yarns, where the colouring is on the warp yarns and always along the weft. Gingham has no right or wrong side with respect to color. Often used as a test fabric while designing fashion or used for making an inexpensive fitting shell prior to making the clothing in fashion fabric
Glass Fiber Material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass. Uses for regular glass fiber include mats and fabrics for thermal insulation, electrical insulation, sound insulation, high-strength fabrics or heat- and corrosion-resistant fabrics. It is also used to reinforce various materials, such as tent poles, pole vault poles, arrows, bows and crossbows, translucent roofing panels, automobile bodies, hockey sticks, surfboards, boat hulls, and paper honeycomb.
Gore-Tex Waterproof, breathable fabric membrane and registered trademark of W. L. Gore and Associates. Invented in 1969, Gore-Tex is able to repel liquid water while allowing water vapor to pass through, and is designed to be a lightweight, waterproof fabric for all-weather use.
Gossamer A very light, sheer, gauze-like fabric, popular for white wedding dresses and decorations.
Graphite Fiber Carbon fibers or carbon fibres (alternatively CF, graphite fiber or graphite fibre) are fibers about 5–10 micrometres in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The properties of carbon fibers, such as high stiffness, high tensile strength, low weight, high chemical resistance, high temperature tolerance and low thermal expansion, make them very popular in aerospace, civil engineering, military, and motorsports, along with other competition sports. However, they are relatively expensive when compared with similar fibers, such as glass fibers or plastic fibers.
Green Textiles Textiles produced and manufactured with minimal impact on the environment.
Greige Fabric Greige or grey fabric is basically unfinished woven fabric that is yet to be dyed or bleached. It is not grey in color, as it is often mistaken.
Grenadine Textile type characterized by its light, open, gauze-like feel, and is made on jacquard looms. Originally produced in Italy and worn as a black silk lace in France in the eighteenth century, it is now woven with silk for use in ties.
Grenfell Cloth Densely-woven cotton gabardine material used to make luxury and outdoor clothing since 1923. Named after Sir Wilfred Grenfell, a British medical missionary who worked in Newfoundland, and required a cloth for the protection from snowy, windy, wet and cold weather.
Grogram A coarse fabric of silk mixed with wool or mohair and often stiffened with gum.
Grosgrain Heavy, stiff ribbon of silk or nylon woven via taffeta weave using a heavy weft which results in distinct transverse ribs. Used in clothing, book-binding, musical instruments, etc.
Gross Margin In business, the difference between revenue and cost of goods sold.

H ^^Top Habotai One of the most basic plain weaves of silk fabric. While it was traditionally woven in Japan, most Habutai is today woven in China. It is normally a lining silk but can also be used for T-shirts, lampshades, summer blouses or very light lingerie. It is quite easy to dye and can be found in many stores. Used mainly for making silk kimonos.
Haircloth Stiff, unsupple fabric typically made from horsehair and/or from the wooly hair of a camel. Although horsehair generally refers to the hair of a horse's mane or tail, haircloth itself is sometimes called horsehair. Horse or camel hair woven into haircloth may be fashioned into clothing or upholstery.
Halas lace Type of needle lace which first appeared in 1902 in the town of Kiskunhalas, Hungary, colloquially known as "Halas". The lace was typically soft orange, pale green and yellow in colouring.
Hand Knitting A form of knitting, in which the knitted fabric is produced by hand using needles.
Harris Tweed Cloth handwoven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides. Named after Lewis and Harris, the most populous Scottish island.
Hatchi A versatile knit fabric with many uses. Soft and crease-resistant fabric with a fluid drape perfect for many types of garments. It has more loopy, open-knit texture than regular cotton knits and it is usually made of blends of cotton and wool, polyester, or spandex.
Haute Couture The creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is high end fashion that is constructed by hand from start to finish, made from high quality, expensive, often unusual fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable sewers, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques.
Health and Safety Controls The control of health and safety conditions in production facilities.
Heat presses A machine designed to press and apply heat to paper inserted between its surfaces. Used in lamination, to set or cure certain inks, or for applying heat-sensitive paper images to fabric or other material. Have your favourite image immortalized with a dry mount. We offer a variety of heat press services.
Heat Setting Term used in the textile industry to describe a thermal process taking place mostly in either a steam atmosphere or a dry heat environment. The effect of the process gives fibers, yarns or fabric dimensional stability and, very often, other desirable attributes like higher volume, wrinkle resistance or temperature resistance.
Heat Stabilization An additive-free preservation technology for tissue samples which stops degradation and changes immediately and permanently. Heat stabilization uses rapid conductive heating, under controlled pressure, to generate a fast, homogeneous and irreversible thermal denaturation of proteins, resulting in a complete and permanent elimination of all enzymatic activity that would otherwise cause further biological changes to the tissue sample.
Heather In clothing, heather refers to interwoven yarns of mixed colors producing flecks of an alternate color. It is typically used to mix multiple shades of grey or grey with another color to produce a muted shade (e.g., heather green), but any two colors can be mixed, including bright colors.
Heddle An integral part of a loom. Each thread in the warp passes through a heddle, which is used to separate the warp threads for the passage of the weft.
Hem A garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded narrowly and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric.
Hemming A garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded narrowly and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric.
Hemp Cannabis grown for fibre, food, paper, fuel, or other non-drug uses. Historically, the textile uses have been most important.
Herringbone Also called Broken Twill Weave, it is a distinctive V-shaped weaving pattern usually found in twill fabric. The pattern is called herringbone because it resembles the skeleton of a herring fish. Herringbone-patterned fabric is usually wool, and is one of the most popular cloths used for suits and outerwear. Tweed cloth is often woven with a herringbone pattern.
Himroo Fabric made of silk and cotton, which is grown locally in Aurangabad, India. Himroo uses Persian designs, and is very characteristic and distinctive in appearance. Himroo from Aurangabad is in demand for its unique style and design.
Hodden Also known as wadme, itl is a coarse kind of cloth made of undyed wool, formerly much worn by the peasantry of Scotland. It was usually made on small hand-looms by the peasants. Hodden grey was made by mixing black and white fleeces together in the proportion of one to twelve when weaving.
Holland cloth Plainwoven or dull-finish linen used as furniture covering or a cotton fabric made more or less opaque by a glazed or unglazed finish. Originally the name was applied to any fine, plainwoven linens imported from Europe, and particularly from the Netherlands. Used for window shades, insulation, labels and tags, sign cloth, etc
Hollie Point lace English needle lace noted for its use in baby clothes in the 18th and 19th century, especially those made for christenings.
Hollow Filament Fibers Fibers with mechanically or chemically engineered interior voids that provide soil hiding characteristics through the diffusion of light.
Homespun A plain-weave cloth made at home, or of homespun yarn. Usually rustic in its appearance.
Hook and Loop Fastening Commonly known as "velcro", it is a fasting consisting of two components: typically, two lineal fabric strips which are attached to the opposing surfaces to be fastened.
Hopsack Coarse fabric made of cotton, wool, or other fibers and similar to burlap, used in the manufacture of wearing apparel.
Houndstooth Also known as dogstooth, is a duotone textile pattern characterized by broken checks or abstract four-pointed shapes, often in black and white, although other colours are used. The classic houndstooth pattern is an example of a tessellation. A smaller scale version of the pattern can be referred to as puppytooth
Huckaback A type of coarse absorbent cotton or linen fabric used for making towels.

I ^^Top Ikat A dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric. In ikat the resist is formed by binding individual yarns or bundles of yarns with a tight wrapping applied in the desired pattern. The yarns are then dyed. The bindings may then be altered to create a new pattern and the yarns dyed again with another colour. This process may be repeated multiple times to produce elaborate, multicolored patterns. When the dyeing is finished all the bindings are removed and the yarns are woven into cloth.
Imberline A woven fabric with various colored stripes in the warp often separated by gold thread. Mostly used in upholstery and drapery.
Impregnated Fabric A fabric in which the interstices between the yarns are completely filled, as compared to coated or sized materials where the interstices are not completely filled.
Indian cotton One of the historically most famous types of cotton. The earliest reference to it dates back to 1500 BC written in Rig.Veda. The Indian cotton industry was eclipsed during the British Industrial Revolution, and the product was shipped all over the world. Moreover, cotton's rise to global importance came about as a result of the cultural transformation of Europe and Britain's trading empire.
Indigo An organic compound with a distinctive blue color. Historically, indigo was a natural dye extracted from the leaves of certain plants, and this process was important economically because blue dyes were once rare. A large percentage of indigo dye produced today is synthetic. Its primary use is as a dye for cotton yarn.
Industrial Fabric Designed and engineered to be used in products, processes, or services where functional requirement trump the aesthetic form commonly considered the realm of textiles.
Intarsia Knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colours. As with the woodworking technique of the same name, fields of different colours and materials appear to be inlaid in one another, fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.
Interfacing A textile used on the unseen or "wrong" side of fabrics to make an area of a garment more rigid. It can be used to stiffen fabric, such as the interfacing used in shirt collars, or to keep fabrics from stretching out of shape, particularly knit fabrics.
Interlining A fabric added to a garment when more warmth is needed, like in a winter coat. It may be a heavy fabric with batting added, or a lighter weight one like flannel or fleece. Interlining can be constructed separately from the actual garment (it is sometimes removable), or used as an underlining.
Interlock Knit A variation of rib knit construction. Similar to a jersey knit except both front and back of the fabric look identical. Double knit construction makes this a thicker knit fabric. Interlock is the tightest knit, gives the smoothest surface and the finest hand. The fabric is extremely soft, firm and absorbent.
Irish linen The brand name given to linen produced in Ireland.
Irish Poplin A fabric comprising a pure silk warp face over a fine worsted wool weft. Made in Ireland.
ITY Knit Interlock Twist Yarn. It is a method of putting a twist in yarn used for knit fabrics resulting in a more natural elasticity. ITY knits are easy to sew with and quite popular for tops, dresses, skirts and pants. They are wrinkle-resistant and come in a number of different patterns and colours.

J ^^Top Jacquard A device fitted to a power loom that simplifies the process of manufacturing textiles with such complex patterns as brocade, damask and matelassé. It was invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1804. The invention made the automatic production of unlimited varieties of pattern weaving possible.
Jamdani Fabric woven in cotton, a variety of fine muslin. Produced in Dhaka District, Bangladesh for centuries.
Jersey A knit fabric used predominantly for clothing manufacture. It was originally made of wool, but is now made of wool, cotton, and synthetic fibers. It can be a very stretchy single knitting, usually light-weight, jersey with one flat side and one piled side. It can also be a double knitted jersey, with less stretch, that creates a heavier fabric of two single jerseys knitted together to leave the two flat sides on the outsides of the fabric, with the piles in the middle. The material was firs produced on jersey, Channel Island during medieval times.
Jet Loom A shuttleless loom that uses a jet of air or water to propel the weft yarn through the shed.
Jute The name of the plant or fiber that is used to make burlap, hessian or gunny cloth. It is one of the most affordable natural fibers, second only to cotton in amount produced and variety of uses. The industrial term for jute fiber is raw jute. The fibers are off-white to brown, and 1–4 metres (3–13 feet) long.

