Fabric Glossary

GLOSSARY

Apliqué

A cutout; a decoratively shaped piece of fabric stitched to a larger piece of fabric.

Canvas

A closely woven, durable fabric. It may be unbleached, white, dyed, printed or painted. Made in various weights.

Chambray

A fabric woven with white weft (widthwise) yarns and color-dyed warp yarns (those that run the length of the loom). Chambray is smooth, strong and wears well.

Chenille

A plain-weave fabric with soft silky yarns and a thick pile. French for caterpillar, the fabric has a plush texture.

Corduroy

A durable, usually cotton pile fabric with vertical ribs or wales, which come in a variety of widths and depths. In the velvet family of fabrics, it has a soft luster and wears well.

Cotton Ticking

A tightly woven twill fabric that is smooth, strong and lustrous. Usually white with colored stripes, but may be solid white as well. Used for pillow covers, mattress coverings and upholstery.

Denim

A firm, durable, twilled cotton fabric woven with colored warp and white filling threads. Originally used for work clothes, it is long wearing and resists snags and tears.

Flange

The projecting fabric border of a sham.

Flannel

A soft fabric with a napped surface. Cotton flannels simulate the texture of wool flannel and are made in a variety of weights.

Gingham

A plain-weave fabric in a balanced check or plaid pattern.

Hand Quilting

Tiny, almost invisible stitches that form an allover pattern, and secure a quilt topper to the batting and backing. Pottery Barn Kids quilts are quilted by hand unless otherwise noted.

Linen

Woven from the fibers of the flax plant, linen is possibly the first fabric produced by man. It can be as fine and sheer as a handkerchief or as substantial as canvas.

Organdy

A stiff, transparent fabric of cotton or silk. Many Pottery Barn Kids organdy panels feature whimsical embroidered and appliquéd detail.

Percale

Smooth fabric woven of carded or combed cotton yarn with more than 180 threads per square inch.

Piping

A narrow band of material used to trim seams or edges, often in a contrasting color or fabric.

Sailcloth

A light, strong fabric originally used for making boat sails.

Sateen

A weave of fabric in which the weft yarns, which run widthwise across the loom, are laid across several warp yarns (those that run the length of the loom) at a time, producing a smooth, glossy effect similar to satin.

Sheer

Any very lightweight fabric (such as organdy). Usually has an open weave and is slightly transparent.

Silk

A lustrous tough elastic fiber produced by silkworms and used for textiles. Soft with a brilliant sheen.

Terry Cloth

An absorbent fabric with uncut loops forming the pile. The longer the loops are, the greater the absorbency. Long wearing, easy to launder and does not require ironing.

Thread Count

The number of threads per square inch in a woven fabric. High thread counts usually correspond with finer, smoother fabrics. Pottery Barn Kids sheeting utilizes 200-thread-count quality cotton.

Twill

Smooth, durable fabric with a diagonal weave visible on the face.

Velvet

Medium to heavyweight woven fabric with a cut and brushed pile on one side, giving it a soft hand and a subtle shimmer. Pottery Barn Kids velvets are woven of pure cotton.

Yarn-died

Fabric containing yarns that are dyed prior to weaving to create a colored or patterned fabric, as opposed to fabric that is printed or batch-dyed after weaving. Yarn-dyed fabric retains its color and quality after many washings.