| P.A. COTTON |
Partially acetylated
cotton |
| P/C |
Denotes a fabric
made from a blend of polyester and cotton fibres. |
| PACKAGE |
A length of yarn
wound on a carrier or bobbin. |
| PACKAGE BUILD |
The manner in
which the yarn coils are arranged on a package. |
| PACKAGE DYEING |
A method of dyeing
yarn. The yarn is wound uniformly on perforated cones
or cheeses. |
| PACKING DEFECTS
IN GARMENT |
See under Garment
defects, classified. |
| PAD |
Abbreviated form
for Padding |
| PAD-DYEING |
Applying a dye
liquor to textiles |
| PAD-STEAM CONTIUOUS
DYEING |
A speedy pad-dyeing
process |
| PADDER |
A set of squeeze
rollers used to impregnate any fabric with a liquid |
| PADDING |
Cloth impregnation
process executed through a padding mangle |
| PADDING STITCH |
A herringbone or
zigzag basting stitch |
| PADDING YARN |
See Wadding yarn |
| PADDLE DYEING |
A method of dyeing
clothing, hosiery and other small pieces while packaged
loosely in mesh bags |
| PADDOCK |
Term describes
a worsted fabric which resembles gabardine in weight and
moisture repellence. |
| PAINTED CLOTH |
A canvas with various
mottoes painted in oil |
| PAINTED FABRIC |
Any fabric with
hand-painted designs. |
| PAISLEY |
Originally only
from Scotland, 'paisley' meant a shawl made in fine soft
woollen yarn, with a woven design derived from Indian
patterns. |
| PAJAMA CHECKS |
Fabric with two,
three or more warp and weft threads weaving as one in
plain and fancy basket weaves |
| PAJAMA CLOTH |
A hard-wearing
cotton (once silk) fabric with a close warp and woven
in stripes of varying widths and colours. |
| PAJAMAS |
A two piece ensemble
consisting of a top and a bottom |
| PAK-NIT |
Mechanical dry
system of compressive shrinkage |
| PALAMPORES |
Indian hand-painted
cotton fabric with fairly large size designs |
| PALGHAT MAT |
A fine sleeping
mat made in India from the leaves of the sedge 'Cyperus
laevigatus'. |
| PALM FIBRE |
A general term
sometimes applied to any fibres obtained from the plants
or trees of the palm family, e.g. 'Palma', 'Palmetto',
'Palmyra', 'Piassaca', etc |
| PALMERING |
A finishing treatment
to give mellowness to the hand of the fabrics. |
| PAN FIBRES |
See Polyacrylonitrile
fibres. |
| PANAMA |
Very lightweight
fabric used for men's summer and tropical wear and women's
dresses. |
| PANAMA CANVAS |
A canvas of matt
weave that is given a beetled finish and used for embroidery
purposes. |
| PANAMA HAT |
Men's and women's
straw hat made from fine, hand-plaited, creamy coloured
toquilla straw. |
| PANAMA WEAVE |
A weave which consists
of several warp and weft threads crossing each other at
once |
| PANELS |
Knitted hosiery
swatches or panels used for testing purposes. |
| PANNÉ |
Flattened or pressed
flat as Panné velvet. |
| PANNÉ SATIN |
Silk or synthetic
satin with an unusually high lustre because of a special
finish |
| PANNÉ VELVET |
Silk or synthetic
velvet with a short pile on the right side that is pressed
flat and laid in one direction during manufacture. |
| PANTING |
Sometimes refers
to Trousering. |
| PANTOGRAPH |
A device used to
copy a printing design in a scale other than the original. |
| PAPER FIBRE |
Fibres unsuitable
for textile operations, but which find use in paper making. |
| PAPER MUSLIN |
A lightweight cotton
muslin which has been sized and glazed, mainly used for
lining. |
| PAPER TAFFETA |
A fine-weave, lightweight
taffeta fabric which has been treated to make it crisper
than usual. |
| PAPER YARN |
Treated paper of
high strength is made into paper yarns for use alone,
to twist with other fibre yarns, or to surround the core
in a core yarn. |
| PAPERING |
The insertion of
cold or heated board elements (papers) into folds of fabric
prior to pressing in a hydraulic press. |
| PAPERY FINISH |
A hyper-smooth
finish on fabric produced by sizing and calendering. |
| PAPIER MACHÉ |
A paper-based mixture
that can be shaped or moulded into strong, lightweight
articles such as dress forms. |
| PAPYRUS FIBRE |
Fibres from a rush-like
aquatic plant, formerly common in Egypt. Used for writing
paper. |
| PARACHUTE FABRIC |
A lightweight but
strong fabric used for parachutes |
| PARAFFIN DUCK |
A stiff, heavy,
water-proofed duck treated with a preparation of paraffin. |
| PARAGUAY LACE |
Single threads
are used to produce spider's web effects, which are then
woven together. |
| PARALLEL LINE GRATINGS |
Transparent plates
containing uniformly spaced parallel lines in the cross-wise
direction. |
| PARALLEL WORSTED
SYSTEM |
See Modified worsted
system. |
| PARALLEL WOUND
PACKAGE |
A package on which
the yarn coils are wound side-by-side roughly perpendicular
to the package axis. |
| PARALLELING |
Laying strands
of fibres straight and even by machine operations, such
as combing or drawing. |
| PARAMATTA |
A fine quality
1/2 twill fabric with worsted weft, used particularly
in the making of double-texture rubber-proofed garments. |
| PARCHMENTIZING |
A finishing treatment,
comprising a short contact with, e.g. sulphuric acid of
high concentration |
| PARIS BINDING |
A binding, with
firm handle, of twill or herringbone twill weave (usually
3/1) |
| PART WOOL FELT |
A textile composed
of wool fibres |
| PARTIAL ACETYLATION |
A process, in which
cotton in the form of fibre or yarn is subjected to partial
acetylation |
| PARTIAL RACKING |
See under Racking |
| PARTIALLY ORIENTED
YARN |
