Fabric and Textile Terminology Glossary

ANTIQUE SATIN – a sateen or horizontal satin drapery fabric with horizontal (weft) slubs which imitate spun shantung silk. It is typically composed of approximately 60% rayon (the face yarn fiber) and 40% acetate (the back yarn fiber). Most fabrics are one color from a selection of thousands. Occasionally the fabric warp and weft yarns are dyed different colors to give an iridescent effect. Antique satin may also be printed. It is quite suitable for bedspread fabric as it readily accepts various quilting patterns quite well.

BATIK – a process also known as Tjap, where areas of cloth are opaqued with wax before the fabric is dyed. For two or more colors each preceding wax layer is removed and reapplied in a different patterned layer. A crinkled pattern is achieved by crinkling the fabric and cracking the wax. Primitive or ethnic batik patterns from Indonesia and Africa are reproduced by mechanical silk screen or roller printing on contemporary fabrics.

BROCADE – a multi-use, formal, Jacquard weave with supplemental warp or weft woven into the fabric to give an embroidered effect and often-colorful design. Many times the background weave is satin.

BROCATELLE – medium weight Jacquard fabric utilizing four or more sets of thread generally with two sets of warps and two sets of wefts. Finely woven brocatelles are formal, refined and sophisticated. The finished surface has slight relief variation according to the patterns, and may appear embroidered or puffy.

CALICO –cotton or ply/cotton fabric similar to broadcloth and are usually printed in small "country", all-over multi-colored floral patterns or even same color floral patterns.

CANVAS – versatile medium to heavy weight cotton fabric in plain or twill weave. Canvas accepts almost any color, and has many uses, including, Slipcovers, Outdoor Decorating, Awnings, etc..

CASEMENT – casual drapery fabric in loose or tight, open or closed, plain or novelty weave. Casements are often given interesting texture, color and pattern through complex tied yarn arrangements and weave variations. The open weave gives the appearance of semi-sheer,see through qualities.

CASHMERE – from the Cashmere goat in Tibet and the Kashmir province in India. It is known for its softness as well as Long Wearing attributes as fabric and when used with wool is a great Upholstery Fabric.

CHAMBRAY – lightweight cotton or blend fabric in plain, balanced weave. Yarns are slightly slubbed in both directions. Warp is usually white with a solid colored weft. Again, this is an excellent fabric to use for Furniture Slipcovers.

CHEVRON – is a pattern formed by regular and repeated zigzag pattern, also called herringbone, by reversing the twill weave. Many times coordinating colors are used in the design as well as tone on tone threads to give a sublte and subdued effect.

CREPE- a fine yarn which is twisted so tightly that it gives a pebbly or crinkled surface in woven fabrics. Crepe fabrics may be plain or satin weave and include the following types of crepes: Canton crepe (heavier with ribs), Chiffon crepe (soft finish), Crepe de Chine (sheer, limp), Crepon crepe (fine ribs), Flat crepe (smooth surface), and Plisse crepe (puckered or crinkled surface). Crepes are enjoying a renewed popularity and are currently being featured in a number of Decorator Fabric Lines.

CREWEL EMBROIDERY– basket weave base cloth of cotton, linen or wool, with hand or machine embroidery of worsted wool. Patterns are meandering vine and floral motifs based on the East Indian tree-of-life designs and their English interpretations. Once again,Crewel is enjoying a revitalization of popularity and has been seen in growing numbers at regional Fabric Fairs and Shows.

DAMASK – formal satin base Jacquard fabric with reversible pattern, historically a large floral or Renaissance pattern. Contemporary damasks are medium weight in a variety of designs. Damasks are suitable in many decorative fabric applications including Upholstery, Drapes, Accent Pillows and Sumptious Beddding Ensembles.

DENIM – cotton or cotton/polyester left-hand twill weave cloth which is practical and sturdy. Navy colored denim is Jeans fabric, cream or white denim is Drill. Manufacturers are currently offering Denim in multiple colors and applications including Slipcovers and Outdoor Furniture and decorating.

EMBROIDERY – a thread or set of threads sewn onto a fabric for surface ornamentation. Embroidery may be done as piece work or one-of-a-kind embroidered cloths. Hand-guided machine embroidery is the method generally used for crewel embroidery. Machine embroidery for mass production is called Schiffli embroidery. Today there are many embroidered silks, polyblends available and some of the more elaborate designs include elaborate Beadwork and the introduction of Ribbons to the Embroidery pattern.

