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Glossary Of Fabric Terms [89]

C Cabled yarn A cable yarn is made up of two or more smaller plied yarns twisted together.
CAD The use of computer systems to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design.
Calendering Finishing process used on cloth, paper, or plastic film. A calender is employed, usually to smooth, coat, or thin a material. With textiles, fabric is passed under rollers at high temperatures and pressures. Calendering is used on fabrics such as moire to produce its watered effect and also on cambric and some types of sateens.
Calico Calico is a plain-woven textile made from unbleached and often not fully processed cotton. It may contain unseparated husk parts, for example. The fabric is less coarse and thick than canvas or denim, but it is still very cheap owing to its unfinished and undyed appearance.
Calvary twill A strong cotton, wool, or worsted fabric constructed in double twill, used for apparel.
CAM An acronym for computer-aided manufacturing. Basically, it is a computer system used for controlling the manufacturing process.
Cambric Thin, plain cotton or linen fabric of fine close weave, usually white. Cambric was originally a kind of fine white plain-weave linen cloth made at or near Cambrai, France. Eventually the term came to be applied to cotton fabrics as well. Used as fabric for linens, shirts, handkerchieves, ruffs, lace and needlework.
Camel Cloth made from pure camel hair or a blend of camel hair and another fiber.
Camel's hair Cloth made from pure camel hair or a blend of camel hair and another fiber. The outer protective fur is coarse and inflexible and can be woven into haircloth. Guard hair can be made soft and plush by blending it, especially with wool. The camel's pure undercoat is very soft, gathered when camels molt, and is frequently used for coats. Camel hair is collected from the Bactrian camel, which is found across Asia from eastern Turkey and China to Siberia.
Camlet A woven fabric that might have originally been made of camel or goat's hair, later chiefly of goat's hair and silk, or of wool and cotton. The original form of this cloth was very valuable; the term later came to be applied to imitations of the original eastern fabric.
Canvas A heavy-duty, tightly woven fabric; rolls of specialty canvas are used in inkjet prints to produce Giclée canvas prints. After they are printed, the canvas is treated with a protective coating that guards against scratching, and dust and water damage. Order online: Mounted Artist Canvas Rolled Artist Canvas
Canvas work A type of embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a canvas or other foundation fabric. Common types of canvas work include needlepoint, petit point, and bargello.
Capilene The name that Patagonia uses to describe the fabric employed in the construction of water hating clothing. Basically, it is polyester with a hydrophilic surface finish.
Carbon fiber Carbon fiber is an extremely strong and light fiber-reinforced plastic which contains carbon fibers. Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics or CFRPs can be expensive to produce but are commonly used in aerospace, automotive, civil engineering, sports goods fields.
Carding A mechanical process that disentangles, cleans and intermixes fibres to produce a continuous web or sliver suitable for subsequent processing.
Care labelling/Care labels Labels which indicate the proper way of treating the fabric. They include standardized pictograms which represent the method of washing, for example drying, dry-cleaning and ironing.
Carpet A textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing.
Carrickmacross lace A form of lace that may be described as decorated net. A three-layer 'sandwich' is made consisting of the pattern (at the bottom), covered with, first, machine-made net and then fine muslin, through which the pattern can be seen. Carrickmacross lace was introduced into Ireland in about 1820.
Casement A sheer fabric made of a variety of fibers, used for window curtains and as backing for heavy drapery or decorative fabrics.
Cashgora A goat that is a cross between a cashmere goat and an angora goat, whose wool is used in textile industry.
Cashmere A fiber obtained from cashmere goats and other types of goat. Cashmere is fine in texture, strong, light, and soft. Garments made from it provide excellent insulation, approximately three times that of sheep wool. Cashmere is also softer than regular wool.
Cavalry twill A strong cotton, wool, or worsted fabric constructed in double twill, used for apparel.
