Fabric Glossary
Appliqué: technique of applying cutout patterns of fabric onto a ground cloth using either plain or embroidery stitches.
Black stitch: embroidery worked in black threads on a white or ivory-colored background fabric.
Brocade: heavy fabric with elaborate patterns that are raised against a ground cloth by the addition of supplementary wefts.
Brocatelle: A variant of damask with raised areas of patterns.
Bullion fringe: twisted length of hanging robe made from gold, silver or metallic fibers. Primarily used for skirt base of sofa and armchairs.
Buttonhole stitch: a looped outline stitch used to finish the raw edges of fabric.
Canvas: a coarse, hardwearing fabric woven from fibers of hemp or flax.
Chenille: a velvet-like fabric woven from a soft, fuzzy-textured woven yarns of natural or synthetic fibers.
Checker: a geometric pattern consisting of regularly spaced squares of alternating color.
Chinoiserie: Western adaptations of Chinese artifacts and styles of ornaments.
Cord: A form of rope of various thickness made from twisted threads of fiber. Primarily used as trims or tie backs.
Corduroy: A pile fabric with regularly spaced, parallel ridges.
Damask: monochrome reversible fabric displaying patterns (usually floral) created by the contrast between a shiny, satin-weave ground and matte, satin weave figuring.
Embroidery: decorative stitching applied to the surface of a fabric
Fleur-de-lis: a stylized three of five petal lilly. Originally a symbol of purity.
French knots: decorative embroidery knots worked on the show side of a fabric to create textured dots of color.
Fringe: A trimming for upholstery or curtains.
Fustian: Collective term for a group of coarse, usually patterned fabrics woven from wool or cotton/wool.
Gaufrage: Method of embossing patterns onto the surface of fabrics with heated metal rollers (often used with velvets).
Gimp: a type of braids made from strands of silk, wool or cotton, braided or twisted around a cord or wire.
Gingham: a lightweight cotton fabric with geometric check pattern of two alternating colors on a white or off white background.
Hemp: Coarse fabric woven from fibers of plants.
Herringbone: Geometric pattern consisting of alternating diagonal lines similar in appearance to the spine and ribs of a herring fish.
Holland: generic term for fine-woven linen cloth, available bleached or unbleached.
Ikat: Indonesian fine cotton or silk fabric, decorated with clocks, circles or stripes, softened by a vegetable dying process that blends the edges of the colors into one another.
Jute: Fiber derived from Asian plants.
Latticework: A grid like design made up of open diamond shapes.
Linen: Strong fabric woven from fibers of flat plant stalks
Matelasse: Derived from the French verb "matellaser", which means to quilt. Metalasse is a term used to describe double-woven damasks and other fabrics that incorporate raised figures or motifs on their surface.
Monochrome: One color or shades of one color.
Moquette: A woolen velvet, either plain or patterned, used for upholstery and carpeting.
Muslin: A lightweight, plain weave cotton gauze.
Noile: Silk fabric with a shimmery surface created by the presence of tiny balls made from the waste products of spun silk mixed with cotton or wool.
Organza: A fine, plain weave sheer cotton fabric. Produced plain or patterned.
Passementerie: Collective term for decorative trimmings applied to soft furnishings, includes ribbons, bows, braids, tassels and fringes.
Picot: A decorative furnishing trim that is made of small loops of thread.
Plaid: a plain or twill-weave cloth with a pattern of intersecting stripes.
Plush: A velvet-like fabric but with a longer, denser pile. Mostly used for upholstery.
Polyester: Durable, crease-resistant synthetic fiber.
Poplin: Lightweight fabric traditionally woven with fine silk to produce a ribbed effect.
Seersucker: Originally and India striped fabric of mixed silk and cotton. Characterized by a rippled or puckered textured formed by weaving the cotton warps at a looser tension.
Silk: Luxury fabric woven from shiny, smooth filaments spun from the cocoons of the silk worm.
Slub silk: raw silk fabric with a textured surface produced by incorporating small flecks of the silkworm cocoon in the weave.
Strie: A mottled effect on the surface of the fabric produced by dyeing the yarns with two different colors before weaving.
Taffeta: a firm, closely woven silk or linen fabric with an identical glossy surface on both sides.
Tieback: A length of robe, cord or fabric used to secure a curtain to one side of a window.
Velour: Heavy, velvet-like fabric with a thick pile that lies in one direction.
Voile: A fine, sheer, crisp fabric woven from cotton, silk, wool or synthetic fibers.
Wool: A yarn spun from the fibrous coat of an animal, such as a sheep or a goat.
Worsted: Smooth, strong woolen fabric made from carded and combed wool yarn.