FLANNEL – any fabric that is woven then brushed to achieve a soft nap. Types include cotton, flannelette, outing (for outerwear), French (finely twilled), melton (cotton and/or wool dense weave), and suede top-sided nap trimmed and pressed). Generally,Flannel is recommended as an interling for curtains and Drapes and is available from 3 oz weights up to 16 oz weights known as table Flannel.

FLOCK – the material obtained by reducing textile fibers to fragments by cutting or grinding. There are two main types including precision cut flock, where all fiber lengths are approximately equal, and random cut flock, where the fibers are ground or chopped to produce a broad range of lengths. Flocked Fabrics and Wallcoverings were popular 30 years ago, but have been on the wane in recent years.

FRIEZE OR FRISE – upholstery weight looped pile fabric often of nylon, which is very sturdy. Today there are many of these fabrics available in blended fibers. May be Jacquard woven to achieve a sculptural or ribbed effect.

HERRINGBONE – a novelty or complex twill which has a regular zigzag pattern. Woven or printed on light, medium, and heavy weight fabrics. Please reference the Chevron description above.

HOUNDSTOOTH – medium to heavy weight fabric with woven twill pattern that resembles squares with projecting "tooth-like" corners. Houndstooth is especially evocative of English Manor Homes.

LISSERIE – a fine Jacquard woven stripe imitating silk and embroidery. The figuring and color in the pattern comes from the warp and again is enjoying a resurgance in popularity.

MATELESSE – a heavy upholstery-weight textile in Jacquard weave with two sets of warps and wefts. Surface appears puffy or cushioned. Matelesse is also called double cloth. While most people think of this fabric for traditonal bedspreads, there are several contemporary patterns available today, in many weights, suitable for upholstery as well as bedding.

MOHAIR – fiber from the Angora goat. Today there are variations that combine wool, cotton and various other fibers that make Mohair somewhat more affordable.

MOIRE – formal ribbed faille fabric embossed with a watermark pattern. A highly versatile fabric. Moire has many interior applications including Drapes, Upholstery and Bedding. Moire is available in Silk, Poly Blends and a printing process has been developed that can even be applied to cottons to give the look of Moire at a more affordable price.

OTTOMAN – natural or man-made fibers woven in a medium to heavy weight fabric with broad, round weft threads that produce a horizontal rib. Fine warp threads obscure the large, even or alternate size filling yarns.

PEAU DE SOIE – a French term, meaning literally "skin of silk" applied originally to a fine silk fabric in a modified satin weave that had a ribbed or grained appearance. true Peau de Soie is not readily available in todays market, however, there are some fairly exceptional imitations.

PILE FABRIC – fabric with a third element; an extra warp or weft set, woven or knitted into the fabric to produce a deep surface texture. Examples include velvet, terry cloth, frieze or corduroy. Several of Todays Decorator Fabric distributors have introduced some wonderful Faux Fur Pile Throws and Cut Yardage items.

PLAID – woven or printed design consisting of stripes in both warp and weft directions which cross at intervals to form different colors in square or rectangular patterns. May be light, medium or heavy weight, depending on the yarn and have recently enjoyed a wonderful interpretaion in Silks as well as Faux Silks and with a Moire background. Plaids may be plain or twill weave. Types include: tartans (Scottish clan plaids) and plaid-back (reversible plaid).

PLISSE – a sheer, thin or lightweight fabric given a blistered or puckered surface through chemical treatments and give the appearance of Seersucker. One of the best applications is on Checked fabrics and there are many variations and applications available today.

REP, REPP – a ribbed fabric (horizontal or vertical ribs) between poplin and ottoman fabric in both rib size and weight. Durable medium to heavy fabric. Repp has many applications. High quality reps are often woven of wool.

SATIN – a basic type of weave where warp threads float over up to eight weft threads, then are tied down with one weft thread. Fine threads yield a smooth, slick, lustrous surface. Light to medium weight. Types of satin include: antique (with horizontal slubs to imitate shantung), lining satin (lightweight drapery lining), ribbed satin (resembles faille, or calendered into satin moire’), satin damask (background satin with jacquard pattern-in lighter weight is known as ticking satin), and upholstery satin (heavier weight satins).

