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Textiles Terminology ^[1]

Dye, Dyestuff - Soluble or insoluble coloring matter.

Embroidery - Decoration of fabric with needleworked stitches.

Fabric - General term for all fibrous constructions.

Fiber - Basic element of textiles which can be spun into a yarn or made into a fabric by some kind of interlacing.

Lace -Open-work fabric consisting of a network of threads formed into a design made by hand or by machine.

Net - Open-weave fabric in which yarns are knotted to provide shape, form, and design.

Pile - Surface effect of raised loops or ends of yarn or fiber on fabric.

Selvage - One of the long finished edges of a bolt of fabric.

Tapestry - Rough, textured fabric woven of multicolored yarns, made with two warp yarns and two or more colored weft (filling yarns). Characterized by its distinctive tapestry pattern, which is large and pictorial. Commonly used for draperies, wall hangings, and upholstery.

Thread - Strong yarn of even surface especially designed for sewing or other needlework.

Thread Count - Number of warp and weft threads per linear unit of measure.

Warp - Threads that run parallel to the selvage, that are crossed more or less at right angles and interwoven by transverse elements, and that are kept under tension during weaving.

Weaving - Interlacing of two sets of yarns (the warp and the weft) such that the elements pass each other at right angles, with one set of elements parallel to the fabric axis.

Weft - Threads that run perpendicular to the selvage and that pass over and under the threads of the warp and at right angles to it Also called pick or woof.

Yam - Continuous strand of textile fibers suitable for weaving, knitting, or other fabric construction.

^[1] Based largely upon definitions from Leene (1972:6-20) and Lyle (1982:467-481): Leene, Jentina E. 1972. Textile Conservation. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. Lyle, Dorothy 1982. Modern Textiles. Macmillan, 2nd ed.