A continuous filament
yarn made by extruding a synthetic polymer |
| PASHMINA TWEED |
A term used to
describe tweed fabric woven with hand-spun cashmere yarn
on hand-looms in Kashmir |
| PASSEMENTERIE |
Trimmings, especially
braids, beads, cord, gimp, etc |
| PASTELS |
Fabrics dyed in
light shade colours. |
| PATCH |
An ornamental piece
of fabric generally with embroidered design, sewn on a
garment. |
| PATCH POCKET |
A pocket formed
by attaching a piece of material to the surface of a garment. |
| PATCH WORK |
Pieces of fabric
in various colours and/or shapes sewn together |
| PATENT LEATHER |
A varnished leather
that is very expensive. |
| PATOLA |
A plain weave,
richly decorated, silk fabric with a tie-dyed or hand-blocked
border, made in India. |
| PATTERN |
Design of a fabric
which is either woven-in or printed on the cloth. |
| PATTERN BLANKET |
Also called Designer's
blanket |
| PATTERN CHAIN |
Chain used on looms
to control the pattern of the fabric. |
| PATTERN CUTTER |
A person who determines
the shapes of the components of garments, to ensure that
they fit together |
| PATTERN DEFECTS
IN GARMENT |
See under Garment
defects, classified. |
| PATTERN WARPING |
Also called Band
warping. |
| PBI FIBRE |
P.B.I. is an abbreviation
for 'polybenzimidazole'. |
| PEANUT FIBRE |
A synthetic staple
fibre produced from a protein base derivative from peanut
meal. |
| PEARLE COTTON |
A loosely twisted,
mercerised cotton thread with a rope or corded appearance. |
| PEARLS |
Also called Purls |
| PEAU |
A French term
for skin. |
| PEAU DE CYGNE |
A very soft satin
fabric, woven in fine soft yarns with a lustrous finish. |
| PEAU DE SOIE |
A French term,
meaning literally 'skin of silk' |
| PEBBLE |
A term often used
for the characteristic appearance of a crêpe fabric. |
| PEBBLE WEAVE |
A granite weave. |
| PECCARY LEATHER |
A lightweight pigskin
leather. |
| PECTASE |
See under Enzymes. |
| PEEL BOND STRENGTH |
Actual force required
to peel or to separate two layers of bonded goods. |
| PEGGING |
A finishing process
that is used to produce a lustre on velveteens. |
| PEKIN |
A design in which
wide stripes of equal width are woven in different colours
or weaves |
| PELT |
Skin of an animal,
including the hair. |
| PENCIL STRIPE |
A dark stripe on
a lighter ground (regardless of the width of stripe. |
| PENCILLING |
In printing, the
touching up of a printed fabric with a fine brush. |
| PENETRABILITY OF
FABRIC |
A fabric's ability
to permit penetration by rain |
| PENETRATION OF
SIZE |
The extent to which
a size solution penetrates into the yarn structure. |
| PENTA-LOBAL |
A five-sided man-made
fibre as seen in cross section under the microscope. |
| PENTAGRAPH |
The machine using
the pantograph principle to transfer at one time as many
print-design repeats as are required around the surface
of the copper cylinder |
| PEPPER AND SALT |
Fabric having fine
speckled effect |
| PERCALE |
A closely woven
plain weave fabric, usually of Egyptian cotton, or lighter
weight than chintz. |
| PERCALINE |
Lightweight cotton
print fabric similar to lawn, with a bright soft finish. |
| PERCE |
Perforated effect. |
| PERCENT ELONGATION |
Deprecated term. |
| PERCENTAGE COVER |
Cover factor as
a percentage of the maximum possible for a particular
weave structure. |
| PERCENTAGE MATURITY |
A method of expressing,
numerically, the maturity of a sample of cotton fibres |
| PERCENTAGE POINT |
A difference of
1% of a base quantity |
| PERCH |
A machine used
for inspecting fabrics for defects. |
| PERCHING |
Examination of
woven goods to record all visible defects and imperfections |
| PERFORATED WEAVE |
An open mesh character
of mock-leno fabric created by the weave |
| PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS,
FABRICS |
See Fabric performance
characteristics. |
| PERFORMANCE PROPERTY |
In wear testing,
any chemical or physical property of a fibre, yarn, or
fabric that is evaluated during the wear-refurbishing
cycles. |
| PERLE |
A finishing process
used on woollen dress fabrics, which raises the nap in
the form of dots. |
| PERLOK PROCESS |
A process whereby
groups of continuous filament tow are converted through
breaking or cutting into a top or sliver. |
| PERLON |
Trade name of a
polyamide fibre. |
| PERMANENT DEFORMATION |
Same as Permanent
set |
| PERMANENT FINISH |
A finishing process
applied to various fabrics which will retain their specific
properties |
| PERMANENT PLEATING |
Wide variety of
permanently pleated fabric available. |
| PERMANENT PRESS |
This term as a
substitute to 'durable press' is undesirable |
| PERMANENT SET |
See under Setting. |
| PERMANENT STARCHLESS
FINISH |
A finishing process
that impregnates a fabric and is not dissolved in laundering. |
| PERMASTIFF SEW-IN |
See Under Sew-in
woven interfacings. |
| PERMEABILITY |
The rate of flow
of a fluid under a differential pressure through a material. |
| PEROXIDE |
An oxide containing
a relatively high proportion of oxygen. |
| PERSPIRATION |
A saline fluid
secreted by the sweat glands |
| PERSPIRATION-RESISTANT |
A term applied
to fabrics or dyes which are relatively unaffected by
acid and alkaline perspiration. |
| PETERSHAM RIBBON |
MILLINERY. Ribbon
in plain weave originally used on ladies' hats which usually
has a continuous filament warp |
| PETIT POINT STITCH |
A small, slanting