K ^^Top Kapok Kapok fibre is light, very buoyant, resilient, resistant to water, but it is very flammable. The process of harvesting and separating the fibre is labour-intensiv. It is difficult to spin, but it is used as an alternative to down as filling in mattresses, pillows, upholstery, zafus, and stuffed toys such as teddy bears, and for insulation.
Khaki A light shade of yellow-brown colour. In Western fashion, it is a standard color for smart casual dress trousers for civilians, which are also often called khakis.
Kink A twist or curl, as in a thread, rope, wire, or hair, caused by its doubling or bending upon itself.
Kinking To form, or cause to form, a kink or kinks, as a rope.
Knit Fabric A textile that results from knitting. Its properties are distinct from woven fabric in that it is more flexible and can be more readily constructed into smaller pieces, making it ideal for socks and hats. Its properties are distinct from nonwoven fabric in that it is more durable but takes more resources to create, making it suitable for multiple uses.
Knitted Made by knitting, that is by interlocking loops of one or more yarns either by hand with knitting needles or by machine.
Knitting Machine A device used to create knitted fabrics in a semi or fully automated fashion.
Koshibo A very lightweight, tightly woven sateen-weave polyester fabric with a slight sheen. Lightweight with a fluid drape, it is perfect for blouses, linings, fuller dresses or gathered skirts with a lining. Colors include black, navy, purple, grey and pink.

L ^^Top Lace A delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Originally linen, silk, gold, or silver threads were used. Now lace is often made with cotton thread, although linen and silk threads are still available. Manufactured lace may be made of synthetic fiber.
Lacis lace Square-meshed lace with darned patterns. Uses the same technique as Filet lace, but it is made on a ground of Leno (a woven fabric) or small canvas.
Lamé A type of fabric woven or knit with thin ribbons of metallic fiber. It is usually gold or silver in color; sometimes copper lamé is seen. Lamé comes in different varieties, depending on the composition of the other threads in the fabric. Common examples are tissue lamé, hologram lamé and pearl lamé. Often used in evening and dress wear and in theatrical and dance costumes. It was, at one time, ubiquitous as a favourite material in futuristic costumes for science fiction television and films.
Lambswool Wool from the first shearing of a sheep, at around the age of seven months.It is usually is 50mm long or shorter, soft, elastic, and slippery. It is used in high-grade textiles.
Laminate The technique of manufacturing a material in multiple layers, so that the composite material achieves improved strength, stability, sound insulation, appearance or other properties from the use of differing materials. A laminate is a permanently assembled object by heat, pressure, welding, or adhesives. Different materials, like paper, cotton, or plastic can be laminated.
Lampas Type of luxury fabric with a background weft typically in taffeta with supplementary wefts laid on top and forming a design, sometimes also with a "brocading weft". Lampas is typically woven in silk, and often has gold and silver thread enrichment.
Lantana Fabric blended from typically 80% cotton and 20% wool.
Lawn A plain weave textile, originally of linen but now chiefly cotton. Lawn is designed using fine, high count yarns, which results in a silky, untextured feel. The fabric is made using either combed or carded yarns. W
Leather A durable and flexible material created by tanning animal rawhide and skin, often cattle hide. It can be produced at manufacturing scales ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.
Leatherette Form of artificial leather, usually made by covering a fabric base with plastic. The fabric can be made of a natural or a synthetic fibre which is then covered with a soft PVC layer. Leatherette bound books and 20th century cameras are good examples of leatherette.
Leno Weave in which two warp yarns are twisted around the weft yarns to provide a strong yet sheer fabric. Leno weave produces an open fabric with almost no yarn slippage or misplacement of threads.
Let-Off Motion The motion which delivers the warp from the warp beam at the required rate that a suitable constant tension by unwinding it from a flanged bobbin. The functions of let-off motion are to apply tension on warp to help to form a clear shed, to deliver the warp sheet from the warp beam., and to provide the warp and filling space during weaving.
Leveling Migration of applied dyes in a uniform manner throughout the dyed goods.
Limerick lace Embroidered needle lace made in Limerick in Ireland.
Linen A textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is laborious to manufacture, but the fiber is very absorbent and garments made of linen are valued for their exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather. Many products are made of linen: aprons, bags, towels (swimming, bath, beach, body and wash towels), napkins, bed linens, tablecloths, runners, chair covers, and men's and women's wear.
Lining Inner layer of fabric, fur, or other material inserted into clothing, hats, luggage, curtains, handbags and similar items.
Linsey-woolsey Coarse twill or plain-woven fabric woven with a linen warp and a woollen weft. Similar fabrics woven with a cotton warp and woollen weft in Colonial America were also called linsey-woolsey or wincey. The name derives from a combination of lin (an archaic word for flax, whence "linen") and wool.
Loden Cape A coat of Tyrolean origin, made of a thick, water-resistant woolen material with a short pile, first produced by peasants in Austria. The fabric is derived from the coarse, oily wool of mountain sheep and has a traditional bluish-green colour.
Longcloth Plain cotton cloth originally made in comparatively long pieces. The name was applied particularly to cloth made in India. It was used principally for underclothing and shirts. Nowadays, longcloth designates a cotton fabric which is of high quality, very soft, coarsely woven, and very often used to make underwear and infants' clothing.
Loom A machine used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but the basic function is the same.
Loop knit Knitting technique in which long, dangling loops are introduced into the middle of a knitted fabric or along an edge. The loops may appear singly or in large clusters. An overall array of such loops may be used to give a "shaggy" look to the fabric and/or make it warmer, e.g., tufting the inside of mittens.
Lot Quantity of material all of which was manufactured under identical conditions and assigned an identifying lot number.
Lubricant Substance introduced to reduce friction between surfaces in mutual contact, which ultimately reduces the heat generated when the surfaces move. In textile industry, lubricants have been used for the maintenance of machinery.
Lucet A tool used in cordmaking or braiding which is believed to date back to the Viking and Medieval periods, when it was used to create cords that were used on clothing, or to hang items from the belt. Lucet cord is formed by a series of loop like knots, and therefore will not unravel if cut.
Lumalive Smart textile that lets fabrics display changing colors and dynamic graphics.
Lurex The registered brand name of The Lurex Company, Ltd. for a type of yarn with a metallic appearance. The yarn is made from synthetic film, onto which a metallic aluminium, silver, or gold layer has been vaporized. "Lurex" may also refer to cloth created with the yarn.
Lustre The state or quality of shining by reflecting light; glitter, sparkle, sheen, or gloss, as observed in satin.
Lycra Spandex, Lycra or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is stronger and more durable than natural rubber. It is a polyester-polyurethane copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers. When introduced in 1962, it revolutionized many areas of the clothing industry. Because of its elasticity and strength, spandex has been incorporated into a wide range of garments, such as activewear, dance belts, gloves, and hosiery.
Lyocell A cellulose fabric that is obtained by an organic solvent spinning process, first manufactured in 1992.

