GLOSSARIO

Sanded: a finishing process that brings the fabric in contact with sandpaper or another abrasive material. This may be done to raise surface fiber, impart a peached or sueded hand or to create a surface effect.

Sandwashed: a finishing process in which the fabric is washed with sand or another abrasive material to produce a soft, sueded hand and a faded appearance.

Sanforized: a trademarked finishing process which compresses the fabric to reduce its residual shrinkage to not more than 1 percent.

Sateen: A smooth, strong, lustrous satin weave fabric made with cotton or other spun yarns . In a warp face satin, the most common, the filling yarns cross over one and under several warp yarns, thus mainly the warp yarns are visible on the face. In a filling face satin, the filling yarns cross under one and over several warp yarns thus the mainly the filling yarns are visible on the face.

Satin: A smooth strong, lustrous satin weave fabric made with silk or manufactured filament yarns . In a warp face satin, the most common, the filling yarns cross over one and under several warp yarns, thus mainly the warp yarns are visible on the face. In a filling face satin, the filling yarns cross under one and over several warp yarns thus the mainly the filling yarns are visible on the face . Some satins have a filament yarn face and spun yarn back.

Satin-back crepe: See Crepe-back satin.
Satin stripe: stripes in a fabric formed by a satin weave, often alternating with sheer plain weave stripes.

Saxony: 1. a soft, heavy luxurious, napped fabric made from fine merino wool originally from Saxony, Germany. Used for coats 2. a soft tweed fabric of fine wool. Used for sport coats.

Scalloped: a series of semicircular curves along the edge of a fabric. Used as decorative edge for skirts, curtains.

Scenic: refers to print motifs with a landscape theme.

Scented: fabric that is purposely impregnated with a chemical that gives it an aroma able to withstand multiple washings.

Schiffli embroidery: embroidery done on fabric using a Schiffli machine. Capable of intricate designs.

Schiffli lace: a lace made with a Schiffli embroidery machine by embroidering the design on a net ground. The ground may be kept or later burned away.

Scotchguard: a water repellent and oil repellent finish trademarked by 3M company.

Scrim: a lightweight open weave fabric usually of cotton. Used for curtains or as a base for needlework , lamination or carpeting.

Scroll a design dominated by fanciful curves.

Seersucker: a lightweight fabric with puckered stripes made by weaving with some of the warp yarns tight and some loose . The loose warp threads become crinkled. Frequently made in yarn dye stripes and plaids. Often made of cotton or a cotton blend but can be in a variety of fibers . Used for summer clothing.

Semi bleached: fabric that has been lightly or partially bleached.

Semi-dull: refers to fabric from manufactured yarn that has been delustered to reduce but not completely eliminate the shine.

Sequins: a small, flat, reflective disk with a hole for attaching to the fabric for decorative purposes. May be of metal plastic or shell.

Serge: a smooth faced 2x2 twill weave fabric. Traditionally of wool but may be of other fibers. Used for trousers, suitings.

Shaker: a heavy 1x1 rib knit.

Shantung: a plain weave fabric with slubbed yarns or an uneven ribbed surface texture. Originally of silk but now may be of cotton or man made fibers.

Sharkskin: 1. a woven fabric with the yarns in both warp and filling alternating white and color giving it a salt and pepper look. Used for suitings . Usually a 2x2 twill weave but may also be plain weave. 2. a crisp fabric with a pebbly surface and a dull luster usually of filament yarn such as acetate or triacetate . Often found in pure white. Uses for uniforms, tennis clothes.

Sheared: a finishing process in which the fibers on the surface of the fabric are mechanically trimmed to create an even nap. Often follows brushing of the fabric. Done on fleeces, moleskins, pile fabrics, wools.

Sheer: a thin, fine , semi transparent fabric.

Sheeting: a plain weave fabric with even or close to even thread counts in warp and weft . Often of cotton. Carded yarn versions are used for inexpensive apparel, furniture covers and as a base for laminates. Finer yarns and higher counts may be used for bed sheets.

Sherpa/Berber: a heavy fabric with clumped pile resembling the fleece of a sheep. Used for outerwear trim and lining.

Shetland: A soft shaggy wool tweed fabric . Originally referred to only wool from the Shetland Islands in Scotland but now refers to any wool fabric with similar characteristics . May be woven or knit . Used for overcoats, sportcoats, sweaters.

Shiny: refers to fabric having a surface with a high reflectance of light.

Silk-like: refers to fabric having a hand that suggests the feel of silk.