stitch worked over the separated double threads of the
canvas |
| PH (pH) |
A measure of the
acidity or alkalinity of a solution |
| PHILIPPINE EMBROIDERY |
Hand needlework,
characterised by dainty floral designs. |
| PHOOL KARY |
A striped cotton
muslin embroidered with small buds, branches and other
designs. |
| PHORMIUM |
The fibre from
wildly grown flax plant 'phoriun tenax' in New Zealand. |
| PHOTOCHROMISM |
In some dyeings
the colour of a dyeing changes on exposure to light, but
reverts to its original state after the sample is kept
in the dark. |
| PHOTODEGRADATION |
Degradation caused
by the absorption of light or other radiation and by consequent
chemical reactions. |
| PHOTOGRAPHIC ENGRAVING |
See Process engraving |
| PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING |
Application of
a photographic image to cloth |
| PHOTOGRAVURE |
The process by
which AN 'engraving' is produced in a metal plate or cylinder
by means of light acting on a sensitised surface and the
resultant image then being etched in acid. |
| PHOTOMECHANICAL
TECHNIQUES |
In printing, photographic
techniques |
| PHOTOMETER |
An instrument that
measures the light reflectancy of surfaces. |
| PHOTOMICROGRAPH |
A photograph of
a magnified object obtained by attaching a camera to a
microscope. |
| PHTHALOGEN |
See under Ingrain
dye. |
| PHYSICAL TEXTILE
TESTING |
Laboratory tests
made on fibres, yarns and fabrics by mechanical devices. |
| PHYSIOLOGICAL COMFORTS
OF GARMENTS |
One of the main
purposes of clothing is to protect the body from heat
loss. |
| PHYSIOLOGICAL DISCOMFORTS
OF GARMENTS |
Sensorial discomfort,
Thermophysiological discomfort, Garment Fitting discomfort |
| PICK |
An individual length
of weft yarn (filling yarn) or group of threads |
| PICK AND PICK |
A fabric with alternating
weft threads, one pick of one kind or colour and one pick
of another. |
| PICK AT WILL |
A loom on which
it is possible to pick more than once from one side or
single picks from different sides. |
| PICK BAR |
Fabric defect. |
| PICK COUNT |
In woven fabrics,
the number of weft yarns per inch of fabric. |
| PICK COUNTER |
See Counting glass. |
| PICK DENSITY |
The number of picks
per unit length of fabric. |
| PICK GLASSS |
See Counting glass. |
| PICK OUT |
Determination of
the weave in a fabric by noting how each yarn interlace
with every other yarn in one repeat of the pattern |
| PICK SPACING |
The distance between
two picks in a woven fabric. |
| PICK STITCH |
A hand stitch |
| PICK-FOUND |
Term describes
a fabric, that contains no missed or broken picks. |
| PICK-OUT MARK |
Also called Rip-out.
Fabric defect. |
| PICK-OUT PLACE |
See Temple mark. |
| PICK-UP |
See Add-on. |
| PICKAGE |
The number of picks
(weft threads) per inch. |
| PICKER |
The part of the
picking mechanism of the loom that actually strikes the
shuttle. |
| PICKING |
The action of weft
insertion. |
| PICKING-OUT |
See Unweaving. |
| PICOLAY |
Compact cotton
fabric with a plain weave, embossed with a diamond pattern
to resemble diamond piqué |
| PICOT |
A purl on lace
or a small loop woven on edge of ribbon. |
| PICOTAGE |
A speckled effect
on the surface of a pile fabric |
| PIECE |
Also called Bolt. |
| PIECE GOODS |
Any fabric that
has been made up for sale |
| PIECE-DYEING |
The woven fabric
is dyed a solid colour by complete immersion, |
| PIECE-RATE |
A method of payment
of employees by pricing the task that they are required
to do. |
| PIECING |
Yarn defect. |
| PIGMENT DYES |
A colourant in
particulate form which is insoluble in a substrate but
which can be dispersed in the substrate to modify its
colour. |
| PIGMENT PRINTING |
Printing an insoluble
colouring material on cloth. |
| PIGMENT TAFFETA |
The only taffeta
fabric without shine. |
| PIGMENTED |
See Delustered. |
| PIGSKIN |
This skin is easily
recognised by the little holes or pores where once the
bristles of the pig grew. |
| PILATE |
A term sometimes
used in place of pile lifting. |
| PILE |
The loops or tufts
(cut loops) that stand up from the body of the fabric
and which form all or part of the surface |
| PILE FABRIC |
Any fabric of any
fibre that has raised surface of individual fibres, making
a furry surface. |
| PILE FLOOR COVERING |
A pile fabric intended
for use as a floor covering. |
| PILE KNIT |
Any fabric with
a knitted construction as the base and a looped or cut
pile on the surface. |
| PILE LAY |
In floor covering,
the direction in which most of the pile fibres lean in
the original, uncrushed carpet. |
| PILE RETENTION |
The degree to which
cut-pile yarns are held secure and intact during wear. |
| PILE REVERSAL |
A persistent change
in the direction of pile lay in certain areas, so that
a difference of shade is observed. |
| PILE RUCHE |
See under Ruche. |
| PILE WARP |
Warp which is looped
up with wires for making the surface of plush or raised
fabrics. |
| PILE WEAVE |
By the use of either
extra warps or extra wefts, loops are formed on the surface
of the fabric. |
| PILE WEFT |
The weft which
is woven into velveteens and similar fabrics for the purpose
of being cut to form a surface pile |
| PILE YARN FLOOR
COVERING |
A textile product
in which yarn or yarn segments are attached intermittently
to a backing fabric so as to project above the backing
fabric to form a pile |
| PILE, IN CARPET |
That part of a
carpet consisting of textile yarns or fibres, cut or looped,