M ^^Top Mackinaw Heavy dense water-repellent woolen cloth. It was used to make a short coat of the same name, sometimes with a doubled shoulder. These jackets have their origins on the Canadian frontier and were later made famous by American loggers in the upper Midwest during the mid-19th century logging boom. In Canada, the "Mac" is regarded as a marker of national identity and working-class values.
Macramé A form of textile-making using knotting rather than weaving or knitting. It was traditionally used by sailors, especially in elaborate or ornamental knotting forms, to decorate anything from knife handles to bottles to parts of ships. Nowadays it is mostly used in textile jewellery.
Madapolam Soft cotton fabric manufactured from fine yarns with a dense pick laid out in linen weave. Madapolam is used as an embroidery and handkerchief fabric and as a base for fabric printing.
Madras A lightweight cotton fabric with typically patterned texture and plaid design, used primarily for summer clothing such as pants, shorts, dresses, and jackets. The fabric takes its name from the former name of the city of Chennai in India. Both sides of the cloth must bear the same pattern. It must be handwoven, and hand-dyed after being spun into yarn. It is made in around 200 small villages in the Madras area.
Malimo Stitchbonding system which uses which uses crossed layers of warp and filling threads, which are knitted together by a sewing yarn to form the structure.
Marabou A certain type of down feather trimming. It takes dye well, making it a very versatile trimming for dress, and makes an effective substitute for fur. While marabou has been widely used as a fashion trimming since the late 19th century, it is also often used in fly tying for making up the lures used for fly fishing
Marquisette Sheer, lightweight mesh or net fabric with a leno weave. It can be made from almost any fibre: silk, cotton, wool, rayon, nylon, polyester and a blend of any of the above. It is used for dresses, curtains, and mosquito netting.
Matelassé Weaving or stitching technique yielding a pattern that appears quilted or padded. Matelassé may be achieved by hand, on a jacquard loom, or a quilting machine. It is meant to mimic the style of hand-stitched quilts made in Marseilles, France.
Melt Index Melt flow indexing is the most popular, and yet least accurate way to determine material viscosity. The melt flow index (MFI) is the measure of how many grams of polymer pass through a standardized capillary under a standard load over 10 minutes. The value obtained through the melt flow index test is a single data point. The melt flow index only tests the material at one shear stress, and temperature. In general, a higher melt flow index indicates a lower material viscosity.
Melting Point The temperature at which a material changes state from solid to liquid at atmospheric pressure.
Melton A cloth traditionally made of wool and is woven in a twill form. It is thick, due to having been well fulled, which gives it a felt-like smooth surface. It is napped and very closely sheared. Because of its dense texture it frays minimally or not at all. It is hard wearing and wind and weather resistant. It is mainly used for heavy outer garments and coats and for blankets.
Mercerisation A treatment for cellulosic material, typically cotton threads, that strengthens them and gives them a lustrous appearance. The process is less frequently used for linen and hemp threads. It devised in 1844 by John Mercer from Lancashire, England.
Mercerized cotton Cotton which underwent the process of mercerisation - a treatment which strengthens and gives a lustruous appearance to cellulosic materials.
Merino An economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. The breed originated in Spain, but the modern Merino was domesticated in Australia. Today, Merinos are still regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep.
Mesh A loosely woven or knitted fabric that has a large number of closely spaced holes. Knitted mesh is frequently used for modern sports jerseys and other clothing.
Metallic fibers Manufactured fibers composed of metal, plastic-coated metal, metal-coated plastic, or a core completely covered by metal. Gold and silver have been used since ancient times as yarns for fabric decoration. More recently, aluminum yarns, aluminized plastic yarns, and aluminized nylon yarns have replaced gold and silver. Metallic filaments can be coated with transparent films to minimize tarnishing.
Microdenier Microdenier describes filaments that weigh less than 1 g per 9000 m.
Microfiber A synthetic fiber that is thinner than the threads usually used for woven fabrics. The result is an extremely soft, absorbent cloth suitable for cleaning scratch-sensitive surfaces. Unless otherwise noted, microfiber cloths are the best choice for cleaning picture frame glass or plexiglass.
Mill Run An item coming directly from a mill, especially without having been sorted. For example, mill-run carpets.
Millinery The designing and manufacture of hats.
Milliskin Milliskin is a type of fabric commonly used to make tights and dance leotards. Milliskin is characterized by being very light, thin, and stretchy
Minky The trading name of Vale Mill (Rochdale) Ltd., a company based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom that produces cleaning cloths, mops, clothes lines and scouring pads. It was founded in mid nineteenth century.
Mis-pick Pick or filling yarn that has failed to interlace with the warp as a result of a mechanical defect in the loom.
Mixed Fiber A textile fabric composed of two or more kinds of fiber.
Mocado A woolen pile fabric made in imitation of silk velvet.
Mock Leno Also known as imitation leno, the term refers to a variety of weaves of ordinary construction which produce effects that are similar in appearance to the gauze or leno styles obtained with the aid of doup mounting. These weaves are generally produced in combination with plain, twill, satin or other simple weaves or even with brocade figuring, to produce striped fabrics, which bear a very close resemblance to true leno fabrics.
Mockado Woollen pile fabric made in imitation of silk velvet from the mid-sixteenth century. Mockado was usually constructed with a woollen pile on a linen or worsted wool warp and woollen weft, although the ground fabric could be any combination of wool, linen, and silk. Mockado was used for furnishings and carpeting, and also for clothing such as doublets, farthingales, and kirtles.
Modacrylic A manufactured fiber in which the fiber forming substance is any long chain synthetic polymer composed of less than 85% but at least 35% by weight of acrylonitrile units. aThey are soft, strong, resilient, and dimensionally stable. They can be easily dyed, show good press and shape retention, and are quick to dry. They have outstanding resistance to chemicals and solvents, are not attacked by moths or mildew, and are nonallergenic. Among their uses are in apparel linings, furlike outerwear, paint-roller covers, scatter rugs, carpets, and work clothing and as hair in wigs
Modal A type of rayon, a semi-synthetic cellulose fiber made by spinning reconstituted cellulose, in this case often from beech trees. Modal is used alone or with other fibers (often cotton or spandex) in household items such as pajamas, towels, bathrobes, underwear and bedsheets.
Mohair A silk-like fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. Both durable and resilient, mohair is notable for its high luster and sheen, which has helped give it the nickname the "Diamond Fiber." Mohair takes dye exceptionally well. Mohair is warm in winter as it has excellent insulating properties, while remaining cool in summer due to its moisture wicking properties. It is durable, naturally elastic, flame resistant and crease resistant. It is considered to be a luxury fiber, like cashmere, angora and silk, and is usually more expensive than most wool that comes from sheep.
Moire A fabric with a wavy (watered) appearance produced mainly from silk, but also wool, cotton and rayon. Silk treated in this way is sometimes called watered silk.
Moisture Regain It is defined as the weight of water in a material expressed a percentage of the oven dry weight of the material.
Moleskin A heavy cotton fabric, woven and then sheared to create a short, soft pile on one side. The word is also used for clothing made from this fabric, as well as adhesive pads stuck to the skin to prevent blisters. Clothing made from moleskin is noted for its softness and durability. Some variants of the cloth are so densely woven as to be windproof.
Monofilament Shortened from monofilament fishing line, it is a fishing line made from a single fiber of plastic. Most fishing lines are now monofilament because monofilament fibers are cheap to produce and are produced in a range of diameters which have different tensile strengths. It is manufactured in different colors, such as clear, white, green, blue, red, and fluorescent.
Monomer The beginning molecule used in making a polymer, a chemical substance that is the integral part of artificial fibers.
Mood or Image Board A type of collage consisting of images, text, and samples of objects in a composition, used by designers and other creative artists for visualizing their ideas.
Moquette Derived from the French word for carpet, is a type of woven pile fabric in which cut or uncut threads form a short dense cut or loop pile. As well as giving it a distinctive velvet-like feel, the pile construction is particularly durable, and ideally suited to applications such as public transport.
Mordant A substance used in dyeing to fix the coloring matter, especially a metallic compound, as an oxide or hydroxide, that combines with the organic dye and forms an insoluble colored compound or lake in the fiber.
Motif In the textile arts, a motif is a smaller element in a much larger work. It can be of any size, but usually all the motifs in any given work are the same size. The patterns and stitches used in a motif may vary greatly, but there is almost always some unifying element, such as texture, stitch pattern, or colour, which gives the finished piece more aesthetic appeal.
Mouflon Airy, soft, lightweight woollen fabric, with a dense, unlevelled pile which conceals a twill weave. Produced from carded yarns, and used for ladies' fashionable coats. The name is given by the moufflon, a wild sheep which is indigenous to some Mediterranean countries.
Multifilament Also referred to as The Super Lines, it is a type of fishing line. It is a braided line which is made up of a type of polyethylene, an extremely thin line for its strength. By weight, polyethylene strands are five to ten times sturdier than steel. This type of fishing line is expensive, sometimes four times the cost of equivalent monofilament.
Mungo A fibrous woollen material generated from waste fabric
Muslin A cotton fabric made in various degrees of fineness and often printed, woven, or embroidered in patterns, especially a cotton fabric of plain weave, used for sheets and for a variety of other purposes. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured.

N ^^Top Nainsook A soft, fine, lightweight form of muslin. The word nainsook is first documented in 1790, and derives from the Hindi and Urdu "nainsukh", which literally means "eye's delight".
Nap The raised (fuzzy) surface on certain kinds of cloth, such as velvet. Nap can refer additionally to other surfaces that look like the surface of a napped cloth, such as the surface of a felt or beaver hat.
Napping The finishing process that raises the fibers on a fabric to produce a mat of fiber ends, or nap. It may be used on knit or woven textiles made of staple fibers, such as wool and cotton, or with fibers cut to staple length and spun into yarns such as silk, rayon, and polyester.
Narrow Fabric Any non-elastic woven textile having a width of 12 inches or less and a woven selvage on either side. They are small strips of fabric, often designed for a specific and practical purpose. Cords, braids, and lanyards are commonly used items that are also narrow fabrics.
Natural Dyes Dyes or colorants derived from plants, invertebrates, or minerals. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from plant sources—roots, berries, bark, leaves, and wood—and other biological sources such as fungi and lichens.
Natural fiber Class of hair-like materials that are continuous "filaments" or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to pieces of thread. Natural ones consist of animal and plant fibers. The earliest evidence for humans using fibers is the discovery of wool and dyed flax fibers found in a prehistoric cave in the Republic of Georgia that date back to 36,000 BP.
Needle Loom Loom in which the filling is carried through the shed by a long eye-pointed needle.
Needle Punching A process of nonwoven textiles production in which a continuous mat of randomly laid fibers or filaments is entangled with barbed needles. This causes matting and the production of a "felt" textile.
Needlepoint A form of counted thread embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a stiff open weave canvas. Most needlepoint designs completely cover the canvas. Although needlepoint may be worked in a variety of stitches, many needlepoint designs use only a simple tent stitch and rely upon color changes in the yarn to construct the pattern.
Neoprene Family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene. Neoprene exhibits good chemical stability and maintains flexibility over a wide temperature range. Neoprene is sold either as solid rubber or in latex form, and is used in a wide variety of applications, such as laptop sleeves, orthopedic braces , electrical insulation, liquid and sheet applied elastomeric membranes or flashings, and automotive fan belts.
Netting Any textile in which the yarns are fused, looped or knotted at their intersections, resulting in a fabric with open spaces between the yarns. Net has many uses, and come in different varieties. Depending on the type of yarn or filament that is used to make up the textile, its characteristics can vary from durable to not durable.
Noil The short fiber left over from combing wool or spinning silk and used as a decorative additive for many spinning projects, like rovings and yarns. As noil is a relatively short fiber, fabric made from noil is weaker and considered less valuable.
Nomex Registered trademark for flame-resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont. Nomex is related to nylon, but it is more rigid and more durable. It is used in firefighting, car racing, and aeronautical equipment.
Nonwoven fabric A fabric-like material made from long fibers, bonded together by chemical, mechanical, heat or solvent treatment. The term is used in the textile manufacturing industry to denote fabrics, such as felt, which are neither woven nor knitted.
Novelty yarns Yarns made with unusual features, structure or fiber composition such as slubs, inclusions, metallic or synthetic fibers, laddering and varying thickness introduced during production.
Nylon Any of numerous strong tough elastic synthetic polyamide materials that are fashioned into fibers, filaments, bristles, or sheets and used especially in textiles and plastics. The first example of nylon was produced in 1935, by Wallace Carothers. Nylon has found significant commercial applications in fibers (apparel, flooring and rubber reinforcement), in shapes (molded parts for cars, electrical equipment, etc.), and in films (mostly for food packaging).

O ^^Top Oilcloth Also known as enameled cloth, it was close-woven cotton duck or linen cloth with a coating of boiled linseed oil to make it waterproof. Historically, pre-Mackintosh, oilcloth was one of very few flexible, waterproof materials that were widely available. Oilcloth was used as an outer waterproof layer for luggage, both wooden trunks and flexible satchels, for carriages and for weatherproof clothing.
Oilskin A waterproof garment, typically worn by sailors and by others in wet areas, such as fish-plant workers. Originally handmade of sailcloth waterproofed with a thin layer of tar, they were later (early 1930s) mass-produced of canvas duck coated with multiple applications of linseed oil (oilcloth) and often finished with layers of paint.
Olefin fiber A synthetic fiber made from a polyolefin, such as polypropylene or polyethylene. It is used in wallpaper, carpeting, ropes, and vehicle interiors. Olefin's advantages are its strength, colourfastness and comfort, its resistance to staining, mildew, abrasion, sunlight and its good bulk and cover.
One-Off Product Product made only once, for a specific customer or occasion.
Onion Skin A sheer poly stretch blend fabric. Onion skin fabric has a similar sheer pattern as onion skin paper and makes a lightweight and comfortable snood head covering.
Organdy The sheerest and crispest cotton cloth made. Combed yarns contribute to its appearance. Because of its stiffness and fiber content, it is very prone to wrinkling.
Organic Cotton Cotton that is grown from non genetically modified plants, that is to be grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides.
Organza A thin, plain weave, sheer fabric traditionally made from silk. Many modern organzas are woven with synthetic filament fibers such as polyester or nylon. Used for bridalwear and eveningwear. In the interiors market it is used for effects in bedrooms and between rooms. Double-width organzas in viscose and acetate are used as sheer curtains.
Osnaburg Osnaburg was a coarse type of plain fabric, named from the archaic English name for the city of Osnabrück, Germany. Originally made from flax yarns, it has also been made from tow or jute yarns, and from flax or tow warp with a mixed or jute weft.
Ottoman A fabric with a pronounced ribbed or corded effect, often made of silk or a mixture of cotton and other silk like yarns. It is mostly used for formal dress and in particular, legal dress and academic dress (mostly for hoods). Ottoman made of pure silk is very expensive so artificial silk is used instead to create a cheaper alternative.
Oxford A type of woven dress shirt fabric, employed to make a particular casual-to-formal cloth in dress shirts that may be called Oxford shirts. The Oxford weave has a basketweave structure and a lustrous aspect, making it a popular fabric for a dress shirt.

