Sewing Dictionary for Beginners Part 2: Basic Sewing Pattern Terms You Need to Know Now

Sewing is such a fun hobby that allows you to create a huge variety of projects yourself. Whether you are new to sewing or just need to refresh your skills, it’s always useful to understand all the sewing jargon you read in patterns, tutorials and online.

Although some of the sewing vocab that gets thrown around sounds complicated and at times like a foreign language, it’s actually not as intimidating as it seems! Just give yourself the chance to read and understand them! Then your relationship with your sewing machine and sewing patterns will become much happier and your sewing projects are much more likely to turn out exactly how you’d envisioned.

This post is part 2 of my “Sewing Dictionary for Beginners” series. The last blog post contained a stack of sewing terminology specifically related to fabrics (like how to tell the difference between the front and the back of fabrics). In case you missed it, you can read the 15 fabric terms you need to know HERE .

Today’s sewing vocabulary post contains loads of technical sewing words and phrases to help you in understanding and working with sewing patterns. Once you understand what a pattern is talking about, you will be able to prepare, cut, and sew your fabric pieces together to successfully create your wonderful project!

Ready to dive into some knowledge?

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.

Insiders Sewing Vocabulary-  16 Sewing Pattern Terms Every Beginner Should Know!

01. Casing

Casing is essentially a tunnel of fabric used to thread elastic, cord or ribbon through and commonly seen in the waistline of clothing. There are a number of different methods of creating casing.

02. Clip

Clipping is a cutting technique used within the seam allowance (see below).

Clipping is used on concave-shaped curves (imagine an inward curve, a valley or a smile shape), such as a neckline.

Because the inner curve along the fabric raw edge is shorter that the curve of the stitching, cutting into the seam allowance aids the fabric to spread outwards a little more and sit flat when turned right sides out (see below) and pressed (see below).

To clip correctly, use scissors to cut evenly-spaced, short lines vertical to the seam (see below). But be careful to not cut into the stitches (ouch!).

03. Cut on the Fold (aka Cut on Fold)

When you read “cut on fold” in a sewing pattern, it is almost always the front or back pieces of a garment (think, the back of a T-shirt) which, when folded in half lengthways is symmetrical.

To pin, and then cut, on the fold, fold the fabric over lengthwise so that the selvedge (not sure what a selvedge is? Learn HERE) is parallel to the folded edge and lay the paper pattern piece aligned with the folded edge.

04. Grain Line

Fabrics are constructed by threads being woven or knitted together, which then form the “grain” of the material (learn more about “Fabric Grain” terms HERE).

On most sewing patterns you may notice a large arrow, used to indicate the direction of the grain line in relation to your pattern pieces. Regardless of the shape and size of your sewing pattern piece, the large arrow should always be lined up parallel with the selvedge before cutting into the fabric.

05. Hem

A hem is one method of finishing the edge of a garment by folding the raw edge inwards and sewing it in place.

You can see hems on the ends of sleeves or the bottoms of shirts and skirts.

Like seams, there are multiple styles of hems, the simplest being a single fold inward and stitching the fabric layers together.

06. Hem Allowance

Hem allowance (like seam allowance, see below) is the extra length of fabric required, which is then folded inwards to complete a hem and still produce a garment in the desired length.

07. Ladder Stitch (aka Invisible Stitch)

This type of stitch is not made using a sewing machine, rather it is sewn by hand.

Why use a ladder stitch? To close up small openings where you don’t want to see the stitching (hence the *invisible* in the name). The sewing needle with thread is inserted into the opening and into the seam allowances, with the stitches alternating across the opening like the rungs of a ladder.

Ladder stitch is most commonly used to close an opening on a sewing project that required stuffing, like a soft toy or a pillow (I used a ladder stitch to close the opening on this DIY neck/reading pillow after filling it with stuffing).

08.  Mark the Fabric

There may be many reasons why you might want or need to mark fabric: where a pocket will be later attached, where 2 pieces will join, where the centre of a piece is, and more. Basically, it will be a point of reference for you while putting together the pieces of your sewing project.