Silk noil: A fabric produced from silk waste fibers that are too short for producing spun silk.

Silver coated: a fabric with a silver colored coating . Used in outerwear.

Slinky: a market term for a shiny, drapey knit fabric of synthetic fiber with fine ribs.

Slubbed: refers to fabric using yarn with uneven areas, i.e. with a thick and thin appearance occurring at irregular intervals.

Smooth: refers to fabric with an even surface with little surface hair or texture.

Soft: having a gentle, pliable, supple, hand.

Solid: having a single even color.

Space dyed: sections of the yarn are dyed in different colors resulting in a fabric with a multi-color effect.

Spanish blonde lace: usually a large floral handmade bobbin lace sewn to a net ground and outlined in a heavy thread. Commonly cream color but also may be white or black.

Sparkle: a fabric that uses a yarn, usually nylon with a high reflectance of light.

Spongy: having a surface that can be compressed but recovers.

Spray print: color is applied to the fabric by spraying dye on the surface with a compressed air gun. Multiple colors maybe applied by using a different stencil for each color. Ombre or tie dye effects may be achieved.

Spunbonded: a method of producing nonwoven fabric in a continuous process. Polymer is extruded through a spinneret and the resulting filaments are cooled and laid down in a web along a continuous conveyor belt . The web is then bonded by heat, pressure or adhesives to form the fabric.

Spunlaced: a method of producing a nonwoven fabric by mechanically entangling the fibers with high pressure water jets . Also called hydroentangled fabric.

Stippled: a method of producing a shading or watercolor effect by applying color to the fabric in small dots during printing. The degree of shading is determined by the size and frequency of the dots.

Stock dyed: refers to the dyeing of staple fiber before it is spun into yarn. A common method for woolen fabrics.

Stockinette: a term sometimes used for soft, plain stitch, knit jersey used for underwear & other apparel.

Stonewashed: a process of washing the fabric with pebbles to alter the hand and produce fading of the color.

Stretch 2 way: refers to a woven or knit fabric with elastic properties in both directions, usually the result of using spandex yarn.

Stretch in warp: refers to a woven fabric with elastic properties in the warp direction only, usually the result of using spandex yarn in the warp.

Stretch in weft: refers to a woven fabric with elastic properties in the weft ( filling) direction only, usually the result of using spandex yarn in the weft.

Stretch knit: refers to any knit fabric with elastic properties usually the result of using spandex yarn.

Stretch lace: refers to a lace fabric with elastic properties, usually the result of using spandex yarn.

Striated: refers to fabric purposely given a narrow, linear, streaked color effect .

Stripe: a design dominated by lines or bands of contrasting color or texture.

Suede cloth/Faux suede: a fabric with a short nap and a soft finish that suggests animal suede.

Sueded: having a hand that suggests the soft supple feel of real suede leather.

Super 100's a grade of superfine wool. The 100 refers to the number of hanks of yarn, each 560 yards in length, that it is possible to spin from one pound of clean wool. The finer the wool fiber, the more hanks that can be obtained from one pound.

Super 110s a grade of superfine wool. The 110 refers to the number of hanks of yarn, each 560 yards in length, that it is possible to spin from one pound of clean wool. The finer the wool fiber, the more hanks that can be obtained from one pound.

Super 120's a grade of superfine wool. The 120 refers to the number of hanks of yarn, each 560 yards in length, that it is possible to spin from one pound of clean wool. The finer the wool fiber, the more hanks that can be obtained from one pound.

Super 130's a grade of superfine wool. The 130 refers to the number of hanks of yarn, each 560 yards in length, that it is possible to spin from one pound of clean wool. The finer the wool fiber, the more hanks that can be obtained from one pound.

Super 140's a grade of superfine wool. The grade 140 to the number of hanks of yarn, each 560 yards in length, that it is possible to spin from one pound of clean wool. The finer the wool fiber, the more hanks that can be obtained from one pound.

Superfine wool: a general term for the best and finest quality of wool with a diameter of 15-18 microns.

Supple: having a soft, flexible, luxurious hand.

Supplex brand: a Du Pont brand of filament nylon fiber.

Surah: a soft twill fabric of silk or synthetic filament fiber. Used for scarves, ties, blouses

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Tactel brand: a Du Pont brand of filament nylon fiber.

Taffeta: a plain weave, tightly woven smooth crisp fabric with a characteristic rustle. Made from silk or man-made filament yarns.