projecting from the substrate and acting as use-surface. |
| PILL |
See Pilling |
| PILLAR LACE |
Lace in which two
or more threads from warp, beam, or spool, encircled and
bound by one bobbin thread. |
| PILLAR STITCH |
In warp-knitted
materials, a single unconnected continuous column of knitted
loops |
| PILLING |
Fabric defect. |
| PILLING RESISTANCE |
Resistance to the
formation of pills on a textile fabric. |
| PILLOW CASE |
A removable textile
covering that is produced or fabricated in a tube usually
closed on one end which is used to encase a bed pillow |
| PILLOW LACE |
See Bobbin lace. |
| PILLOW LINEN |
Very smooth, high
count, plain-weave, bleached linen fabric. |
| PILLOW TUBING |
A cotton double
cloth stitched together only at the selvedges, to form
a tubular fabric. |
| PILLS |
Fabric defect. |
| PILOT |
A woollen fabric,
generally made in navy blue and used for seamen's coarse. |
| PIMA |
pima cottons are
often loosely used in the trade as a term for any long-staple
cotton. |
| PIN CHECK |
Worsted suiting
fabric made with different coloured yarns, which produce
a figured effect the size of a pinhead, and give the appearance
of a fine check. |
| PIN DOT |
A small dot approximately
the size of the head of a pin |
| PIN LOCK SLIDER |
In zippers, a slider
that incorporates a projection on the pull |
| PIN MARK |
A series of holes
near the edge parallel with the lengthwise direction of
a fabric |
| PIN STRIPE |
Name given to any
fabric with very fine pin-width stripes. |
| PIN TUCK |
A small sewn pleat. |
| PIN TWISTING |
The generation
of false-twist by a device in which a yarn is wrapped
around a small pin or peg of wear-resistant material (usually,
sapphire or ceramic) |
| PIN-DRAFTING |
A system of drafting
in which the fibres are oriented relative to one another
in the sliver and are controlled by pins. |
| PIÑA-CLOTH |
Fine plain-woven
translucent lustrous fabric |
| PINCORD |
Very fine needlecord
fabric. |
| PINEAPPLE CONE |
A low angled yarn
package in which the traverse length decreases as the
diameter increases. |
| PINEAPPLE FIBRE |
A fibre from the
leaf of the plant 'ananas cosmosus', capable of being
processed into fine fabrics. |
| PINEAPPLE STITCH |
A knitting stitch
which produces an oval pattern. |
| PINHOLE |
Fabric defect in
woven fabric. A very small hole, approximately the size
of the cross section of a pin. |
| PINKED SEAM-FINISH |
A finish for the
raw edges of the seam allowances of a plain seam, which
produces a zigzagged cut raw edge. |
| PINKING |
Gimping or serrating
an edge in the form of V-shaped cuts by a machine or handshears
normally having a serrated blade. |
| PINNING |
An old style of
textile printing, known in French as Picotage. |
| PINSONIC QUILTING |
A method of quilting
fabrics without thread using ultrasonic sound. |
| PINWALE |
A very narrow pile
or rib in a fabric (from 16 to 23 wales to the inch) |
| PINWORK |
Fine raised stitches
in needlepoint lace, |
| PIPING |
A narrow fabric
or cord used to finish raw edges on material |
| PIQUÈ |
WARP KNITTED. A
fabric, normally made with two guide bars, that shows
pronounced cord effects in the warp direction. |
| PIQUETTE |
Weft-knitted fabric. |
| PIRN |
Also called Quill. |
| PIRN WINDING |
The winding of
yarns on pirns (quills). |
| PITCH |
In weaving, the
distance between two yarns or other components. |
| PITCH PINS |
See Pitches. |
| PITCHES |
In printing, fine
metal pins driven into the corners of a printing block
for the purpose of establishing the correct repeat. |
| PITCHING |
In engraved roller
printing, ensuring the correct repeat, by putting each
roller in correct position while the machine is running
slowly |
| PLACKET |
An opening provided
in a garment to facilitate removal by the wearer, or an
extra piece of fabric applied to that opening for reinforcement
or as a style feature. |
| PLAID |
The word plaid
was originally used by for the Scottish tartan worn by
Highland women. |
| PLAID BACK |
A light, medium
or heavy material for over-coatng made on the double-cloth
principle; two systems of warp and weft, with a binder
warp or weft arrangement. |
| PLAIN BACK |
A twill-face plain
weave back structure made from single worsted yarns. |
| PLAIN BRAID |
Also called Diamond
braid. |
| PLAIN EDGE |
Finished edge of
a garment that shows no stitching on the surface. |
| PLAIN FABRIC, WEFT-KNITTED |
A fabric in which
all the component knitted loops are of the same sort and
meshed in the same manner. |
PLAIN FINISH
PLAIN FINISH |
A cotton fabric
that has not been mercerised. |
| PLAIN GOODS |
Standard construction,
plain weave grey goods. |
| PLAIN KNIT |
Synonym for flat
knit fabric. |
| PLAIN LOOM |
A loom which operates
with a cam motion, rather than a dobby or Jacquard mechanism,
to create the weave |
| PLAIN LOOP |
See Face loop under
Knitted loop. |
| PLAIN NET |
A twist lace fabric
made with equal numbers of warp and bobbin threads |
| PLAIN NET MACHINE |
See under Lace
machines. |
| PLAIN SEAM |
A seam formed by
a single joining line |
| PLAIN SELVEDGE |
Plain selvedges
are woven with extra warp ends for additional strength
and in the same weave as the body of cloth |
| PLAIN STITCH |
A knitting stitch
which produces a series of wales or lengthwise ribs on
the face of the fabric and courses, or cross-wise loops,
on the back |
| PLAIN WEAVE |
Also called Tabby.