Depending on what you are marking and where it is on the fabric, you may choose to use a special type of chalk (you can find my favourite one HERE!) or to use scissors to create a small snip in the seam allowance.

09. Match Point

No, we are not talking tennis here!

A match point is a point marked on one piece of a pattern intended to match up with another point on a second pattern piece.

These marking are intended to help you line up your pattern pieces to ensure the garment is put together correctly (so that it looks right and fits well when completed!).

10. Notch

Like clipping (see above) notching is a way of working with the seam allowance (see below) so that the finished sewing project will lay smooth.

Unlike clipping, notching is a cutting technique used for convex curves (imagine an outward curve, a hill or a frown shape).

Notching is a way of removing excess bulk from the seam allowance (see below) from the fabrics once they are turned right sides out, otherwise it gets all bunched up on the inside.

Simply snip small V-shapes out of the seam allowance. But don’t cut into the seam stitching 😉.

11. Pattern

A sewing pattern will contain an outline on paper of each of the pieces required for that sewing project (be it a shirt, jacket, cushion, handbag…). These pieces are then used like a template to cut out pieces of fabric accordingly.

Sewing patterns can be found in many different forms; sometimes on mammoth sheets of fold out paper that look more confusing than a city street directory, while others can be printed from a PDF document onto individual pages that need to be taped together.

Regardless of how a pattern looks, it literally is the road map to preparing the fabric pieces in the right sizes for the project you wish to sew.

Don’t make the mistake of cutting the paper pieces directly out of the original pattern! (Read HERE why). Use tracing paper to make yourself a copy of the pieces you need, cut thee out and then lay out on the fabric for cutting.

12. Press (vs Iron)

The word “press” is often used in patterns when referring to working with a seam (see below) or a hem (see above).

When pressing fabric, the heated iron is held firmly in one place (e.g., a seam), then lifted away from the fabric and repeated in another area of fabric, as required.

Worth noting: pressing and ironing are not the same thing! Ironing involves the heated iron being placed on the fabric and sliding back and forth over it.

13. Right Sides Together (aka Right Sides Facing)

If you want to check what a “right side” actually is, read THIS first.

One of the most common instructions you will come across in sewing patterns is to pin and/or sew your fabric pieces “right sides together”.

This means you need to place your 2 layers of fabric on top of each other, with the *pretty* sides of the fabric facing each other and the “wrong sides” (find out what that means HERE) are visible on the outside. When the fabrics are stitched together, the seam (see below) will be on the side of the fabric that is hidden from view and the *pretty* sides are on the outside of the garment with no seam stitches to be seen!

14. Seam

A seam is where 2 (or more) layers of fabric are joined together by stitches. The stitches can be either hand-sewn or created by a sewing machine.

There are a multitude of different types of seams which many be used depending on the sewing project and the fabric that is being used.

The simplest type of seam is called a Plain Seam. The 2 pieces of fabric are placed right sides together (see above) with the raw edges (for the definition of raw edges, see HERE) are aligned and the fabrics are stitched together in a straight line along the seam allowance (see below).

15. Seam Allowance

The seam allowance is the space between the stitching and the cut, raw edge of the fabrics Think of it as an extra width of fabric hidden on the inside of a sewing project where the stitches can hold the whole thing together.

Different sewing projects require different seam allowances, which is why it’s so important to read the pattern before getting to work with your scissors or machine!

16. Scissors

Not all scissors are created equal!

When cutting out the paper pattern pieces you need to use regular scissors, like you would for any other paper.

When cutting out pieces of material for your sewing project, you must use special fabric scissors (aka fabric shears). They are sharper and designed to cut through all sorts of fabrics (from linens to knits to denim).

To prevent fraying and finish off the raw edges of a seam (see above) if you are not using a special stitch to do so, you can use a special type of scissors with a zig-zag blade called pinking shears.

Scissors are a must-have in any sewing kit! Learn about other essential sewing tools HERE.

There you have it! A great list of super helpful sewing pattern words and phrases that you can refer to time and again whenever you need them. With these terms you’ll be better prepared for understanding loads of sewing patterns and getting those creative juices flowing for your next sewing project!

Happy sewing!