P ^^Top Paduasoy Luxurious strong corded or grosgrain silk textile that originated in Early Modern Europe. The term paduasoy first appeared in English in 1663.
Paisley A term in English for a design using the buta or boteh, a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Persian origin. Such designs became very popular in the West in the 18th and 19th centuries, following imports of post-Mughal versions of the design from India, especially in the form of Kashmir shawls, and were then imitated locally. In contemporary use, paisley became identified with psychedelic style due to a resurgence in the pattern's mainstream popularity leading up the mid and late 1960s.
Panel Panel is derived from Old French and originally meant “a piece of cloth.” It’s still used as a sewing term, but now it has additional meanings.
Panné velvet Type of crushed velvet, panne is produced by forcing the pile in a single direction by applying heavy pressure.
Pashmina A fine type of cashmere wool. The textiles made from it were first woven in Kashmir. This wool comes from four distinct breeds of the Cashmere goat. Pashmina products are known for their softness and warmth.
Patchwork A form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design. The larger design is usually based on repeating patterns built up with different fabric shapes (which can be different colors). These shapes are carefully measured and cut, basic geometric shapes making them easy to piece together.
Pattern Discernible regularity in the world or in a manmade design. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner.
Pattern Drafting The process of creating a pattern by taking measurements from a person, form, or model, in order to then create a foundation, which is a pattern used as the basis for the design.
Pattern Grading The process of turning base size or sample size patterns into additional sizes using a size specification sheet or grading increments.
Percale Closely woven plain-weave fabric often used for bed covers. Percale has a thread count of about 200 or higher and is noticeably tighter than the standard type of weave used for bedsheets. It has medium weight, is firm and smooth with no gloss, and warps and washes very well. It is made from both carded and combed yarns, and may be woven of various fibers, such as cotton, polyester, or various blends.
Persian weave A method of weave used in jewelry and other art forms. When used for making chains, the Persian weave makes a dense chain with a ring pattern.
PET Abbreviation for polyethylene terephthalate - the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibers for clothing, containers for liquids and foods, thermoforming for manufacturing, and in combination with glass fiber for engineering resins.
Pick A stroke with something pointed, as needle.
Pick Count One of the units of textile measurement. It states the number of picks per inch, where picks stand for weft yarns.
Pick Stitch A simple running stitch that catches only a few threads of the fabric, showing very little of the thread on the right side (outer side) of the garment. It is also sometimes known as "stab stitch". A pick stitch can be made from either the inside of the garment or the outside, depending upon how much thread is meant to show on the outside of the garment.
Pile The raised surface or nap of a fabric, which is made of upright loops or strands of yarn. Examples of pile textiles are carpets, corduroy, velvet, plush, and Turkish towels.
Pile Weave A form of textile created by weaving. Pile fabrics used to be made on traditional hand weaving machines. The warp ends that are used for the formation of the pile are woven over metal rods or wires that are inserted in the shed during weaving. The pile ends lie in loops over the inserted rods. When a rod is extracted the pile ends remain as loops on top of the base fabric. The pile ends lying over the rod may be left as 'loop pile', or cut to form 'cut pile' or velvet.
Pill Colloquially known as a bobble, pill is a small ball of fibers that forms on a piece of cloth.
Pinking shears Scissors, the blades of which are sawtoothed instead of straight. They leave a zigzag pattern instead of a straight edge.
Piqué Also known as marcella, it refers to a weaving style, normally used with cotton yarn, which is characterized by raised parallel cords or geometric designs in the fabric. Piqué fabrics vary from semi- sheer dimity to heavy weight waffle cloth. Twilled cotton and corded cotton are close relatives.
Pirn A rod onto which weft thread is wound for use in weaving. Unlike a bobbin, it is fixed in place, and the thread is delivered off the end of the pirn rather than from the centre. A typical pirn is made of wood or plastic.
Plaid Any fabric woven of differently colored yarns in a crossbarred pattern.
Plain Weave Also known as tabby weave, linen weave, or taffeta weave, it is the most basic of three fundamental types of textile weaves (along with satin weave and twill).
Plied yarn A yarn which underwent the process of plying. It is done by taking two or more strands of yarn that each have a twist to them and putting them together. The strands are twisted together, in the direction opposite that in which they were spun. When just the right amount of twist is added, this creates a balanced yarn, one which has no tendency to twist upon itself. Almost all store-bought yarns are balanced, plied yarns.
Plissé Mainly cotton fabric with a crêpe effect created by chemically treating the fabric to pucker and crinkle, typically in stripes.
Plush A textile having a cut nap or pile the same as fustian or velvet. Its softness of feel gave rise to the adjective "plush" to describe something soft or luxurious, which was extended to describe luxury accommodation, or something rich and full. Originally the pile of plush consisted of mohair or worsted yarn, but now silk by itself or with a cotton backing is used for plush, the distinction from velvet being found in the longer and less dense pile of plush. The soft material is largely used for upholstery and furniture purposes, and is also much employed in dress and millinery.
Point de France lace Needle lace developed in the late 17th century, which is typically very rich and symmetrical. This expensive lace was popularized by the clergy, who used it for the ornaments of their rochets . Most pieces of the 16th and 17th centuries are in museums.
Point de Gaze lace Needle lace from Belgium named for the gauze-like appearance of the mesh ground.
Pointelle A delicate-looking fabric that is woolen or knitted and has little eyelet holes to create the appearance of lace.
Polar fleece Soft napped insulating fabric made from a type of polyester called polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other synthetic fibers. Other names for this fabric are "Polar Wool," "Vega Wool," or "Velo Wools." Despite names suggesting the product is made of natural material, polar fleece is 100% polyethylene terephthalate. It is used in jackets, hats, sweaters, sweatpants, cloth nappies, gym clothes, hoodies, inexpensive throw blankets, and high-performance outdoor clothing.
Poly Chiffon The blend of polyester and chiffon.
Polyamide Fiber Synthetic fiber produced from melts or solutions of polyamides. It is characterized by high tensile strength and excellent resistance to wear and impact. They are stable to the action of many chemical reagents and biochemical agents, and they have an affinity to many dyes. Polyamide fibers are used in the manufacture of common household items, tire cord, rubber products, filters, fishing nets, brushes, and cables.
Polyester A man-made fiber consisting of polymer. It has an extremely wide variety of uses ranging from clothing to plastic bottles.
Polyethylene Fiber Polyethylene is a hard, stiff, strong and a dimensionally stable material that absorbs very little water, and it is resistant to UV light and to acids and alkalies. Polyethylene fiber has a round cross section a smooth surface. Dyneema and Spectra are examples of polyethynelene fibers.
Polypropylene Fiber Thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging and labeling, textiles (e.g., ropes, thermal underwear and carpets), stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes. Polypropylene is a major polymer used in nonwovens, mostly for diapers or sanitary products where it is treated to absorb water.
Pongee Soft thin woven cloth. In the early 20th century, pongee was an important export from China to the United States. Pongee is still woven in silk by many mills across China.
Poplin Also called tabinet (or tabbinet), is a strong fabric in a plain weave of any fiber or blend, with crosswise ribs that typically gives a corded surface. Poplin traditionally consisted of a silk warp with a weft of worsted yarn. Poplin is now made with wool, cotton, silk, rayon, polyester or a mixture of these. Clothes made from this material are easy to iron and do not wrinkle easily. Poplins are used for dress purposes, and for rich upholstery work. The term poplin originates from "papelino", a fabric made at Avignon, France, in the 15th century, named for the papal residence there, and from the French "papelaine', a fabric, normally made with silk, of the same period.
Prepreg Composite materials in which a reinforcement fiber is pre-impregnated with a thermoplastic or thermoset resin matrix in a certain ratio. Prepregs have unique properties as they are cured under high temperatures and pressures. Some key areas where prepregs currently find use are aircraft interiors, aerospace components, automotive parts and components, ballistic panels, UV resistant parts, sporting goods, and honeycomb and foam panels.
Protein Fibers Also known as animal fibers, they are natural fibers which largely consist of particular proteins. Silk, hair/fur (including wool) and feathers are the most commonly used animal fibers.
PTFE Fiber Chemically resistant material. It is used in woven form in certain pump packings as well as in nonwoven form in hot gas bag filters for industries with corrosive exhausts.
Punch A piece of equipment that cuts holes in a material by pushing a piece of metal through it.
Punto in Aria lace Early form of needle lace, devised in Italy. It is considered the first true lace because it was the first meant to be stitched alone, and not first onto a woven fabric. It is a closely related needle lace to reticella, and their designs have many similarities when compared side-by-side.
Purl stitch A knitting stitch usually made with the yarn at the front of the work by inserting the right needle into the front of a loop on the left needle from the right, catching the yarn with the right needle, and bringing it through to form a new loop.
Put-Up The way fabric is packaged when sold.

Q ^^Top Qalamkari A type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile, produced in parts of India and Iran. It is also known as Ghalamkar.
Qiana Silky nylon fiber developed in 1962 by DuPont . The fiber was named Qiana when introduced. Initially intended for high-end fashions, it became a popular material in the 1970s for faux-silk men's shirts, displaying bold patterns.
Qiviut Inuktitut word commonly used to indicate the wool of the muskox. It is valued for its use as a fiber because it does not shrink in water at any temperature, unlike sheep's wool.
Quality Assurance A way of preventing mistakes or defects in manufactured products and avoiding problems when delivering solutions or services to customers.
Quality Control A process for maintaining proper standards in manufacturing.
Quartz Fiber An extremely fine and uniform quartz filament that may be used as a torsion thread or as an indicator in an electroscope or dosimeter.
Quatrefoil In art, architecture, and traditional Christian symbolism, the quatrefoil is a type of decorative framework consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. The word quatrefoil means "four leaves", from Latin quattuor, four, plus folium, a leaf.
Quilt A multi-layered textile, traditionally composed of three layers of fiber: a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding, and a woven back, combined using the technique of quilting, the process of sewing the three layers together. There are many traditions regarding the uses of quilts. Quilts may be made or given to mark important life events such as marriage, the birth of a child, a family member leaving home, or graduations.
Quilting Process of sewing two or more layers of fabric together to make a thicker padded material, usually to create a quilt or quilted garment. Typically quilting is done with three layers: the top fabric or quilt top, batting or insulating material and backing material.