One of the three basic types of weave, the other two being
Twill, and Satin. Plain weave is the simplest of all weave
interlacings. |
| PLAIN WEFT KNITTED
FABRIC |
The simplest construction
of weft knitting in which the loops are all of one sort,
open loops, and are all intermeshed in the same manner |
| PLAIT |
The intersection
of the strands of a braid. |
| PLAITED ROPE |
Also called Eight-strand
rope. |
| PLAITED STITCH |
A herringbone effect
produced in needlework |
| PLANKING |
In hat manufacture,
acid milling of settled forms by the combined action of
hot sulphuric acid and mechanical treatment to produce
a cone-shaped felt known as a hood or body. |
| PLANTAIN |
The textile fibre
derived from Musa sapientum, also known as banana fibre. |
| PLANTED COLOURS |
Spacing spools
of surface yarns, in different colours, at the back of
the Jacquard loom. |
| PLANTING |
A process in weaving
fabrics in which the pattern is developed by extra warp
threads. |
| PLASTIC |
Something that
can be shaped, extended or moulded. |
| PLASTIC FILM |
Flexible, drapeable
material in thin gauges. |
| PLASTIC GOODS |
Materials made
from resins in sheet form, not woven, that may be used
for shower curtains, draperies, umbrellas and the like. |
| PLASTICIZE |
The softening of
a synthetic material or polymer usually by the addition
of a lubricant. |
| PLATED FABRIC |
A fabric knitted
from two yarns of different properties, both of which
are used in the same loop whilst positioned one behind
the other. |
| PLATING |
The action of producing
plated fabric. |
| PLEAT |
Three layers of
fabric involving two folds or reversals of direction;
the back fold may be replaced by a seam. |
| PLEATED FABRIC,
WARP-KNITTED |
A fabric produced
from two or three guide bars in which the front warp is
stopped while the front bar mis-laps. |
| PLEATING |
The process of
making one or more desirable folds in a cloth by doubling
the material over on itself. |
| PLIED YARN |
Also called Folded
yarn and Formed yarn. |
| PLIED YARN DUCK |
Duck fabric with
plied yarns in warp and weft; army, numbered, and special
use ducks. |
| PLISSÉ |
Originally a term
describing a fabric woven in a special weave, which produced
pleats or folds in the fabric. |
| PLUCKED WOOL |
A pulled wool obtained
from a sheep carcass several days old. |
| PLUGGING |
Fastening decorative
buttons by inserting a plug through the eyes of the shanks
on the inside of the garment |
| PLUMAGE |
The outgrowth of
fowl, consisting of feathers and down (waterfowl) or feathers
only (non-waterfowl). |
| PLUMULES |
Downy waterfowl
plumage |
| PLUS X |
A patented process
for imparting stretch to all-wool and wool-blend cloths. |
| PLUSH |
WOVEN. A pile fabric,
with a longer and less dense pile than that of velvet. |
| PLY |
YARN. The individual
yarn in a plied yarn or in a cord. |
| PLY WEAVE |
Any fabric constructed
with more than one set of warp and weft yarns |
| POCKET |
IN GARMENT. A
bag inserted into or attached to a garment, for practical
or decorative use. |
| POCKET BAG |
The part of a pocket
on the interior of a garment. |
| POCKET DRILL |
A stout, unbleached
cotton drill used for pockets |
| POCKETING SEW-IN |
See under Sew-in
woven interfacing. |
| POIL |
See Poile |
| POILE |
A raw silk yarn
made of eight to ten singles twisted together |
| POINT |
Ornamental stitching
on the back of a glove. |
| POINT BLANKET |
See Hudsons bay. |
| POINT BONDING |
A method of making
thermally-bonded non-woven fabric |
| POINT D'ESPRIT |
any lightweight
fabric such as voile that is decorated with satin stitched
spots. Usually polyesters |
| POINT DRAW |
See Angled draft |
| POINT NET |
A net ground made
with the needle, i.e. needlepoint net ground. |
| POINT-LACE |
A knitted form
of lace or openwork fabric |
| POINT-PAPER DESIGN |
The representation
on design paper (point paper) of the order of interlacing
the threads in a woven fabric. |
| POIRET TWILL |
Named after Poiret,
the French designer. |
| POLISHED COTTON |
Plain weave cotton
fabric, often inexpensive, that has been calendered to
give it an attractive shine. |
| POLISHED YARN |
A cotton yarn which
has been treated with a starch, gelatine, etc., and then
passed over rollers or other devices to smoothen and make
glossy finishing material. |
| POLISHING |
FABRICS. The treatment
of tanned skins, or of fabrics, particularly pile fabrics,
to increase lustre |
| POLKA DOTS |
Round dots, embroidered,
printed or flocked, of any size forming a surface pattern. |
| POLKA GAUZE |
A cotton gauze
fabric ornamented by small spots introduced in swivel
weaving. |
| POLKA RIB |
Also called Full
cardigan rib. |
| POLO CLOTH |
Name given to top
quality highly napped fabric that is made into sportswear
and polo caps and coats, jackets, etc., for spectators. |
| POLO COLLAR |
A variation of
the round neck collar on a jumper |
| POLYACRYLONITRILE
FIBRE |
Fibre spun from
polymers or copolymers of acrylonitrile. |
| POLYAMIDE FIBRE |
manufactured nylon
filament yarn. |
| POLYAMIDE NATURAL
FIBRE |
Silk, wool, and
other animal fibres are examples of natural fibres consisting
of polymers containing the repeating group -CO-NH-. |
| POLYAMIDE TREATMENT |
An interfacial
polymerisation of polyamide resin on the surface of wool
fibres. |
| POLYCARBAMIDE FIBRE |
A manufactured