Tapestry: a heavy, decorative, woven, jacquard fabric with various color filling threads . Used for upholstery , draperies, vests.

Tartan: refers to the kinds of plaid patterns traditionally worn by Scottish highlanders . Each design was associated with a specific family or "clan". The term is generally used to today in reference to any plaid design similar to these Scottish designs.

Taslan: a DuPont trademark for a method of bulking and texturizing yarn using compressed air.

Tattersall: a simple overcheck design, usually a thin check of one or 2 colors on a contrasting color ground.

Teflon: a water repellent, stain resistant finish applied to fabric . Trademark of Du Pont Co.

Tencel brand: Acordis Co.'s brand of lyocell cellulosic fiber.

Terry: a fabric with uncut loops on one or both sides . May be woven or knit. Used for toweling, robes. Knit versions such as french terry have loops on one side and are sometimes brushed to produce a fleece.

Textured: 1. referring to the arrangement or character of the yarns on the surface of the fabric. Often used to describe fabrics with surface interest the result of using novelty yarns or novelty weaves such as dobby or jacquard weaves. 2. a term used to describe yarn that has been processed to add bulk stretch or texture such as crimped entangled and loop yarns.

Thermal: a knit or woven fabric constructed so as to trap warm air between the yarns. Often in a waffle or honeycomb texture. Used for blankets. underwear.

Thick & thin: a fabric with a mottled appearance, made from a filament yarn with varying thickness.

Tick weave: fabric with a small allover pattern or texture, often using 2 contrasting colors.

Ticking: a general term for a strong, tightly woven fabric most often used for mattress and box spring covers but also for workwear and other apparel. Often found in a pattern of narrow stripes on either side of a wider stripe. They are commonly dark warp stripes on a white ground.

Tie dyed: a hand method of dyeing that involves gathering small portions of the fabric and tying them tightly before dyeing. The tied areas resist penetration of the dye, resulting in irregular patterns. Also refers to similar designs created by machine methods.

Tissue Faille: a lightweight, plain weave, filament yarn fabric characterized by a narrow crosswise rib. Used for blouses and dresses.

Tone on tone: 1. A fabric with a pattern consisting of 2 or more shades of the same color. 2. Piece dyed dobbies in which the dobby effect takes on a different tone by virtue of the weave, light reflection or types of yarn used.

Top dyed: a fiber dyeing method in which dye in applied to combed fibers in an untwisted or loosely twisted rope form (called top or sliver ) . Sometimes dye is applied or printed on the fiber at regular intervals to give a melange effect . Top dyeing results in good colorfastness.

Torchon lace: an inexpensive, sturdy, machine made lace using thick threads in simple designs on a mesh ground . Often with scalloped edges. Also called beggar's lace.

Trapunto: a form of quilting in which a design is stitched through 2 layers of fabric. the lower layer is than slit and batting or fiberfill is inserted to raise the design to a high relief.

Tricot: a common warp knit fabric with thin wales on the face and crosswise ribs on the back . Generally made of synthetic yarns such as polyester, nylon, acetate or rayon.

Tricotine: a woven fabric with a distinct steep double twill line. Used for trousers dresses, women's sportswear.

Tropical: a general term for crisp lightweight suiting fabrics. They often use fine or high twist yarns for a porous construction . May be a variety of fibers and weaves . Primarily used for warm weather suits.

Tubular: a knit fabric made on a circular knitting machine and shipped without being slit to open width form.

Tuck stitch: a knit stitch that results in open spaces at regular intervals on the fabric by having some needles hold more than one loop at a time.

Tulle: a soft, fine, transparent net originally made of silk but now made of synthetics. Usually has a hexagonal mesh. Used in evening wear and bridal veils.

Tussah: silk fabric made from the strong, coarse, uneven, light brown color silk produced by wild, uncultivated silkworms.

Tweed: a general term describing strong, rough texture fabrics with mixed color effects. Traditionally wool but tweeds of various fibers are now made. Used for coats, suits, jackets, drapery, upholstery.

Twill: a general term for a woven fabric made with a twill weave, a basic weave characterized by diagonal lines on the face of the fabric.

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Unbalanced stripes: a stripe design with an irregular spacing between the lines.

Uncut corduroy: a corduroy with the pile left uncut. The result is a strong woven fabric with a warpwise rib.

Union dyed: a fabric with 2 or more fibers all dyed in the same shade.

Valenciennes lace: a flat bobbin lace with the same fine threads used for both the ground and the design.