Cedar bark Textile used by indigenous people in the Pacific Northwest region of modern-day Canada and the United States. Historically, most items of clothing were made of this material. The name is confusing, as it is made from Thuja (redcedar) and cypress bark, not cedar bark. After the western red cedar or yellow cypress bark was peeled in long strips from the trees, the outer layer was split away, and the flexible inner layer was shredded and processed. The resulting felted strips of bark were soft and could be plaited, sewn or woven into a variety of fabrics that were either dense and watertight, or soft and comfortable.
Cellulose An insoluble substance that is the main constituent of plant cell walls and of vegetable fibers such as cotton. It is a polysaccharide consisting of chains of glucose monomers.
Cellulosic fibers Fibre made with ether or esters of cellulose, which can be obtained from the bark, wood or leaves of plants, or from a plant-based material. Besides cellulose, these fibers are compound of hemicellulose and lignin, and different percentages of these components are responsible for different mechanical properties observed.
Celtic knot A knot formed by interfaced ribbons that lead seamlessly into one another. Same as everlasting knot.
Chalk cloth Flexible fabric which can be used a chalk board.
Challis A lightweight woven fabric, originally a silk-and-wool blend, which can also be made from a single fibre, such as cotton, silk or wool. First manufactured in Norwich, England, in about 1832, when it was designed as a thin, pliable, matt-textured soft material.
Chantilly lace A delicate silk, linen, or synthetic bobbin lace, in black or white, scalloped along one edge and often having an outlined design of scrolls or vases or baskets of flowers, widely used for bridal gowns and evening gowns. Although named after the city of Chantilly in France, most of the lace bearing this name was actually made in Bayeux in France and Geraardsbergen, now in Belgium.
Char cloth Swatch of fabric made from vegetable fiber (such as linen, cotton or jute) that has been converted into a slow-burning fuel of very low ignition temperature. It can be ignited by a single spark that can in turn be used to ignite a tinder bundle to start a fire.
Charm quilt A quilt made of many small pieces of fabric where each piece is a different fabric. The idea is to have a scrap-pieced top with no two pieces alike.
Charmuese A lightweight fabric woven with a satin weave, in which the warp threads cross over four or more of the backing (weft) threads. These float threads give the front of the fabric a smooth finish—lustrous and reflective—whereas the back has a dull finish. It can be made of silk or a synthetic lookalike such as polyester.
Charvet Fabric woven of silk or acetate in warp-faced rib weave, of a reversed reps type with a double ridge effect. The fabric's name derives from its frequent and "clever" use in the 19th century by the Parisian shirtmaker Charvet. It is characterized by a soft handle and shiny appearance.
Cheese cloth A loose-woven gauze-like cotton cloth used primarily in cheese making and cooking.
Chenille A tufty, velvety cord or yarn, used for trimming furniture and made into carpets or clothing.
Chiengora A yarn or wool spun from dog hair. The word derives from the French word for a dog "chien" and "angora." It is up to 80% warmer than wool and it is not elastic.
Chiffon A very thin, almost transparent cloth of silk or nylon. Woven of alternate S and Z-twist yarns, which gives it some stretch and a slightly rough feel. Chiffon is most commonly used in evening wear, especially as an overlay, for giving an elegant and floating appearance to the gown. It is also a popular fabric used in blouses, ribbons, scarves and lingerie.
Chino Twill fabric, originally made of 100% cotton. The most common items made from it, trousers, are widely called chinos. Today it is also found in cotton-synthetic blends.
Chintz Cotton cloth, usually with patterns of flowers, that has a slightly shiny appearance. Originally it was glazed calico textiles, specifically those imported from India, printed with designs featuring flowers and other patterns in different colours. Since the 19th century the term has also been used for the style of floral decoration developed in those calico textiles, but then used more widely, for example on chintzware pottery and wallpaper.
Chite Painted linens that originated in Chitta (India) in the 17th century.
Chitosan Biodegradable chemical used in textile dyeing process.