R ^^Top Raising The technique used to produce the nap of cloth. Originally, only woolen cloth was raised, but now flannelette and other cotton fabrics are also raised. Raising is one of the last steps in the finishing process for cloth.
Rakematiz Thick silk fabric embroidered with strands of gold. It was extremely rare and valuable. Apparel that incorporated rakematiz was popular in Europe in the Middle Ages.
Ramie Ramie is one of the strongest natural fibers. Ramie fiber is known especially for its ability to hold shape, reduce wrinkling, and introduce a silky lustre to the fabric appearance. It is used to make such products as industrial sewing thread, packing materials, fishing nets, and filter cloths. It is also made into fabrics for household furnishings and clothing, frequently in blends with other textile fibers.
Rapier Loom Shuttleless weaving loom in which the filling yarn is carried through the shed of warp yarns to the other side of the loom by finger-like carriers called rapiers.
Raschel Knit Type of a knitted fabric. A common type of machine made lace. Raschel knits have a lacelike, open construction, with a heavy, textured yarn held in place by a much finer yarn. Raschels can be made in a variety of types, ranging from fragile to coarse, and usually have limited stretch.
Raw Fiber Textile fiber, as cotton or wool, or textile filaments, as silk or nylon, that has received no manipulation or treatment.
Raw silk Also known as noil, it is the short fiber left over from combing wool or spinning silk and used as a decorative additive for many spinning projects, like rovings and yarns.
Rayadillo Blue and white striped cotton fabric used to make the military uniforms worn by Spanish colonial soldiers before and during the Spanish–American War.
Rayon Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulose fibre. It is made from purified cellulose, primarily from wood pulp, which is chemically converted into a soluble compound. It is then dissolved and forced through a spinneret to produce filaments which are chemically solidified, resulting in synthetic fibres of nearly pure cellulose.
Ready to Wear (RTW) The term for factory-made clothing, sold in finished condition, in standardized sizes, as distinct from made to measure or bespoke clothing tailored to a particular person's frame.
Reed Part of a loom, and resembles a comb. It is used to push the weft yarn securely into place as it is woven, it also separates the warp threads and holds them in their positions, keeping them untangled, and guides the shuttle as it moves across the loom. It consists of a frame with lots of vertical slits. The reed is securely held by the beater.
Regenerated Cellulose (Rayon) It is a regenerated cellulose fiber, made from purified cellulose, primarily from wood pulp, which is chemically converted into a soluble compound. It is then dissolved and forced through a spinneret to produce filaments which are chemically solidified, resulting in synthetic fibers of nearly pure cellulose.
Rep Cloth woven in fine cords or ribs across the width of a piece, usually made of silk, wool, or cotton. In silk it is used for dresses, neckties, and to some extent, for ecclesiastical vestments. In wool and cotton it is used for various upholstery purposes.
Resist Dyeing Dyeing technique used in many areas of manufacturing and art. An object is added to parts of a product to create a pattern by protecting these parts from being affected by a subsequent stage in the process. Often the resist is then removed. For example in the resist dyeing of textiles, wax or a similar substance is added to places where the dye is not wanted. The wax will "resist" the dye, and after it is removed there will be a pattern in two colours. Batik, shibori and tie-dye are among many styles of resist dyeing
Reticella lace Needle lace dating from the 15th century and remaining popular into the first quarter of the 17th century. Reticella was originally a form of cutwork in which threads were pulled from linen fabric to make a "grid" on which the pattern was stitched, primarily using buttonhole stitch. Later reticella used a grid made of thread rather than a fabric ground. Both methods resulted in a characteristic geometric design of squares and circles with various arched or scalloped borders.
Rib Knit One of the four primary weft-base knit structures. It is a pattern in which vertical stripes of stockinette stitch alternate with vertical stripes of reverse stockinette stitch.
Rib weave Variation of plain weave and is created very similarly to a plain weave piece of fabric. The basic construction follows the same pattern of the weft yarns going under and over the warp yarns in the pattern of one under, one over and so on.
Rinzu Japanese silk satin damask. It was the preferred fabric for kimonos in the Edo period.
Rip-Stop Nylon Ripstop nylon is a light-weight nylon fabric with interwoven ripstop reinforcement threads in a crosshatch pattern. The material comes in many different colors and sizes, including thickness. It is woven with coarse, strong warp and filling yarns at intervals so that tears will not spread. Ripstop nylon may be waterproof, water resistant, fire resistant, or have zero porosity, and comes in light, medium and heavy weights. Textures range from a soft and silk-like material to a crisp or stiff fabric that sounds like a paper bag when moved.
Ripstop Ripstop fabrics are woven fabrics, often made of nylon, using a special reinforcing technique that makes them resistant to tearing and ripping. Fibers used to make ripstop include cotton, silk, polyester, and polypropylene, with nylon content limited to the crosshatched threads that make it tear-resistant.
Rolag a roll of fibre generally used to spin woollen yarn. A rolag is created by first carding the fibre, using handcards, and then by gently rolling the fibre off the cards. If properly prepared, a rolag will be uniform in width, distributing the fibres evenly.
Roll Goods Fabric rolled up on a core after it has been produced. It is described in terms of weight and width of the roll and length of the material on the roll.
Roller Printing The method of applying a coloured pattern to cloth, invented by Thomas Bell of Scotland in 1783. A separate dye paste for each colour is applied to the fabric from a metal roller that is intaglio engraved according to the design. The technique can be used with almost any textile fabric.
Roving A long and narrow bundle of fiber. Rovings are produced during the process of making spun yarn from wool fleece, raw cotton, or other fibres. Their main use is as fibre prepared for spinning, but they may also be used for specialised kinds of knitting or other textile arts.
Rubber Also called India rubber, natural rubber, gum, gum elastic, caoutchouc, it is a highly elastic solid substance, light cream or dark amber in color, polymerized by the drying and coagulation of the latex or milky juice of rubber trees and plants.
Rug A thick fabric for covering part of a floor, often woven of wool and often having an oblong shape with a border design.
Russell cord Finely corded fabric, generally constructed with a cotton warp and worsted weft. It is usually woven using 40% cotton and 60% wool (or similar compositions depending on the weaver). It is mainly used in the making of quality black academical dress, as well as clerical dress and legal dress in the United Kingdom.