fibre composed of synthetic linear macromolecules |
| POLYCHLAL FIBRE |
Bi-component man-made
polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl chloride fibre. |
| POLYCHROMATIC PRINTINGF |
A process of squirting
dyes on a continuous width of cloth. |
| POLYESTER CHIFFON |
See Chiffon. |
| POLYESTER COTTON |
The correct term
should be polyester and cotton. |
| POLYESTER CRÊPE |
Soft synthetic
crèpe in a wide range of plain colours, which has
largely replaced other types for blouses, dresses, evening
wear, lounging pajamas, negligèes |
| POLYESTER FIBRE |
A manufactured
fibre in which the fibre forming substance is any long-chain
synthetic polymer composed of at least 85 % by weight
of an ester of a substituted aromatic carboxylic acid,
including but not restricted to substituted terephthalate
units and para substituted hydroxy-benzoate units. |
| POLYESTER GEORGETTE |
See Georgette. |
| POLYESTER HONAN |
Fine-textured fabric
with a silky finish and a slub yarn across it |
| POLYESTER JERSEY |
Close plain knit
fabrics often printed, in various weights from very thin
to fairly heavy. |
| POLYESTER SATIN |
A satin fabric
that creases very little, due to its fibre content, and
is soft and comfortable to wear and drapes well. |
| POLYESTER SHEER |
Firm, vision net
used for curtains |
| POLYESTER VOILE |
Very fine polyester
curtain fabric net made in various widths. |
| POLYETHYLENE |
Polyethylene, often
termed in the shortened form 'polythene' is spun from
polymers or copolymers of ethylene. |
| POLYISOPRENE |
See Elastodiene
fibre |
| POLYMER TAPE |
A tape of synthetic
polymer in unfibrillated form, |
| POLYMERISATION |
The chemical union
of two or more molecules of the same compound to form
larger molecules of the same compound. |
| POLYNOSIC |
A type of regenerated
cellulose fibre that is characterised by a high initial
wet modulus of elasticity and a relatively low degree
of swelling in sodium hydroxide solution. |
| POLYOLEFIN FIBRE |
A manufactured
fibre, often termed simply 'olefin' |
| POLYPROPYLENE FIBRES |
Made from polymers
or copolymers of propylene. Characterised by very good
strength, high abrasion resistance and almost total non-absorbency
of liquids. |
| POLYSTYRENE FIBRE |
A manufactured
fibre made from a synthetic linear polymer styrene. |
| POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE |
Fibres spun from
polymers of tetrafluoroethylene. |
| POLYTHENE |
Polyethylene is
often termed in the shortened form 'polythene' |
| POLYUREA FIBRE |
See Polycarbamide
fibre. |
| POLYURETHANE |
A manufactured
fibre composed of synthetic linear macromolecules |
| POLYVINYL ALCOHOL
FIBRE |
See Vinal and Vinylal
fibre. |
| POLYVINYL CHLORIDE |
Also called PVC.
A type of chemically produced thermoplastic chlorofibre,
spun from polymers or copolymers of vinylidene chloride. |
| POLYVINYL CHLORIDE
FABRIC |
Most fabrics referred
to as PVC fabric, are base fabrics, such as plain knitting
or plain or printed cottons that have been sprayed with
coloured or colourless polyvinyl chloride. |
| POLYVINYLIDENE
CHLORIDE FIBRE (PVDC) |
A type of chlorofibre. |
| POLYVOLTINE SILK |
Silk produced by
a variety of silk worm producing several generations per
year |
| POMPON |
A ball pendant
made of any fibre in a chenille effect, i.e. with the
threads radiating from the centre. |
| PONCHO |
A cotton or woollen
fabric made with a plain twill or rep weave with fringes
at the ends. |
| PONGEE |
Derived from the
Chinese penchi, which means woven at home or hand loom. |
| PONGEE IMPERIAL |
A rich, lustrous,
plain weave pongee silk dress fabric. |
| PONTE-ROMA |
See Punto di Roma. |
| PONTIAC |
A strong, knitted,
waterproof, woollen fabric made in dark grey. |
| PONY CLOTH |
A term used for
cut-pile fabric made in imitation of pony skin. |
| POODLE CLOTH |
Fabric, medium
or heavy characterised by loops of yarn on the surface. |
| POOR PENETRATION |
When heavy or densely
woven fabrics, or tightly twisted yarn fabrics, are piece-dyed,
there is some times a lack of penetration of the dye into
the centre of the yarn material. |
| POPLIN |
Fine closely woven
plain weave fabric, medium-weight, made from mercerised
cotton yarns. |
| POPLINETTE |
A very lightweight
cotton poplin made with single yarns. |
| PORCELAIN LACE |
A lace steeped
in a thick solution of kaolin and fired, destroying the
fibres and leaving the resultant porcelain in the lace
pattern. |
| POROSITY |
The ratio of the
volume of air or void contained within the boundaries
of a material to the total volume (solid matter plus air
or void) expressed as a percentage. |
| POSITIVE BEAT-UP |
A beat-up mechanism
in which the weft is moved by a positively controlled
reed. |
| POSITIVE DRIVE |
In yarn winding,
a system in which a yarn package is driven mechanically
at constant or controlled rotational velocity. |
| POSITIVE FEED |
In weft knitting,
the supply of a predetermined length of yarn to a given
number of needles of a weft-knitting machine. |
| POST BED |
In sewing machine,
a bed incorporating a raised post underneath the sewing
head, which enables sewing to be carried out above the
level of the table on which the machine is mounted. |
| POST CURE |
See Deferred cure |
| POST MERCERISATION |
Crease resistant
linen fabrics may be produced by treatment with urea formaldehyde
