backstitch - Is used at both the beginning and end of a row of stitching to anchor the thread.

basting - Temporarily running stitches to hold fabric or pieces in place before final stitching.

bias - A diagonal direction on woven fabrics that intersects the lengthwise and crosswise threads. Cutting on the bias will prevent woven fabrics from unraveling.

binding - A strip of fabric sewn over the edges of fabric layers to finish, for decorative purposes or for strength.

chain sewing - The process of feeding fabric pieces into the sewing machine one after another, without snipping threads in between, for quicker sewing.

denier - A system of measuring the weight of a continuous filament fiber.  The lower the number the finer the fabric, the higher the number the heavier the fabric.

feed dog - The "teeth" under the plate on the sewing machine that move the fabric as it is sewn.

gather - A method of pulling fabric together to create fullness.

give - The degree of elasticity in a fabric.

grain - The direction of the fabric that runs parallel to the selvage.

hem - A finished edge folded over and stitched.

lockstitch - To stitch in one place to lock stitches.

notions - Items apart from sewing machine and fabric, that are used for sewing.