S ^^Top S Twists A term that applies to the direction that two yarns are turned during the manufacturing process. Single yarns may be twisted to the right (S twist) or to the left (Z twist).
Saga Nishiki Form of brocading from Saga prefecture, Japan. It is a unique form of brocading in that Japanese paper is used as the warp. This paper is coated in either gold, silver or lacquer. The weft is a silk thread which is dyed. As the technique is time-consuming, only several inches are produced each day.
Sailcloth Cloth type made of a wide variety of materials that span those from natural fibers, such as flax (linen), hemp or cotton in various forms including canvas, to synthetic fibers, including nylon, polyester, aramids, and carbon fibers.
Samite Luxurious and heavy silk fabric worn in the Middle Ages, of a twill-type weave, often including gold or silver thread. By the later medieval period, the term samite was applied to any rich, heavy silk material which had a satin-like gloss.
Sampler A sampler is a small piece of needle or yarn work the displays a certain stitch or pattern, usually in suggestion or preparation for a larger project.
Sanforization A process of treatment used for cotton fabrics mainly and most textiles made from natural or chemical fibers, patented by Sanford Lockwood Cluett in 1930. It is a method of stretching, shrinking and fixing the woven cloth in both length and width before cutting and producing, to reduce the shrinkage which would otherwise occur after washing.
Sateen Sateen is a fabric made using a satin weave structure but made with spun yarns instead of filament. Sateen, on the other hand, is made entirely from cotton (sometimes rayon). Its surface is smooth to the touch and reduces light scattering to increase shine.
Satin Any fabric constructed by the satin weave method, one of the three basic textile weaves. The fabric is characterized by a smooth surface and usually a lustrous face and dull back; it is made in a wide variety of weights for various uses, including dresses, particularly evening wear; linings; bedspreads; and upholstery. The name derives its origin from the Chinese port city of Quanzhou, whose name in (medieval) Arabic was Zayton.
Saye Woolen cloth woven in the west and south of England in and around the 15th and 16th centuries. A suburb of Bristol, England, nowaday Sea Mills, has originally been called Saye Mills.
Scarlet Type of fine and expensive woolen cloth common in Medieval Europe. Scarlet cloth was produced in red, white, blue, green, and brown colors, among others. The most common color was carmine red, though, which resulted in the double meaning of the word as a color designation.
Scouring The process by which raw sheep's wool is cleansed to prepare it for textile use.
Screen Printing Screen printing is a printing technique whereby a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mesh apertures with ink, and a reverse stroke then causes the screen to touch the substrate momentarily along a line of contact. This causes the ink to wet the substrate and be pulled out of the mesh apertures as the screen springs back after the blade has passed.
Screen-Printing Printing technique also known as serigraphy. It is a method of creating an image on paper, fabric or some other object by pressing ink through a screen with areas blocked off by a stencil. It first appeared in a recognizable form in China during the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD), later to be adapted by other Asian countries and eventually introduced in Europe in the late 18th Ct.
Scrim The term scrim has two separate meanings in terms of fabric. In each case, it refers to woven material, one a finely woven lightweight fabric widely used in theatre, the other a heavy, coarse woven material used for reinforcement in both building and canvasmaking.
Sea Island Cotton The variety of extra-long staple cotton, a species of cotton plant that has been cultivated to have fibers longer than 34 mm that are associated with high quality products. In about 1786, planting of Sea Island cotton began in the former British North American colonies, on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia.
Seam The join where two or more layers of fabric, leather, or other materials are held together with stitches.
Seam ripper A small tool used for unpicking stitches.
Seersucker A thin, puckered, all-cotton fabric, commonly striped or chequered, used to make clothing for spring and summer wear. The word came into English from Persian, and originates from the words sheer and shakar, literally meaning "milk and sugar", probably from the resemblance of its smooth and rough stripes to the smooth texture of milk and the bumpy texture of sugar. Common items of clothing made from seersucker include suits, shorts, shirts, curtains, dresses, and robes.
SEG SEG, stands for Silicone Edge Graphics. It is a printed fabric signage with a thin silicone beading sewn around the edges that fits into edgeless Aluminum framing. The silicone beading fits into a recessed groove around the perimeter of the frame to stretch the fabric completely smooth. The result is an upscale modern frameless appearance.
Selvage Self-finished edge of fabric. The selvages keep the fabric from unraveling or fraying. The selvages are a result of how the fabric is created.
Sequin Disk-shaped beads used for decorative purposes. In earlier centuries, they were made from shiny metals. Today, sequins are most often made from plastic. They are available in a wide variety of colors and geometrical shapes. Sequins are commonly used on clothing, jewelry, bags, shoes and many other accessories.
Serge Type of twill fabric that has diagonal lines or ridges on both sides, made with a two-up, two-down weave. The worsted variety is used in making military uniforms, suits, great coats and trench coats. Its counterpart, silk serge, is used for linings. French serge is a softer, finer variety. The word is also used for a high quality woolen woven fabric.
Serging The process of overcasting the raw edges of a piece of fabric (as a carpet) to prevent raveling.
Served Yarn In aerospace textiles, a reinforcing yarn such as graphite or glass around which two different yarns are wound, i.e., one in the Z direction and one in the S direction, etc., for protection or compaction of the yarn bundle.
Sewing The craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era. For thousands of years, all sewing was done by hand. The invention of the sewing machine in the 19th century and the rise of computerization in the 20th century led to mass production and export of sewn objects, but hand sewing is still practiced around the world.
Sewing Machines Machine used to stitch fabric and other materials together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies. In a modern sewing machine the fabric easily glides in and out of the machine without the inconvenience of needles and thimbles and other such tools used in hand sewing, automating the process of stitching and saving time.
Shag A rug or carpet that has a deep pile, giving it a shaggy appearance.
Shantung A heavy fabric, with a rough surface, made from wild silk, historically from the province of Shandong. Often used for bridal gowns.
Sharkskin Smooth worsted fabric with a soft texture and a two-toned woven appearance. Lightweight and wrinkle-free, sharkskin is ideal for curtains, tablecloths and napkins. Sharkskin fabric is popular for both men’s and women’s worsted suits, light winter jackets and coats.
Shed The shed is the temporary separation between upper and lower warp yarns through which the weft is woven. The shed is created to make it easy to interlace the weft into the warp and thus create woven fabric. Most types of looms have some sort of device which separates some of the warp threads from the others. This separation is called the shed, and allows for a shuttle carrying the weft thread to move through the shed perpendicular to the warp threads.
Sheer Sheer fabric is fabric which is made using thin thread and/or low density of knit and which results in a semi-transparent and flimsy cloth. Some fabrics become transparent when wet.
Shoddy An inferior quality yarn or fabric made from the shredded fibre of waste woollen cloth or clippings.
Shot silk Fabric which is made up of silk woven from warp and weft yarns of two or more colours producing an iridescent appearance. The weaving technique can also be applied to other fibres such as cotton, linen, and synthetics.
Shuttle A piece of equipment used in weaving. It takes a thread backwards and forwards over the other threads in order to make a piece of cloth.
Shuttless Loom Modern loom used to produce fabrics with high production rate. it is divided into three types: rapier, projectile and jet loom.
Silk Animal fibre produced by certain insects and arachnids as building material for cocoons and webs, some of which can be used to make fine fabrics. In commercial use, silk is almost entirely limited to filaments from the cocoons of domesticated silkworms. First developed in ancient China. The earliest example of silk fabric is from 3630 BC.
Silk Chiffon A plain, woven, lightweight, extremely sheer, airy, and soft silk fabric, containing highly twisted filament yarns.
Silnylon Synthetic fabric used mainly in lightweight outdoor gear. It is made by impregnating a thin woven nylon fabric with liquid silicone from both sides. This makes it strong for its weight, as the silicone substantially improves the tear strength. It is also highly waterproof, but not breathable.
Single Fill A type of cotton canvas or cotton "duck" that is identified by its approximate weight per square yard, in ounces. Unlike numbered duck, which is woven with two strands of yarn in the horizontal "weft", single fill is woven with only one strand.
Sinker The second primary knitting element. It is a thin metal plate with an individual or a collective action operating approximately at right angles from the hook side of the needle bed, between adjacent needles.
Sisal Sisal fibre is derived from the leaves of the plant. It is usually obtained by machine decortications in which the leaf is crushed between rollers and then mechanically scraped. It is fairly coarse and inflexible, and valued for cordage use because of its strength, durability, ability to stretch, affinity for certain dyestuffs, and resistance to deterioration in saltwater.
Sizing Any one of numerous substances that is applied to, or incorporated into, other materials — especially papers and textiles — to act as a protective filler or glaze. Sizing is used in papermaking and textile manufacturing to change the absorption and wear characteristics of those materials.
Skein Unit of measurement used by weavers and tailors, equal to 96 ells or 360 feet (110 m).
Slasher An indigo dyeing method for yarn. Slasher, or sheet, dyeing combines dyeing and sizing into a single process. Warp yarns are repeatedly passed in warp beam form through several baths of indigo dye before being sized and wound for weaving.
Slinky Knit Knit type that never wrinkles and washes beautifully. It is the perfect travel fabric with four-way stretch for ultimate comfort. Suitable for almost any wardrobe item.
Slit Tape A fabric, 12 inches or less in width, made by cutting wider fabric to the desired width. Slit tapes are made primarily of cotton, linen, jute, glass, or asbestos and are used principally for functional purposes.
Slub A thick spot in a yarn is created by varying the tightness of the twist of the yarn at various intervals.
Smartwool An American company makes eponymous products primarily from treated merino wool. SmartWool claims that this proprietary treatment makes its products itch-free and resistant to shrinking.
Solution-dyed A type of fiber dyeing in which colored pigments are injected into the spinning solution prior to the extrusion of the fiber through the spinneret. Fibers and yarns colored in this manner are colour-fast to most destructive agents.
Songket Fabric that belongs to the brocade family of textiles of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. It is hand-woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads. The metallic threads stand out against the background cloth to create a shimmering effect.
Space Dyeing The dyeing process in which multiple colors are applied along a length of yarn (usually a continuous filament strand) at intervals.
Spandex Spandex, Lycra or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is stronger and more durable than natural rubber. It is a polyester-polyurethane copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers. When introduced in 1962, it revolutionized many areas of the clothing industry. Because of its elasticity and strength, spandex has been incorporated into a wide range of garments, such as activewear, dance belts, gloves, and hosiery.
Spinneret Device used to extrude a polymer solution or polymer melt to form fibers
Spinning The process of creating yarn (or thread, rope, cable) from various raw fiber materials. Several fibers are twisted together to bind them into a strong, long yarn.
Splicing In ropework, it is the forming of a semi-permanent joint between two ropes or two parts of the same rope by partly untwisting and then interweaving their strands. Splices can be used to form a stopper at the end of a line, to form a loop or an eye in a rope, or for joining two ropes together.
Spread Tow Fabrics a type of lightweight fabric. Spread Tow Fabric offers the advantages of relatively lower crimp, increased smoothness and less-pronounced crossover defects.
Staple Fibre of discrete length and may be of any composition. A continuous fibre such as natural silk or synthetic is known as filament rather than staple fibre.
Star Profile or Attribute Analysis Characteristics of a raw material or finished good which make it distinct from other products. Attributes include size, colour, functionality, and features that affect the product's appeal or acceptance in the market.
Steaming The process of quickly removing wrinkles from garments and fabrics with the use of high temperature steam.
Stencil Printing A method of transferring a pattern by brushing, spraying, or squeeging ink or paint through the open areas of a stencil cut from thin metal or cardboard.
Stenter A machine for drying cloth, in which sheets for drying are held by the edges.
Stiffness The resistance of an elastic material to deflection or deformation by an applied force.
Stitch A single turn or loop of thread, or yarn. Stitches are the fundamental elements of sewing, knitting, embroidery, crochet, and needle lace-making, whether by hand or machine.
Stock Dyeing Dyeing raw fibers, also called stock, before they are aligned, blended, and spun into yarns.
Stockinette Stockinette stitch is the most basic knitted fabric. Stockinette-stitch fabric is very smooth and each column ("wale") resembles a stacked set of "V"'s. It has a strong tendency to curl horizontally and vertically because of the asymmetry of its faces.
Stone washing A textile manufacturing process used to give a newly manufactured cloth garment a worn-in (or worn-out) appearance. Stone-washing also helps to increase the softness and flexibility of otherwise stiff and rigid fabrics such as canvas and denim. In this process, the garments are placed in a large horizontal industrial clothes washer that is also filled with large stones. As the wash cylinder rotates, the cloth fibers are repeatedly pounded and beaten as the tumbling stones ride up the paddles inside the drum and fall back down onto the fabric.
Strand A single thin length of something such as thread, fibre, or wire, especially as twisted together with others.
Stretch fabric A synthetic fabric which stretches. Stretch fabrics are either 2-way stretch or 4-way stretch.
Strike Off A large textile sample made as a trial to test production methods.
Stuff In the context of materials, stuff can refer to any manufactured material. However, one type of stuff was a type of coarse thickly woven cloth. Originally it was probably entirely of wool, but later a 'woolsey-linsey' cloth, made with a warp of linen, yarn and a worsted weft. The gowns of most English lawyers are still described as 'stuff gowns'. In Victorian dressmaking terminology, stuff was used as a generic term for woven fabrics.
Stuffers Series of extra threads or yarn running lengthwise in a fabric to add weight and bulk and to form a backing especially for carpets.
Suede Type of leather with a napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, shirts, purses, furniture and other items. The term comes from the French "gants de Suède", which literally means "gloves from Sweden." Suede leather is made from the underside of the skin, primarily from lamb, although goat, calf and deer are commonly used.
Surah An even-sided twill, that is an even sided type of textile weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs.
Surfactant Compound that lowers the surface tension between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. Surfactant may act as a detergent, wetting agent, emulsifier, foaming agent, and dispersant.
Sustainable Textiles Textiles derived from eco-friendly resources, such as sustainably grown fiber crops or recycled materials.
Suzani A type of embroidered and decorative tribal textile made in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries. Suzani is from the Persian "Suzan" which means needle. Suzanis usually have a cotton (sometimes silk) fabric base, which is embroidered in silk or cotton thread. Chain, satin, and buttonhole stitches are the primary stitches used. Popular design motifs include sun and moon disks, flowers (especially tulips, carnations, and irises), leaves and vines, fruits (especially pomegranates), and occasional fish and birds.
Swelling capacity Swelling capacity of a polymer is determined by the amount of liquid material that can be absorbed.
SympaTex Type of fabric that is branded as waterproof with "breatheable" fabrics made or licensed by SympaTex Technologies. The fabric features a waterproof, windproof and breatheable membrane that is laminated to fabrics either on its inner surface or sandwiched between two fabric layers.
Synthetic Dye Man-made organic dyes, originally derived from coal-tar derivatives, but currently synthesized from benzene and its derivatives. Examples include eosin, methylene blue, and fluorescein.
Synthetic Fabrics Textiles made from man-made rather than natural fibers. Examples of synthetic fabrics include polyester, acrylic, nylon, rayon, acetate, spandex and latex. Synthetic fabrics have many different qualities—including some not achievable with natural fibers. Synthetic fabric can provide waterproof fabrics and elastic fabrics for swimwear and underpants. Depending on the synthetic fabric, various added chemicals can make it softer, wrinkle free, flame-resistant, water-resistant, stain-resistant, or moth-repellent. While all these qualities are desirable, the processes can harm the environment, wildlife, and people's health.
Synthetic polymers Human-made polymers. From the utility point of view they can be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and synthetic fibers. They are found commonly in a variety of consumer products such as money, super glue, etc. The most famous ones are nylon and teflon.