resin followed by a mercerising treatment |
| POSTER CLOTH |
A bleached or grey
drill cloth given a smooth-faced and heavy starch back-filled
finish. |
| POT SPINNING |
See Box spinning |
| POTTING |
A finishing process
for woollens designed to produce a bright, glossy face
and a soft hand. |
| POULT |
A finishing process
for woollens designed to produce a bright, glossy face
and a soft hand. |
| POUNCING |
In hat manufacturing |
| POUND GOODS |
Fabric remnants
usually sold by the weight, instead of by the length. |
| POWDER BONDING |
A method of making
thermally-bonded non-woven fabric |
| POWDERING |
A dotted pattern
strewn all over the fabric |
| POWER NET |
See Lingerie knit. |
| POWER STRETCH FABRICS |
See under Woven
stretch fabric |
| POWERLOOM |
A loom which is
driven by a source of power such as an electric motor. |
| POY |
See Partially oriented
yarn |
| PRAYER RUG |
A small Oriental
rug used by the Muslims to kneel on during prayer. |
| PRE-BOARDING |
The operation of
boarding carried out on garments or stockings |
| PRE-CONDITIONING |
In testing, to
dry a textile material to an approximately constant mass |
| PRE-CURING |
A finishing process
of garment fabrics as piece goods to give them a durable
press. |
| PRE-SENSITIZATION |
The treatment of
a fabric with a reagent that will give stabilization of
shape when the fabric, especially in garment form, is
subsequently pressed. |
| PRE-SHRUNK |
A fabric from which
part or all of the residual shrinkage has been removed
before the cloth is offered for sale. |
| PRE-SPOTTING |
A pre-treatment
to remove or enhance removal of soil or stains in a local
area on parts of garments with a solvent detergent solution |
| PRE-TENSION |
The specified tension
applied to a specimen preparatory to making a test. |
| PRECISION WINDING |
The winding of
a yarn package in such a way that consecutive coils are
closely spaced irrespective of package diameter |
| PRECRÊPING |
The embossing of
a fabric containing crêpe yarns with a design to
influence the uniformity and fineness of the crêpe
effect produced in subsequent treatment. |
| PREMETALLISED DYES |
Later development
of mordant dyes. |
| PREPARATION |
In textile manufacturing,
those processing operations performed on greige fabric,
coloured fabric, textile yarns or fibres to ready them
for dyeing, printing or finishing |
| PRESHRINKING |
Shrinking processes
applied to fabric before cutting up to hold to a specified
minimum the degree of shrinkage which will occur after
the made-up articles are washed. |
| PRESIDENT BRAID |
A braid similar
to Russia braid but with three cores |
| PRESS |
A device that squeezes
liquid out of a fabric by roller pressing. |
| PRESS FINISHING |
See under Boarding. |
| PRESS-OFF |
Fabric defect,
major, in knitted fabric. |
| PRESSED-IN CREASE |
A sharp crease
inserted intentionally in a fabric |
| PRESSER FOOT |
In a rib or plain
knitting machine, the device that operates in the knitting
zone for controlling loop formation and diminishes the
need for take down weight on the fabric as it is formed. |
| PRESSING |
A process of smoothening
and shaping of textile material |
| PRESSING AND FINISHING |
This term takes
into account all of the industrial pressing and finishing
treatments used in garment production |
| PRESSING OFF |
IN KNITTING. The
act of removing knitting from the needles of a knitting
machine. |
| PRESSURE BOIL |
The scouring of
cellulosic textiles with liquors in closed vessels under
excess pressure. |
| PRESSURE BOWL |
In printing, the
large central printing cylinder against which the engraved
roller rotates |
| PRESSURE DYEING |
Dyeing under super
atmospheric pressure |
| PRESSURE MARK |
See Bruise. |
| PREWASHING |
A finishing technique
applied on fabrics to ensure a soft hand and a fashion
look. |
| PRICKSTITCH |
A hand stitch made
by passing the needle straight through the material at
right angles to the surface alternately from one side
to the other. |
| PRIMARY COLOURS |
The primary or
pure colours are red, yellow and blue; when mixed they
produce all other colours. |
| PRIMARY CREEP |
See Delayed deformation. |
| PRINCE OF WALES
CHECK |
See Glen Urquhart
check under Checks. |
| PRINCESS LACE |
An imitation of
the luxurious Duchesse lace. |
| PRINT |
Textile fabrics
to which patterns are applied by dyes with stencils, rollers,
wooden blocks, or screens. |
| PRINT BONDING |
A method of making
non-woven fabrics in which there is controlled application
of adhesive to those used for colouration |
| PRINT CLOTH |
A medium weight
cotton fabric with a plain weave from carded yarns. |
| PRINT MACHINE STOP |
Printing defect,
major. |
| PRINT OUT OF REGISTER |
Printing defect,
may be major or minor. |
| PRINT WORK |
Embroidery worked
with black stitches over sepia printed designs |
| PRINT-ON |
A term used to
indicate that the printing method employed is not discharge
printing |
| PRINT-ON-PRINT |
Application of
motifs to a textile fabric by an individual printing roller
for each colour. |
| PRINT-PASTE |
Also known as Dye-paste. |
| PRINTED STRING |
See Bolduc. |
| PRINTED YARNS |
Yarns on which
the design is printed before weaving. |
| PRINTING |
The process for
applying colourants or other materials to the surface
of a substrate, usually in specific localised areas to