CIM Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is the manufacturing approach of using computers to control the entire production process.
Cloqué Cloth with a raised woven pattern and a puckered or quilted look. The surface is made up of small irregularly raised figures formed by the woven structure. The Americanized spelling is "cloky".
Cloth Cloth is a finished piece of fabric used for a specific purpose. Fabric is a material made through weaving, knitting, spreading, crocheting, or bonding that may be used in production of further goods. Textile refers to any material made of interlacing fibres.
Cloth of gold Fabric woven with a gold-wrapped or spun weft—referred to as "a spirally spun gold strip". In most cases, the core yarn is silk wrapped with a band or strip of high content gold. In rarer instances, fine linen and wool have been used as the core.
Coated fabrics Fabrics that have been coated with a lacquer, varnish, rubber, plastic resin of polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene, or other substance to make them longer lasting or impervious to water or other liquids.
Coating Covering that is applied to the surface of an object, usually referred to as the substrate. The purpose of applying the coating may be decorative, functional, or both. The coating itself may be an all-over coating, completely covering the substrate, or it may only cover parts of the substrate.
Coir Coconut fibre - a natural fibre extracted from the husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes and mattresses.
Colorfastness Material's color's resistance to fading or running. The term is usually used in the context of clothes. The first known use of the word colorfast was in 1916. In general, clothing should be tested for colorfastness before using bleach or other cleaning products.
Colour standard A colour matching system used in Europe that is created and administrated by the German RAL Institute.
Colour wheel An abstract illustrative organization of color hues around a circle, which shows the relationships between primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors etc.
Colourway Any of a range of combinations of colors in which a style or design is available.
Combined fabric A fabric containing different yarns, made of different fibers or using different twists.
Composite Material made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties that, when combined, produce a material with characteristics different from the individual components. The individual components remain separate and distinct within the finished structure.
Conditioning Process of allowing textile materials to reach equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere.
Cone Cone Mills Corporation was a world leader in textile manufacturing of corduroy, flannel, denim and other cotton fabrics for most of the 20th century. The company was based in Greensboro, North Carolina and its mills were mostly in North and South Carolina. The company was known as the world's largest producer of denim. It was disestablished in 2004.
Converting The process of combining raw materials such as polyesters, adhesives, silicone, tapes, foams, plastics, felts, rubbers, liners and metals, as well as other materials, to create new products.
Coolmax Brand name for a series of moisture-wicking technical fabrics developed in 1986 by DuPont Textiles. Found in a wide variety of garments from mountain climbing gear, to casual sportswear and underwear.
Cord A trimming made by twisting or plying two or more strands of yarn together. Cord is used in a number of textile arts including dressmaking, upholstery, macramé, and couching.
Cordura Brand name for a collection of fabrics used in a wide array of products including luggage, backpacks, trousers, military wear and performance apparel. Cordura fabrics are known for their durability and resistance to abrasions, tears and scuffs.
Corduroy Corduroy is a textile composed of twisted fibres that, when woven, lie parallel (similar to twill) to one another to form the cloth's distinct pattern, a "cord." Corduroy is, in essence, a ridged form of velvet. It is considered a durable cloth, mostly being found in the construction of trousers, jackets and shirts. Other names are often used for corduroy, such as corded velveteen, elephant cord, pin cord, Manchester cloth and cords.
Core spinning Process by which fibres are twisted around an existing yarn, either filament or staple spun yarn, to produce a sheath core structure in which the already formed yarn is the core.
Core-spun yarn Two-component structure with core and sheath. Generally continuous filament yarn is used as core and the staple fibres used as sheath covering. The core-spun yarn used to enhance functional properties of the fabrics such as strength, durability and stretch comfort.
Cost control The practice of identifying and reducing business expenses to increase profits.
Cost price Cost price is the total amount of money that it costs a manufacturer to produce a given product or provide a given service.