T ^^Top Tabby Tabby weave (also called plain weave, linen weave or taffeta weave) is the most basic of three fundamental types of textile weaves. It is strong and hard-wearing, used for fashion and furnishing fabrics. Using this weave, the cloth comes out as having a simple criss-cross pattern with the weft thread going under the warp thread up and down in an alternating matter.
Tablet weaving Also called card weaving in the US, it is a weaving technique where tablets or cards are used to create the shed through which the weft is passed. As the materials and tools are relatively cheap and easy to obtain, tablet weaving is popular with hobbyist weavers.
Tactel A trademarked brand of synthetic fiber produced by Invista.
Tactile Properties A fabric property perceived by touch, such as softness.
Taffeta A crisp, smooth, plain woven fabric made from silk or cuprammonium rayons. The word is Persian in origin and means "twisted woven". It is considered to be a "high-end" fabric, suitable for use in ball gowns, wedding dresses, and in interior decoration for curtains or wall coverings. It is also widely used in the manufacture of corsets.
Tais Form of traditional weaving created by the women of East Timor. An essential part of the nation's cultural heritage, tais weavings are used for ceremonial adornment, sign of respect and appreciation towards guests, friends, relatives, home decor, and personal apparel. Using mostly cotton threads, the cloth is created during the island's dry season, almost entirely by hand.
Take-up system (Yarn in Fabric) Take-up system includes a clamping device for holding a plurality of layers of warp yarns, the clamping device being movable at least in a direction corresponding to the advance direction of the warp yarns. The clamping device includes a bottom clamp, a top clamp, and at least one intermediate clamping element present between the bottom clamp and the top clamp.
Tambour lace Family of lace made by stretching a fine net over a frame and creating a chain stitch using a fine hook to reach through the net and draw the working thread through it. In the second half of the eighteenth century and the early nineteenth, tambouring was a fashionable pastime for ladies of the French and English courts.
Tammana Indian brand known for its ornate silk collection, which uses the richest of silks sourced from Banaras, Gujarat and South India.
Tape A continuous narrow, flexible strip of cloth, metal, paper, or plastic, such as adhesive tape, magnetic tape, or ticker tape.
Tapestry A form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike cloth weaving where both the warp and the weft threads may be visible. In tapestry weaving, weft yarns are typically discontinuous; the artisan interlaces each coloured weft back and forth in its own small pattern area. Most weavers use a natural warp thread, such as linen or cotton. The weft threads are usually wool or cotton, but may include silk, gold, silver, or other alternatives.
Tarlatan An open-weave cotton fabric, used for stiffening garments.
Tarpaulin Also called tarp, it is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with urethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. Tarpaulins have multiple uses, such as sheltering from wind, rain, or sunlight. Tarpaulins are often used during the build process to protect brickwork and masonry from weather damage.
Tartan Pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. It is particularly associated with Scotland.
Tassel A tuft of loosely hanging threads, cords, or other material knotted at one end and attached for decoration to home furnishings, clothing, or other items. It is a universal ornament that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe.
Tatting A technique for handcrafting a particularly durable lace from a series of knots and loops. Tatting can be used to make lace edging as well as doilies, collars, accessories such as earrings and necklaces, and other decorative pieces.
Tear Strength Also called tear resistance, it is a measure of how well a material can withstand the effects of tearing. It is usually measured in kN/m.
Technical textiles Products manufactured for non-aesthetic purposes, where function is the primary criterion. Technical textiles include textiles for automotive applications, medical textiles, geotextiles, agrotextiles, and protective clothing.
Tencel A natural, man-made fiber, and the trade name for the generic fiber Lyocell, which is a form of rayon consisting of cellulose fiber made from dissolving pulp using dry jet-wet spinning.
Teneriffe lace Needle lace from the island of Tenerife, consisting of wheel-like motifs.
Tensile Strength The capacity of a material or structure to withstand loads tending to elongate, as opposed to compressive strength, which withstands loads tending to reduce size.
Tensile Test A fundamental materials science test in which a sample is subjected to a controlled tension until failure. The results from the test are commonly used to select a material for an application, for quality control, and to predict how a material will react under other types of forces. Properties that are directly measured via a tensile test are ultimate tensile strength, maximum elongation and reduction in area.
Tenter Frame Large wooden frames which were used as far back as the 14th century in the process of making woolen cloth in order to prevent the shrinking of processed wool.
Terry Cloth Also called towelling, it is a fabric with loops that can absorb large amounts of water. It can be manufactured by weaving or knitting. Towelling is woven on special looms that have two beams of longitudinal warp through which the filler or weft is fired laterally.
Terrysilk it is a mixture of 80% terylene and 20% of silk.
Terrywool Mixture of wood and terylene.
Tex Unit of measure for the linear mass density of fibers, yarns and thread and is defined as the mass in grams per 1000 meters. It is used for measuring fiber size in many products, including cigarette filters, optical cable, yarn and fabric.
Textile A textile or cloth is a flexible material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres (yarn or thread). Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands. Textiles are formed by weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, or felting. Fabric is a material made through weaving, knitting, spreading, crocheting, or bonding that may be used in production of further goods. Cloth is a finished piece of fabric used for a specific purpose.
Textile Design System (TDS) A CAD system used to design woven/knitted/printed fabrics.
Textiles Designer A professional who creates two-dimensional designs that can be used, often as a repeat design, in the production of knit, weave and printed fabrics or textile products.
Texture Mapping A method for defining high frequency detail, surface texture, or color information on a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. Its application to 3D graphics was pioneered by Edwin Catmull in 1974.
Textured Yarns Synthetic uninterrupted filaments whose characteristics have been modified in order to improve their look and touch, and boost warmness and absorbency.
Thermal Shrinkage The process in which a fabric becomes smaller than its original size, usually when applying heat.
Thermoplastic A plastic material, a polymer, that becomes pliable or moldable above a specific temperature and solidifies upon cooling. Nylon, Teflon, and Plexiglas are thermoplastic materials.
Thermoset Materials that are made by polymers joined together by chemical bonds, acquiring a highly crosslinked polymer structure, which is is directly responsible for the high mechanical and physical strength compared with thermoplastics or elastomers materials. On the other hand, thermoset materials have poor elasticity.
Thimble A small hard pitted cup worn for protection on the finger that pushes the needle in sewing.
Thread A tightly twisted ply yarn having a circular cross section and used in commercial and home sewing machines and for hand sewing. Thread is usually wound on spools, with thread size, or degree of fineness, indicated on the spool end.
Thread Count The number of threads – lengthwise and widthwise – which are woven into one square inch of fabric.
Threads per inch (TPI) A measure used with threaded fasteners and woven fabrics. This is simply a count of the number of threads per inch measured along the length of a fastener.
Three-dimensional Weaving The weaving of cloths that have pre-designed three-dimensional shapes, or can be directly manipulated into a 3D shape immediately after being woven. The term is also used to describe the weaving of fabrics with substantial thicknesses, many times greater than the diameters of the yarns used to produce the fabrics.
Throwing Also known as English knitting and right-hand knitting. It is a style of Western knitting where the yarn to be knit into the fabric is carried in the right hand. This style is prevalent throughout the English-speaking world, though it is by no means universal.
Throwster One who twists or spins silk to prepare it for weaving.
Ticking A cotton or linen textile that is tightly woven for durability and to prevent down feathers from poking through the fabric, and used to cover mattresses and bed pillows. It commonly has a striped design, in muted colors such as brown, grey or blue, and occasionally red or yellow, against a plain, neutral background.
Tie-Dye A modern term invented in the mid-1960s in the United States for a set of ancient resist-dyeing techniques, and for the products of these processes. The process of tie-dye typically consists of folding, twisting, pleating, or crumpling fabric or a garment and binding with string or rubber bands, followed by the application of dye(s). Tie-dye is characterized by the usage of bright, saturated primary colors and bold patterns.
Tissue A soft, thin piece of paper used for wiping noses and tear drops.
Toile A fabric, from the French word meaning "linen cloth" or "canvas", particularly cloth or canvas for painting on. The word "toile" can refer to the fabric itself, a test garment sewn from the same material, or a type of repeated surface decoration (traditionally) printed on the same fabric.
Tolerances Tolerances are a plus or minus measurement used on a tech pack to determine whether a product meets a specified quality standard.
Total Denier The denier of a tow before it is crimped. It is the product of the denier per filament and the number of filaments in the tow. The total denier after crimping (called crimped total denier) is higher because of the resultant increase in weight per unit length.
Transition Temperature The temperature at which a material changes from one crystal state (allotrope) to another.
Traveler curtain The most common type of front curtain used in theaters. Traveler curtains remain at a fixed elevation and open and close horizontally, breaking in the middle, and consequently require a minimum of fly space. The curtains are typically made of velvet and decorated with a series of vertical box pleats along the top edge.
Trend Boards Presentation boards used by the members of fashion industry to make fashion relevant presentations. The boards can be presented internally, within a company, or to other businesses and clients. They usually provide an aesthetic display of upcoming colors, themes, shapes, materials, textures, silhouettes and moods.
Tricot knit Special case of warp knitting, in which the yarn zigzags vertically, following a single column of knitting, rather than a single row, as it is customary. Tricot and its relatives are very resistant to runs, and are commonly used in lingerie.
Trim In clothing and home decorating, trim or trimming is applied ornament, such as gimp, passementerie, ribbon, and ruffles.
Tulle A thin, fine, machine-made net of acetate, nylon, rayon, or silk.
Tussar silk Silk type produced from larvae of several species of silkworms belonging to the moth genus Antheraea. Tussar silk is valued for its rich texture and natural deep gold colour, and varieties are produced in many countries, including China, India, Japan, and Sri Lanka.
Tweed A rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained by mixing dyed wool before it is spun. Tweeds are an icon of traditional Irish and British country clothing, being desirable for informal outerwear, due to the material being moisture-resistant and durable. Tweeds are made to withstand harsh climate and are commonly worn for outdoor activities such as shooting and hunting, in both Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Twill A type of textile weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs (in contrast with a satin and plain weave). This is done by passing the weft thread over one or more warp threads then under two or more warp threads and so on, with a "step," or offset, between rows to create the characteristic diagonal pattern.
Twist Multiplier The ratio of turns per inch to the square root of the yarn count.
Twisting In yarn and rope production, process that binds fibres or yarns together in a continuous strand, accomplished in spinning or playing operations. The direction of the twist may be to the right, described as Z twist, or to the left, described as S twist.
Twistless In fabric, a yarn prepared without a twist.
Two-For-One Twister A textile machine used for yarn doubling.

U ^^Top Ultrasuede The trade name for a synthetic microfiber fabric invented in 1970 by Dr. Miyoshi Okamoto, a scientist working for Toray Industries. It's an ultra-microfiber. It is often described as an artificial substitute for suede leather. The fabric is multifunctional: it is used in fashion, interior decorating, automotive and other vehicle upholstery, and industrial applications, such as protective fabric for electronic equipment.
Ultraviolet Degradation A common problem which occurs when many natural and synthetic polymers are exposed to sunlight. Continuous exposure is a more serious problem than intermittent exposure, since attack is dependent on the extent and degree of exposure.
Ultraviolet Resistance A fibre’s or fabric’s ability to resist UV radiation. This can be important for the preservation of the fibre as UV rays are a cause of degradation to textile fibres.
Undrawn Yarn Extruded man-made filament yarn not yet subjected to the drawing process that orients the linear molecules and gives strength to the yarn.
Uneven dyeing A dyeing defect due to which a dye does not distribute equally along the piece of fabric.
UV Absorber Any substance that absorbs ultraviolet radiant energy, then dissipates the energy in a harmless form; used in plastics and rubbers to decrease light sensitivity.

