Glossary of Craft Terms, Craft Tales

Awl - A small tool that looks like an ice pick used to poke holes in fabrics. This will make a large hole, but generally will not cut or break the threads around the hole. Broken threads will weaken the hole and will eventually enlarge or tear.

Back Stitch, Machine Sewing - To start or end a seam with a few stitches sewn over the top of each other to prevent the seam from pulling apart. Most machines have this feature included as a lever or button to press when beginning or ending the seam. If not, start or end the sewing using the reverse button or lever.

Backstitch, Hand Sewing - See embroidery and hand stitches.

Basting Stitch - A basting stitch is essentially a temporary stitch, sewn with long straight stitches and not tied off or finished. The basting stitch is used for temporarily holding pieces of fabric together. The stitch is removed after the piece is joined with other pieces with a more permanent stitch.

Bias - A diagonal or oblique line that cuts across the lengthwise and crosswise threads of fabric. True bias is at a 45-degree angle to the selvage. Bias cut fabric has the greatest amount of stretch and flexibility in woven fabrics.

Break the Stitches or Stitching - This is a sewing term that means to stop sewing the seam at the designated spot and secure the seam with backstitching. Cut the threads. Start sewing the seam again at the next designation and continue on to finish the seam.

Chenille stems - Also known as pipe cleaners. Twisted wires with chenille fibers woven down the length to add stability and posing options. Available at most craft stores.

Clean finish - The treatment of a raw edge of fabric so that it does not fray. Clean finishing can be done by using a straight or zigzag stitch or by serging.

Clip - A small cut made in the seam allowance for the purpose of marking where two pieces will match. Clips are also used along curves to allow the fabric to lay flat.

Doll Needle - An extra long thin sewing needle for soft sculpting on cloth dolls or stuffed animals typically 3" to 9" in length.

Dry Brushing - This painting effect is accomplished by loading the tip of the paintbrush bristles with a small amount of paint, then smudging off any excess paint on a paper towel with a very small amount left on the bristles. Then lightly brush the surface of the object. The small amount of paint will stick to the irregular surface features. Dry brushing lends a realistic appearing depth to the object by subtly shading and highlighting the surface.

Ease pin - One side of two pieces of material being joined together is slightly larger than the other. Pin the two pieces of fabric together up to the point where the larger part begins and ends. Divide the uneven opening in half and pin the two points together at the center. Continue dividing the halves and pinning them together until the space is pinned all the way across. Sew.

1/8" seam allowances - A loosely woven fabric that ravels easily can be difficult when sewing small 1/8" seams. If this is the case, try using a fabric stiffener or spray starch, following the manufacturer's instructions, before cutting out the patterns.

Fabric Pens - Pens and markers that are designed to be used on fabrics so the ink will not bleed and spread.

Fade Away Marker - Also known as Air Marker. A pen used to temporarily mark fabric. The ink will fade away within a few days. Some can be removed with plain water when desired.

Finger press - Use your thumb and index finger instead of an iron to flatten a seam.

Fly Specking - A painting technique that produces tiny random spots of paint on an object by flicking the bristles of a paintbrush that contain a small amount of paint. The technique produces an effect normally associated with an antique appearance.

Fray - The raw edges of fabric that the lengthwise threads have pulled away from, leaving the crosswise threads loose. To obtain this look, pull several of the lengthwise threads from the desired edges.

Gather - Placing two pieces of different length fabrics together and pulling the longer one up to fit the shorter one by use of long gathering threads and then sewing over the top of the gathers with a regular length stitch to secure.

Gathering stitch - By machine: Two lines of machine stitching that can be pulled into gathers to ease uneven lengths of fabric or obtain fullness. Set the machine to the longest stitch. By hand: One row is sufficient. Use small stitches going from one side of the fabric to the other so the fabric will pull up into gathers on the thread.

Grain - The crosswise or lengthwise threads in a woven fabric. Grain is important in the way a finished fabric will hang. If the grain in not straight, the item will not hang straight. Match the grain arrows of a pattern with the lengthwise or crosswise threads in the fabric.

Invisible stitches - Stitch is made at approx. 1/16” or 1/8” intervals through the side fold of the turn-under allowance. This technique hides the stitch in the fold along the edge.

Ladder Stitch - Produces an invisible seam by pulling the seam down into itself. Used primarily for closing an opening in a stuffed, plush animal or doll. It is accomplished by stitching across the opening, taking a small stitch down the same side, then crossing over to the other side, then taking a small stitch down in that side and then crossing over again. The stitch resembles a ladder across the opening until it is pulled tight. The seam is pulled tight after every 4 or 5 stitches. Stitch is continued in same manner until opening is closed. When the opening is completely closed, the stitch is tied off in the seam.