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Say it how you would say it.

You should not need the right jargon before you can ask a useful question. Describe the problem, then get the term, the sentence to use, a practical next step, and the source behind it.

Try a real-world phrase

6 translations found

  1. 01
    Materials

    If you mean: “I mean whether the fabric hangs softly or holds itself away from the body”

    Drape

    Also heard as hang · fall · fluidity

    The way a textile deforms and hangs under its own weight, producing folds and a particular silhouette around a form.

    Why it matters
    Drape changes how a silhouette behaves even when weight and fiber appear similar, so it affects design selection and pattern decisions.
    Say or ask
    “Please send a full-width cutting or a large swatch from the intended finish so I can assess drape.”
    Boundary
    Drape can be measured, but casual supplier descriptions are not test results. Swatch size and finishing can materially change what you observe.
  2. 02
    Materials

    If you mean: “I mean the diagonal direction where woven fabric stretches and drapes more”

    Bias

    Also heard as true bias · diagonal grain · 45-degree grain

    A direction diagonal to the lengthwise and crosswise yarns of a woven fabric, with true bias commonly treated as about 45 degrees.

    Why it matters
    Bias orientation can increase give and fluidity, but it can also grow, distort, or require different cutting and hanging allowances.
    Say or ask
    “Is this piece intended to be cut on true bias, and has the pattern allowed for bias growth?”
    Boundary
    Bias behavior depends on construction and finish. A 45-degree line is a direction, not a guaranteed stretch percentage.
  3. 03
    Materials

    If you mean: “I need the fabric weight, not the weight of the whole roll”

    Fabric mass per unit area (GSM)

    Also heard as GSM · grams per square metre · ounces per square yard

    The mass of fabric divided by its area, commonly reported as grams per square metre or ounces per square yard.

    Why it matters
    It helps compare cloths with different widths, but it does not by itself predict drape, warmth, opacity, durability, or fiber content.
    Say or ask
    “What is the tested mass per unit area, in GSM, and which method and specimen did you use?”
    Boundary
    A small swatch may not represent an entire lot. Record the method, conditioning, specimen, and tolerance with the result.
  4. 04
    Yarn crafts

    If you mean: “I need the number of stitches and rows in a measured square”

    Gauge / tension

    Also heard as stitch gauge · row gauge · tension square

    The number of stitches and rows or rounds in a stated measurement after working, treating, resting, and measuring a representative swatch.

    Why it matters
    Small gauge differences multiply across a project, changing finished size, fabric density, drape, and yarn consumption.
    Say or ask
    “What gauge should I achieve in the stated stitch pattern after washing and blocking, and over what measured span?”
    Boundary
    Needle or hook size is only a starting point. The maker, stitch pattern, yarn, and finishing determine actual gauge.
  5. 05
    Patterns & fit

    If you mean: “I want to sew a cheap test version before cutting the real fabric”

    Toile / muslin

    Also heard as test garment · mock-up · fit muslin

    A trial garment made to evaluate shape, proportion, construction, and fit before committing final material or production resources.

    Why it matters
    It makes pattern changes visible and inexpensive, especially when the test material behaves reasonably like the intended fabric.
    Say or ask
    “Should this toile test only shape, or must its weight, stretch, and drape represent the final material?”
    Boundary
    Muslin is both a fabric name and a regional name for a test garment. A poor material match can create misleading fit conclusions.
  6. 06
    Repair & conservation

    If you mean: “I want the repair to stand out or disappear”

    Visible versus invisible mending

    Also heard as decorative mending · invisible repair · concealed mend

    A requested appearance boundary in which the intervention is either intentionally legible as part of the design or intended to blend with the surrounding material as closely as the examined item and available method permit.

    Why it matters
    Color, fading, yarn, print, pile, texture, missing material, seam access, replacement supply, and prior wear can make a blended repair visible, while decorative work can change hand, drape, weight, comfort, and care.
    Say or ask
    “What should be visible, from which distance and side, which colors and materials are acceptable, what change in texture or bulk is expected, and what examined-item uncertainty remains?”
    Boundary
    Invisible is not a guaranteed technical state. A photograph, directory profile, or method name cannot prove the final appearance, durability, reversibility, comfort, or care result.
How to use this responsibly

A translation is a better question, not automatic proof.

Many textile terms have a formal test-method meaning and a looser workshop meaning. The source link shows the reference used here; the boundary note shows what the term cannot establish by itself.

For a purchase, approval, claim, or inspection, name the method, version, unit, sample or lot, target, tolerance, and who has authority to accept it.

Read the directory evidence standard →

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