V ^^Top Vat Dye A water-insoluble dye, such as indigo, that is applied to a fabric in a reducing bath, which converts it to a soluble form, the color being obtained on subsequent oxidation in the fabric fibers. The name of the process refers to dyeing that takes place in a bucket or vat.
Vectran Fiber A manufactured fiber, spun from a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) created by Celanese Acetate LLC and now manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.
Velour A plush, knitted fabric or textile similar to velvet. It is usually made from cotton but can also be made from synthetic materials such as polyester. Velour is used in a wide variety of applications, including clothing and upholstery. Other examples include car seats and leotards. Velour can also refer to a rough natural leather sometimes called velour leather.
Velours du Kasaï Kind of textile fabric made in Kasai, a province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Traditionally, the weaving is done by men of the Shoowa from the Kuba ethnic group, while the embroidery is reserved to women. Ideally, the embroiderers should be pregnant. The technique is still practised. The fabric is made of very fine fibre from the inside of the leaves of young palm trees. The leaves are dried in the sun, then split along their length and connected to form a basic warp of raffia. Fine leaf fibres are then interweaved in a woof to create the velvet effect. This is then wrapped around the waist to create a loincloth known as Mapel (for men) or Ntshak (for women). The cloth is heavy and expensive and is not normally intended to be worn, but is used as a bed covering or on the royal throne. Individual items take from several months to a year to produce. Cloths were used as currency or given as gifts.
Velvet A type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel. By extension, the word velvety means "smooth like velvet." Velvet can be made from several different kinds of fibers, traditionally, the most expensive of which is silk. Much of the velvet sold today as "silk velvet" is actually a mix of rayon and silk.
Velveteen A cloth made in imitation of velvet. Normally cotton, the term is sometimes applied to a mixture of silk and cotton. Some velveteens are a kind of fustian, having a rib of velvet pile alternating with a plain depression.
Venetian Wool Also called Venetian cloth, it is a wool or worsted fabric made in satin or twill weave and sometimes napped. It is used in the manufacture of lightweight coats, suits, skirts, and dresses.
Venice lace Also known as Point de Venise, it is a Venetian needle lace from the 17th century characterized by scrolling floral patterns with additional floral motifs worked in relief.
Ventile Registered trademark used to brand a special high-quality woven cotton fabric first developed by scientists at the Shirley Institute in Manchester, England. Originally created to replace a shortage of flax - used for fire hoses and water buckets - its properties were also found to be ideal for pilots' immersion suits. Also used for military uniforms, and popular with birdwatchers and naturalists because it is quiet in use.
Vintage Generic term for garments originating from a previous era. The phrase is also used in connection with a retail outlet, e.g. "vintage clothing store."
Vinyl coated polyester (PVC) Material frequently used for flexible fabric structures. It is made up of a polyester scrim, a bonding or adhesive agent, and an exterior PVC coating. Depending on its formula, the PVC coating makes the material waterproof and resistant to dirt, mildew, oil, salt, chemicals and UV rays and gives the material added strength and durability.
Virtual Product A product developed and prototyped in a completely digital 2D/3D environment. VPD typically takes place in a collaborative, web-based environment that brings together designers, customers/consumers, and value chain partners around a single source of real-time product "truth."
Viscose A soft and lightweight fabric manufactured from a plant-based material called cellulose. Viscose is typically made from woody plants, such as trees and bamboo. Viscose fiber is a soft fiber commonly used in dresses, linings, shirts, shorts, coats, jackets, and other outerwear. It is also used in industrial yarns (tyre cord), upholstery and carpets, and in the casting of Cellophane.
Viyella Blend of wool and cotton first woven in 1893 in England, and soon to be the "first branded fabric in the world". It was made of 55 percent merino wool and 45 percent cotton in a twill weave, developed by James and Robert Sissons of William Hollins & Company. Following increasing emphasis on garment manufacture over the years, Viyella is now a fashion brand for clothes and home furnishings made of a variety of fabrics. The original wool/cotton blend is no longer on sale.
Voile A soft, sheer fabric, usually made of 100% cotton or cotton blends including linen or polyester. The term comes from French, and means veil. Because of its light weight, the fabric is mostly used in soft furnishing. In hot countries, voile is used as window treatments and mosquito nets. When used as curtain material, voile is similar to net curtains.

W ^^Top Wadmal Coarse, dense, usually undyed wool fabric woven in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, and the Orkney, Faroe and Shetland Islands from the Middle Ages into the 18th century. Wadmal was accepted as currency in Sweden, Iceland, Shetland, and Ireland, and exchange rates defined the equivalent of various grades of wadmal in silver and in cows
Waffle Cloth Also known as honeycomb fabric, it is the type of fabric which is usually cotton or microfibre, woven in a way which makes it very absorbent. The waffle weave also allows air to flow through the towel so that it dries quickly. Waffle fabric is used for cleaning surfaces in industry. The surface of the fabric is textured rather like a culinary waffle, hence the name. This texture gives more surface area for absorption and cleaning than a normal flat surface.
Warmth to weight ratio A measurement used to evaluate the effectiveness of an insulated product in relation to weather conditions and the environment.
Warp Threads on a loom over and under which other threads (the weft) are passed to make cloth.
Warp Beam A roller, located at the back of a loom, on which the warp ends are wound in preparation for weaving.
Warp Knitting A family of knitting methods in which the yarn zigzags along the length of the fabric, i.e., following adjacent columns of knitting, rather than a single row. For comparison, knitting across the width of the fabric is called weft knitting. Since warp knitting requires that the number of separate strands of yarn equals the number of stitches in a row, warp knitting is almost always done by machine rather than by hand.
Washability The property of being washed without deterioration.
Water repellent Not easily penetrated by water, especially as a result of being treated for such a purpose with a surface coating.
Waterproof A garment, especially a coat, that keeps out water.
Wear Test One of the fabric testing methods. Its purpose is to help the textile industry and apparel industry monitor quality.
Weatherometer testing Laboratory machine that uses accelerated weathering techniques to analyze durability, weather-resistance, and other properties of a building material or coating.
Weave Any of the patterns or methods for interlacing the threads of woven fabrics.
Weaving Production of fabric by interlacing two sets of yarns so that they cross each other, normally at right angles, usually accomplished with a hand- or power-operated loom.
Webbing A strong fabric woven as a flat strip or tube of varying width and fibres often used in place of rope. It is a versatile component used in climbing, slacklining, furniture manufacturing, automobile safety, auto racing, towing, parachuting, military apparel, load securing, and many other fields. Originally made of cotton or flax, most modern webbing is made of synthetic fibers such as nylon, polypropylene or polyester.
Weft Crosswise thread on a loom that is passed over and under the warp threads to make cloth.
Weft Insertion Any one of the various methods, shuttle, rapier, water jet, etc., for making a pick during weaving.
Whipcord Strong worsted or cotton fabric made of hard-twisted yarns with a diagonal cord or rib. Whipcord is usually found in durable outdoor clothing (typically pants, sometimes jackets). Whipcord should not be confused with corduroy. Whipcord has a hard smooth finish with diagonal ribs. Corduroy is fuzzy with vertical ribs.
Width The distance of a fabric piece from edge to edge when laid flat on a surface without tension.
Wigan Cotton material coated with latex rubber. Its name has been derived from Wigan, the name of a town in Greater Manchester, England.
Wilton Carpet Carpets manufactured at Wilton, England. Carpet industry began in 1741, but it decreased during the 20th century.
Winding is the process of transferring yarn or thread from one type of package to another.
Windstopper Fabric laminate made by W. L. Gore & Associates. It is similar to Gore-Tex, except that it is only windproof and breathable, not waterproof.
Woof The other name for "weft", that is crosswise thread on a loom that is passed over and under the warp threads to make cloth.
Wool Wool is the fiber derived from the hair of domesticated animals, usually sheep.
Wool Crepe A woolen crepe, more specifically the type of a fabric which has a distinctively crisp, crimped appearance. Almost exclusively dyed black and used in mourning dress.
Woolen Woolen or woollen is the name of a yarn and cloth usually made from wool.
Worsted wool High-quality type of wool yarn, the fabric made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. The name derives from Worstead, a village in the English county of Norfolk.
Woven Fabric Woven fabric is a textile formed by weaving. It is produced on a loom, and made of many threads woven on a warp and a weft. Woven fabric only stretches diagonally on the bias directions (between the warp and weft directions), unless the threads used are elastic. Woven fabric cloth usually frays at the edges, unless techniques are used to counter it, such as the use of pinking shears or hemming.

Y ^^Top Yardage Charts Measurement charts which use yards as their measurement unit. Often used for fabric measurements.
Yarn A long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, and ropemaking.
Yarn Number The yarn number is based on the length of yarn needed to make up a specified weight. The larger the number, the finer the yarn. Cotton, wool and linen are numbered with such systems.
Yarn Quality Expression of the fineness of yarn. It is defined by a number indicating the mass per unit length or the length per unit mass of yarn.
Yarn-Dyed Woven from yarns previously dyed.
Yield A term that helps describe the linear density of a roving of fibers. However, unlike tex and denier, yield is the inverse of linear density and is usually expressed in yards/lb.
Youghal lace Needle lace inspired by Italian needle lace developed in Youghal, County Cork, Ireland. Youghal lace was a top quality commercial product that ended with the First World War.
Young’s Modulus Young's modulus (also known as the tensile modulus and elastic modulus) is a number that measures an object or substance's resistance to being deformed elastically (i.e., non-permanently) when a force is applied to it.

Z ^^Top Z Twist A direction of the twist in yarns, from top right to bottom left, resembling the long stroke of the letter Z.
Zari An even thread traditionally made of fine gold or silver used in traditional Bengali, Indian, and Pakistani garments, especially as brocade in saris. This thread is woven into fabrics, primarily made of silk to create intricate patterns.
Zephyr A thin kind of cashmere made in Belgium. The term also refers to a waterproof fabric of wool.
Zero Twist The fibers that are used in a terry towel weave. This type of yarn is not spun in the typical way – the fibers are not twisted before they are woven, but they are put into a synthetic casing that dissolves when the yarn is dyed.
Zibeline A thick, soft fabric with a long nap. It is usually made of wool, such as mohair or alpaca, but can also be made from the hair of other animals, such as camels.
Zorbeez Chamois cloth which is claimed by manufacturer Vertical Branding to be capable of absorbing over 20 fluid oz. of liquid. However, it has often been tested with mixed results.