Costume Core Skills- Glossary

ARMSCYE - Armhole.

BUST POINT - The position of the apex of the bust bulge, the nipple.

NOTCH - A tiny "V" snipped into the edge of the seam allowance exactly at 90 degrees opposite a balance mark.

DART- A stitched-in triangular fold in the fabric, used to shape the garment over a bulge, or control fullness.

DESIGN LINE - A line drawn on the wrapped shape to indicate the design of the garment.

EASE - 'Space' included in the pattern which allows the garment to curve around the outside of the body (or over other clothes).

FULLNESS - 'Space' included in the pattern which gives the designed shape/ silhouette of the garment.

BALANCE MARK - A mark on a pattern to indicate an important point along a seam (where a dart terminates, where another seam meets, sections of a curve etc.)

GRAIN LINE - A long arrow drawn on each pattern piece indicating the direction of the lengthwise grain (warp threads in a woven fabric, wales in jersey) along which the piece is to be cut. (The garment will not make up or hang properly if this is ignored).

BASIC BLOCK PATTERN - A flat pattern which is a map of the body; used as a basis from which to make patterns for garments.

WORKING PATTERN - One of possibly many generations of intermediate patterns, traced one from another, used while developing the pattern for the garment.

FINSIHED PATTERN - The final pattern to be used to cut the fabric, marked with all the necessary information. It may include seam allowances or it may be "net".

SEAM ALLOWANCE - Extra fabric, beyond the edge of the pattern piece when it is laid on the fabric from which the garment is to be cut, which will be used to stitch the seam. The seam allowance is the fabric between the stitching line and the cutting line. (Costume usually 2.5cm)

SEAM - A join between separately cut sections of the garment/ pieces of fabric.