produce a design. |
| PRINTING TOPPING |
Second printing
of a fabric |
| PROCESS ENGRAVING |
The process in
which copper cylinders used for printing are etched from
'tracings' (positives) |
| PROCESSED FILAMENT
YARN |
A synthetic filament
yarn that has been treated to increase its bulk. |
| PROCESSING ORGANISATION |
The layout of machinery,
drafts, etc. used in textile manufacturing |
| PROCESSING PERFORMANCE |
A general term
denoting the processing efficiency of a specific process |
| PRODUCER DYEING |
See under Mass-colouration |
| PRODUCER'S RISK |
The probability
of rejecting a lot when the process average is at the
Acceptable Quality Level or AQL. |
| PRODUCTION LINE |
In garment manufacturing,
a linear arrangement of sewing machines, each dedicated
to a limited task within the production of a garment. |
| PRODUCTION LOT |
That part of one
manufacturer's production made from the same nominal raw
material under essentially the same conditions and designed
to meet the same specifications. |
| PROFESSIONAL CARE |
For consumer textile
products, overall cleaning and maintenance procedures
requiring the services of a person specially trained or
skilled in their use |
| PROFILE FIBRES |
A term used to
identify shape of the fibre-filament cross section |
| PROFILE STITCHING |
Automatic sewing
following a pre-determined profile, e.g. by jig or cams. |
| PROGRESSIVE BUNDLE
SYSTEM |
A production system
in which bundles pass from one operator to the next with
some work in hand at each operation. |
| PROGRESSIVE CURING |
Also called Spontaneous
curing. |
| PROGRESSIVE LINE
SYSTEM |
A production system
in which single garments or parts are assembled. |
| PROGRESSIVE SHRINKAGE |
Shrinkage that
occurs on repeated washing or cleaning. |
| PROJECTILE |
A device used in
place of a shuttle. |
| PROJECTILE LOOM |
A loom that uses
projectiles instead of shuttles |
| PROOF |
Fully resistant
to a specified agency, either by reason of physical structure
or inherent chemical non-reactivity, or arising from a
treatment designed to impart the desired characteristics. |
| PROOFED |
Descriptive of
a material that has been treated to render it resistant
to a specified agency |
| PROTEASE |
See under Enzymes |
| PROTECTIVE FINISHES |
finishing treatments |
| PROTEIN FIBRE |
A natural fibre
derived from animals. |
| PRUNELLA |
A 2/1 twill weave,
fine worsted cloth, mostly made in plain colours only. |
| PTFE FIBRE |
Short for polytetrafluoroethylene |
| PTU |
Abbreviatiion for
'permanent turn-up. |
| PUCKERED FABRIC |
Fabrics that have
curliness or crimpness in it |
| PUCKERED SELVEDGE |
Fabric defect,
may be major or minor. |
| PUCKERING |
A wavy, three-dimensional
effect typified by closely spaced wrinkles |
| PUFF |
A small wedge of
the same material sewn on to a 'V' cut at various positions
in canvas or lining making |
| PULL |
PULL, IN ZIPPERS.
A part connected to a zipper slider by which the slider
is operated. |
| PULL-IN |
See Pulled-in filling. |
| PULL-IN MACHINE |
A machine used
to photographically reduce the width of a printing design
as well as for slashing. |
| PULLED WOOL |
Also called Slipe
wool, Skin wool. |
| PULLED WORK |
Open-work embroidery. |
| PULLED-IN FILLING |
Fabric defect |
| PULLER FEED |
In sewing machine,
a feed mechanism situated after the presser foot and consisting
of one or more rollers |
| PULLING, RAG |
Also called Grinding,
rag. |
| PULLING-BACK |
See Unweaving. |
| PULLING-BACK PLACE |
Fabric defect. |
| PULP |
COTTON. Purified
cotton linters usually in the form of standard sheets
about 1mm thick. The process involves pressure boiling
followed by bleaching. |
| PUNCHED CARD |
In weaving, a card
perforated in such a manner to control operations |
| PUNCHED WORK |
An open work type
of embroidery. |
| PUNTO DI ROMA |
A non-jacquard
double jersey fabric made on an interlock basis, using
a selection of loops and floats. |
| PURDAH |
A fine, closely
woven cotton or linen veil worn by Indian women |
| PURE DYE SILK |
See Pure silk. |
| PURE FINISH |
A finish applied
without the use of weighting, sizing, etc. |
| PURE GOLD |
See under Gold
thread. |
| PURE SILK |
Also called Pure
dye silk, All silk |
| PURE STARCHED FINISH |
A crisp finish
achieved with a starch mixture, to which softening compounds
may be added. |
| PURIFYING FINISH |
Any fabric treatment
which prevents body odours |
| PURL FABRIC |
A weft knitted
fabric in which both back and face loops are used in some
or all of the wales, which produces horizontal ridges
and thus the ribbed effect. |
| PURL GAITING |
See under Gating. |
| PURL STITCH |
Usually a weft-knit
cloth, nor classed with single and double knits which
are also weft knits, but separately. |
| PURLS |
See Pearls. |
| PURSE SILK |
A thick, smooth,
soft silk thread used for embroidery. |
| PURSE TWIST |
A silk yarn dyed
in a brilliant colour in imitation of gold. |
| PUSSY WILLOW |
A plain weave fabric
characterised by fine horizontal lines and made from net
silk yarn. |
| PUTTING IN REGISTER |
See Pitching. |
| PUTTING ON |
In printing, the
job of transferring the design to the surface of the block
or die prior to cutting or engraving. |
| PVC |
See Polyvinyl chloride
fibre. |
| PVDC |
See Polyvinylidene
chloride. |
| PYJAMA |
Same as Pajama. |
