glossary

the art of fashion

glossary

appliqué	technique in which pieces of fabric are sewn onto a foundation piece of fabric to create designs. a similar version, called reverse appliqué, involves layering several fabrics, stitching designs and cutting down through the layers to expose the fabrics below.
batik	method of dyeing fabric where designs are created by using (typically) wax to keep dyes from penetrating certain pattern areas - a resist method. each color or shade in a design requires the application of wax, dyeing the fabric, and completely removing the wax (by boiling or ironing) in preparation of the next resist application - an extremely laborious process. indonesia is famous for its batiks.
brocade	originally an elegant, heavy silk fabric with a floral or figured pattern woven with gold or silver thread, produced in China and Japan. Currently, any of the major textile fibers may be used in a wide range of quality and price. Brocades are typically ornate, jacquard-woven fabrics. The pattern is usually emphasized by contrasting surfaces and colors, and appears on the face of the fabric, which is distinguished easily from the back
crystal	while glass has been around for 2,000 years, crystal was first created in the mid-17th century. crystal contains lead oxide which dramatically increases its weight and improves its lustre and clarity. normally sold with cut patterns that bring out the index of refraction, as the cut patterns disperse light into the color of the components of the visible spectrum with almost diamond like brilliance
delica beads	miyuki delica beads are prized by artists world-wide for their variety of colors, permanency (they don't chip or fade like their counterparts), and precision of size and shape. far superior to beads commonly used in items mass produced in china and india.
dupioni silk	an elegant fabric woven with slubbed yarns. medium weight with a crisp, scrunchy hand, a beautiful luster and uneven texture.
ikat	a resist-dye process that takes place before fabric is woven. designs are created by tying off areas of the warp or weft threads with yarn, palm-leaf strips or similar material to prevent penetration of dye. The design emerges when the dyed threads are woven together. from the indonesian mengikat, 'to tie' or 'to bind'. (pronounced: Ee-cot)
jacquard	intricate weaving method invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1801-1804, in which a headmotion at the top of the loom holds and operates a set of punched paper cards, according to the motif desired. each punched perforation controls the action of one warp end for the passage of one pick. today, the punched cards have been replaced by diskettes, or the commands are directly downloaded from a network computer.
kimono	traditional costume of japan, most of the kimono and obi i use are from the 1920s thru the 1970s but there may be a few turn-of-the-century pieces. most are silk, but there are a few cottons, linens and miscellaneous rare fibers in the mix. prices for vintage kimono continue to escalate and very few new kimono are produced today as they can take a month to create and today the japanese prefer western dress. more kimono info.
obi	the thick sashes that were traditionally worn around the waist of the kimono. They average about 5” to 13” in width, and 8’ to 12’ in length. Obi are generally more ornate, and usually much thicker and more textural than kimono textiles and are drop-dead gorgeous. a formal obi sells for over $150.
passementarie	the decorative use of trims made from gimp, cord, beads, braids, etc. modern examples include military dress uniforms, couture clothing, fringed lampshades and fine furnishings. tassel making is considered part of passementerie because of the cording, trim and braid work involved.
swarovski crystal	an exemplary crystal that takes it's name from daniel swarovski, who invented a machine capable of cutting crystal to perfection in 1892. he was born in 1862 in bohemia which was, at that time, part of the austro-hungarian empire and one of the most important manufacturing centers for glass and crystal. today the company is involved in supporting the arts and some amazing technological advances. check out their cool virtual museum crystal worlds . the museum has developed their own software, liquid: a navigational structure that allows, for the first time, content to be displayed with ever changing associations. see it at crystal web.
warp	the set of lengthwise threads attached to a loom before weaving begins. each individual warp thread in a fabric is called a warp end and is usually stronger and denser than the weft. warp means "that which is thrown across" (old english wearp, from weorpan, to throw, cf. german werfen, dutch werpen).
weft	the woven threads in a fabric which run across the width of the fabric during weaving and intersect with the warp threads. Also called woof.