Design and Technology
Textiles Key words and definitions

Word | Part of speech | Definition | Allowance | Noun | An allowance is an amount that is added to a measurement to give spare material for seams, turnings, hems or zips. | Appliqué | Noun | Appliqué is a technique in which fabric shapes are cut out and sewn onto a larger cloth background. The resulting work is also called appliqué. | Batik | Noun | Batik is a method of applying dye to fabrics, using wax as a resist. | Belt | Noun | In textiles, a belt is a strip of material, such as leather or plastic, worn around the waist. | Bleach | Verb | To bleach is to remove colour from a substance, such as textiles or paper, usually by chemical means. | Blend | Noun | A blend is a mixture of different fibres. These are usually spun together before being woven or knitted into a fabric. | Block-printing | Noun | In block-printing, pattern blocks are repeatedly dipped in paint or dye and pressed into fabric or paper to make a larger pattern. | Bonded fibre | Noun | In materials made from bonded fibre, the fibres are not woven but held together by heat or adhesives. | Buckle | Verb or noun | A buckle is a device used to join two ends of a belt. | CAD | | Computer Aided Design | Cellular material | Compound noun | Cellular materials have honeycomb structures designed to trap air. They include textiles, foams and sponges. | Collage | Noun | Collage is an artform in which pieces of material, such as paper, fabric or photographs are cut out and fixed to a backing. | Colourfast | Adjective | A textile is described as colourfast if it does not fade when it is washed or exposed to light. | Colourway | Noun | A colourway is the combination of colours used in any colour design. | Colourwheel | Noun | A colourwheel is a diagram showing the relationship of colours to each other. | Crease-resistant | Adjective | Crease-resistant fabrics have been treated so that fold-lines caused by packing or crushing fall out easily. | Curved seam | Noun | A curved is one that is not straight; it may not lie flat without special attention to its edges. | Cut on the bias | Verb | To cut fabric on the bias means to cut at an angle to the warp usually 45*- to allow it to stretch. | Denier | Noun | Denier is a unit of weight that describes the thickness of a yarn such as silk, rayon or nylon. | Dry cleaning | Noun | Dry cleaning is a method of cleaning fabrics in which solvents are used instead of water to remove dirt from textiles. | Dye | Verb | To dye a material is to change its colour by soaking it in a coloured solution. | Embroider | Verb | To embroider a fabric is to decorate it with coloured thread or silk worked in various stitches or patterns. | Fibre | Noun | A fibre is a hair-like substance. Fibres can be spun and woven together into fabric. | Filament | Noun | A filament is a very thin continuous, natural or synthetic fibre. | Flame-retardant | Adjective | Flame-retardant materials have been treated so that they not easily catch fire, but of they do they will burn slowly. | Flammability test | Noun | A flammability test is used on materials to see how easily they catch fire and burn. | Flat seam | Noun | A flat seam is one in which two pieces of fabric have been sewn together and the seam allowance has been opened and pressed flat. | Form | Noun | A form is a life-sized dummy used in making clothes, to ensure a good fit, and for displaying finished clothes. | Fray | Verb | A fabric frays when its edges are worn by rubbing or continuous use. | Geotextiles | Noun | Geotectiles are synthetic materials that are used in civil engineering, for example, to help stop soil erosion or to reinforce roads and banks. | Glove puppet | Noun | A glove puppet fits over the hand, and the fingers operate its head and arms. | Grain | Noun | The grain in textiles follows the line of the long warp threads. | Haute couture | Noun | Haute couture