SCRIM - Sheer open weave cotton fabric used for draperies and window decorating. Scrim is also a term for scrolled trims and is very useful for trimming rough edge applications.

SHABBY CHIC – a look reflecting casual and relaxed lifestyles. Emphasis is on a soft touch, neutral colors and often a puckered, washed or unfinished look.

SEERSUCKER –crinkled surface in all-over or spaced stripes, permanently woven into a cotton or blend fabric, or induced through chemical treatments. Puckers tend to be more durable than plisse’ when chemically treated. Permanent puckers are woven in by loosening or relaxing some warp threads. Light to medium weight.

SHANTUNG DUPIONI – originally a spun silk fabric with slubs that formed interesting textures. Shantung today may be of many natural or synthetic fibers. Fabrics which imitate shantung are antique satin and antique taffeta.

SUEDECLOTH – a light to medium weight synthetic knit or woven textile with brushed nap which imitates genuine suede. today, many of the Distributors are introducing printed and embroidered Suedecloth that offers interesting new lookds to Faux Suede.

TAPEStrY – a plain weave technique used to produce complex, hand-woven European pictorial designs. These are now, most often, Jacquard woven with multiple warps and wefts, including the introduction of Chenille fibres to give a softer hand to the finished fabric.

TICKING – originally a twill blue and cream vertical, woven striped fabric used to make "ticks" or mattress and pillow casings. Historically used on walls, also for draperies and other interior uses. Mattress ticking may also be satin damask ticking, or ticking damask. There are currently many styles and colors available in a variety of finishes and fibres.

TISSUE PICK- Term which describes supplementary filling yarn or yarns which "float"along the back of fabric in bands, and are brought up in selected areas for added color detail on the face of a fabric. The use of Tissue Pick application allows the Manufacturers to offer some unusual fabric designs.

TOILE – a fabric of cotton or linen similar to muslin or percale in plain or sometimes twill weave. It is an unglazed chintz. Types include: toile de Touy (historic French scenes, Federal toile (American Federal Buildings and Eagles), country toile (Contemporary Provincial floral) and toiles de Indy (Historic East Indian printed designs). Chinese toiles (Oriental designs and scenes), Rococo toiles (large-scale contemporary Rococo prints). Toile has never really been out of favor, however, it is currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

TOILE DE JOUY – Toile fabrics printed in one color (traditionally navy, cranberry or black) in rural country French scenes and of people from the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

TUFTED FABRIC – a pile fabric which is formed by tufting a yarn into a woven background. Early American tufted bedspreads are one example. Some upholstery fabrics and all tufted carpets utilize this method. The fabric may be tufted with a small hand-held tufting gun, or on a large machine utilizing multiple needles to tuft entire sections in rapid sequence.

TWEED – upholstery weight textile in plain balanced or variation weave, (originally) twill weave or variation. Plain and twill weaves may be combined in some novelty tweeds. Made first of wool in Scotland. Today’s tweeds may be of wool, nylon or a combination of natural and man-made fibres in solid colors, also heathered effect or plaid.

VELOUR – a pile fabric with a soft, velvet-like texture including some velvet, and all plush-pile surface cloths.

VELVET – Woven pile fabric with a soft yet sturdy face. May be of one or more fibers, including nearly all-natural and man-made fibers. Types include: antique velvet ("streaks" pressed or woven in; slubs on woven back), brocade (etch printed or burnout patterns, often exposing the woven background), chiffon (thin, soft velvet); crushed (varies from light to very heavy crushing of pile), electrostatic (flocked, rather than woven pile, usually bold color and pattern), embossed (bas relief roller calendering to produced "pressed in" pattern), moquette (exposed ground with floral historic patterns of cut and uncut looped pile in jacquard weave), panne’ (flat pile, pressed in one direction), plush (deeper pile, sometimes sparse and crushed), upholstery (deep thick pile and sturdy back), velveteen (short, cotton-faced pile and back), printed velveteen (roller or screen printed, typically in floral or geometric patterns).

VINYL – extruded polyvinyl chloride synthetic fabric flowed onto a woven, knitted, or non-woven base cloth. Medium to heavy weight upholstery fabric which imitates leather.

VOILE– sheer transparent fabric in plain weave with tightly twisted yarns. Often has a stiff finish. May have novelty effects such as pique stripes, printed patterns and stripes, or woven with nubby yarns for novelty voile.