Veiling: a general term for a large variety of light, open fabrics used for such purposes as bridal veils, dress trim, evening wear, or millinery.

Velour: a knit or woven fabric with a soft , short thick nap made by brushing and shearing. Knit velours are used in women's tops and sportswear. Wovens are usually heavier in weight and used for coats, jackets, drapery.

Velvet: a woven fabric with a thick, dense cut pile, a soft texture and a rich appearance. May be made by 2 different methods: a) 2 layers of fabric with connecting threads are cut apart or b) warp threads are lifted over wires during weaving forming loops, and the loops are cut when the wires are withdrawn. Velvet may be plain, or the pile may be flattened, embossed, crushed, or sculptured. Originally made of silk but now also made of nylon, rayon, acrylic, and other fibers . Used for dresses, evening wear, drapery, upholstery.

Velveteen: a woven fabric generally of cotton or a cotton blend with a short, dense pile resembling velvet. Velveteen differs from velvet in that it is usually made with cotton, it generally has a shorter pile and it is a filling pile fabric whereas velvet is a warp pile fabric . Used for women's wear, drapery, upholstery.

Velvety: a soft plush, dense, hand suggesting velvet.

Venetian: a warp faced, strong, heavy sateen with a high luster.

Venetian lace: A needlepoint lace usually in a floral pattern with picot edgings.. Also called Venise lace. or Venetian point.

Voile: a sheer, plain weave fabric with a crisp, wiry hand resulting from the use of high twist yarns . Most commonly made of cotton, but also of silk, rayon, wool, acetate or other fibers. Used for blouses, dresses curtains.

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Waffle: A fabric characterized by a honeycomb texture or small squares similar to the surface of a waffle. May be woven or knit.

Warm: a woolly or fibrous hand generally associated with fabrics that keep the body warm.

Warp knit: a fabric produced by interlocking loops in a lengthwise direction . Warp knits tend to be flatter, smoother, more run resistant, and more stable than weft knits . Examples are tricot, raschel and milanese.

Warp print: The warp yarns are printed with a design before weaving. After weaving the design then has a hazy shadowy effect.

Washed: refers to fabrics that have been laundered before shipping. This may be done to reduce shrinkage, soften the hand, wash down the color or to give the fabric a used, laundered look.

Water repellent: fabrics that have been treated to resist wetting and shed water by causing the water to bead on the surface. It does not close the pores of the fabric as waterproof treatments do, so the fabrics are comfortable to wear. It will offer protection in a light shower but not heavy rain. Water repellency may be added by treating the fabric with fluorocarbon chemicals , wax, silicone or resins . Sometimes called water resistant.

Watercolor: refers to designs that are characterized by soft gradations and soft shadings of color suggestive of semi-opaque watercolor paintings.

Waterproof: refers to fabrics that have been coated, laminated, or otherwise treated to prevent the penetration of water.

Wax coated: refers to fabric that has been coated with wax or paraffin to alter the hand or appearance or to make the fabric water repellent.

Weft knit: the most common type of knit formed by interlocking loops in the widthwise direction . Weft knit tend to have more stretch than warp knits. Examples are interlock, jerseys, double knits, rib knits.

Wet-laid: formation of a non-woven fabric by suspending fibers in water to disperse them evenly . The suspension is poured onto a moving screen allowing the water to pass through and leaving a fiber web, which is then dried to form the fabric.

Whipcord: A strong, firm fabric with a prominent, steep, indented twill line. Used for trousers, drapery, upholstery.

Windowpane: a design that looks like a windowpane, with narrow bands of one color forming an over-check that encloses rectangles of another ground color.

Woolen: refers to fabrics of carded wool yarns spun in the woolen spinning system . These are shorter coarser yarns than worsted yarns and the fabrics are heavier than worsteds.

Wool-like: refers to a non-wool fabric with a warm hand that feels like natural wool.

Worsted: refers to fabric of combed yarns spun in the worsted spinning system. These tend to be longer finer yarns than those spun in the woolen system. The term worsted usually refers to wool but may refer to any other fibers as well. Worsted fabrics are lighter and smoother than woolens. Tropical, gabardine and serge are examples of worsted fabrics.

Wrinkle resistant: a fabric that has been treated to resist the formation of wrinkles.

Yarn dyed: fabrics which have had the yarns colored before the fabric is woven. Used to produce stripes plaids or
tapestries.

Yarn dyed and overdyed: a fabric which has been first yarn dyed, then piece dyed in a lighter shade that allows the yarn
dye pattern to show through.

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