Cotton A soft fiber made from the cotton plant. It is highly versatile, and in picture framing is used in mat boards, fine art papers and canvas. This white vegetable fiber grown in warmer climates in many parts of the world, has been used to produce many types of fabric for hundreds of years. Cotton fabric feels good against the skin regardless of the temperature or the humidity.
Cotton gin A machine invented in 1793 purportedly by American Eli Whitney to mechanize the production of cotton fiber.
Coutil Woven cloth created specifically for making corsets. It is woven tightly to inhibit penetration of the corset's bones and to resist stretching. Coutil may be made to be plain (similar to 100% cotton facing), satin, or brocade.
Crash A plain linen fabric used for towels.
Crazy quilting The term used to refer to the textile art of crazy patchwork. Crazy quilting does not actually refer to a specific kind of quilting, but rather to a specific kind of patchwork lacking repeating motifs and with the seams and patches heavily embellished.
Crease recovery The ability of a creased or wrinkled fabric to recover its original shape over time.
Creel Bar with skewers for holding bobbins in a spinning machine.
Crepe A silk, wool, or synthetic fiber fabric with a distinctively crisp, crimped appearance. Commercially they are distinguished as single, double, three-ply and four-ply crapes, according to the nature of the yarn used in their manufacture. They are almost exclusively dyed black and used in mourning dress, and among Roman Catholic communities for nuns' veils, etc.
Crepe Charmeuse A lightweight silk satin with a grenadine warp and crêpe reverse.
Crepe de Chine A fine, lightweight silk, cotton, or worsted, with a plain weave and crêpe-twist filling.
Crepe-back satin Reversible fabric with a satin face and a crêpe reverse.
Cretonne Strong, printed cotton cloth. It is usually unglazed and may be printed on both sides and even with different patterns. Frequently cretonne has a fancy woven pattern of some kind which is modified by the printed design.
Crewel Crewel embroidery, or crewelwork, is a type of surface embroidery using wool. A wide variety of different embroidery stitches are used to follow a design outline applied to the fabric. The technique is at least a thousand years old.
Crimp The waviness of a fibre, i.e. the condition in which the axis of a fibre under minimum external stress departs from a straight line and follows a simple or a complex or an irregular wavy path.
Crimplene Brand name for a type of artificial cloth, used for clothes, that does not easily crease.
Crinoline Stiffened or structured petticoat designed to hold out a woman's skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair and cotton or linen which was used to make underskirts and as a dress lining. Crinolines were worn by women of every social standing and class across the Western world, from royalty to factory workers.
Cro-hook A special double-ended crochet hook used to make double-sided crochet. It employs the use of a long double-ended hook, which permits the maker to work stitches on or off from either end.
Crochet A process of creating fabric by interlocking loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials using a crochet hook. The name is derived from the French term "crochet", meaning small hook. These are made of materials such as metal, wood, or plastic. The major difference between crochet and knitting is that each stitch in crochet is completed before proceeding with the next one, while knitting keeps a large number of stitches open at a time.
Crochet hook An implement used to make loops in thread or yarn and to interlock them into crochet stitches. It is basically a round shaft pointed on one end, with a lateral groove behind it. The point eases the insertion of the hook through the material being crocheted and the groove makes it possible to pull a loop back through the material. The shaft is then divided into a working area that determines the hook's nominal diameter and ensures the uniform sizing of the loops formed on it, and a handle.
Crocking The process in which dye rubs off fabric and on to skin or another fabric.
Cross dyeing The dyeing of one kind of fiber (as wool) after it has been woven with other fiber (as cotton) already dyed in the form of yarn.
Cross-stitch A form of sewing and a popular form of counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, raster-like pattern are used to form a picture.
Cupro A rayon made from cellulose dissolved in cuprammonium solution.
Cut and sew The term used to denote a garment that has been customized from raw fabric rather than one that has been purchased from a third-party supplier and then screenprinted or altered.