Soft Furnishing Glossary of Terms

Batiste:

A soft finished fabric which has a high count of fine yarns. It is more opaque than voiles. Usually composed of 100% polyester or a polyester blend.

Braid:

A decorative trim.

Chenille:

Fabric woven from a fuzzy yarn so that the finished fabric has a soft, wooly texture.

Damask:

Firm, glossy jacquard-patterned fabric. Damask is similar to brocade, but flatter and reversible. It can be made from linen, cotton, rayon or silk, or a combination of fibers.

Dupion:

The cloth was originally made from silk obtained from double cocoons, which gave an irregular yarn. This yarn gives the cloth its characteristic slubby texture. Manufactured fibers are now used with such effects.

Embroidery:

Ornamental needlework consisting of designs worked on fabric by hand or machine Eyelet A small hole or perforation made in a series or in a design and finished with embroidery.

Faux:

French word for fake.

Flocking:

A design or a surface finish made by spraying short fibers so that they adhere electrostatically to a material.

French Pleats (or pinch pleats):

On a curtain heading, hand-sewn triple pleats separated by flat areas.

Gingham:

A firm, plain-weave, lightweight cloth of nearly square construction woven with dyed yarns to form a check. Commonly made from cotton, used for dresses, tablecloths etc.

Habutai:

A general term applied to silk fabrics that are fine, soft and have been degummed. Jappe is an example of this group.

Heading:

This is the top part of a drapery that accommodates the pleats. The heading can vary in depth, but the most common are 2"or 3" high.

Hopsack:

The cloth of square construction takes its name from the modified plain-weave from which it is made. It is synonymous with weaves known as basket or matt.

Jacquard:

Fabrics woven with looms equipped with Jacquard attachments can produce a complex weave such as brocade or damask.

Linen:

This is a product of the flax plant. Among the properties of linen are rapid moisture absorption, no fuzziness, does not soil quickly, a natural luster and stiffness.

Lining:

A fabric backing for a drapery.

Macramé:

A type of knotted lace made with knots arranged to create a design.

Organza:

A sheer, stiff, plain-weave cloth originally made from continuous filament silk in the gum, but now also made from continuous filament manufactured fibers. This fabric may be dyed, printed or machine embroidered.

Panel:

One half a pair of draperies or curtains.

Polyester:

A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is a long-chain synthetic polymer. It is a crease-resistant, quick drying and required minimum care.

Pelmet:

A decorative way of concealing the top of curtains and curtain tracks. Also known as a valance.

Pencil Pleat:

A curtain heading formed by a tape which, when drawn up, creates a row of narrow, densely packed folds.

Pillow Sham:

A decorative pillow covering used during the daytime.

Ready – Mades:

Standard size draperies, manufactured to accommodate standard size windows; they are factory-made and available at local stores or through mail order sources.

Rhinestone:

An imitation stone of high luster made of glass, paste, or gem quartz.

Rod Pocket:

A hollow sleeve in the top, and sometimes the bottom, of a curtain or drapery through which a rod is inserted. The rod is then attached to a solid wall surface.

Roman Blind:

A corded blind with horizontally set rods at the back, causing the blind to form a series of lateral pleats when raised.

Runner:

A long piece of fabric placed down the center of a table for decoration.

Sheer:

Any transparent or very lightweight fabric, such as ninon, batiste and voile, of various constructions and yarns, especially man-made fiber yarns.

Silk:

The only natural fiber that comes in a filament form reeled from the cocoon, cultivated or wild.

Slub Yarn:

Yarn of any type which is irregular in diameter; may be caused by error, or purposely made with slubs to bring out some desired effect to enhance a material.

Swag:

A piece of lined fabric draped into folds to form a semi-circular shape. Each swag is made separately and placed onto the pole according to the swag design.

Tab Top:

Free hanging curtains with fabric tabs at the top for use with a curtain pole.

Taffeta:

A fine plain weave fabric smooth on both sides, usually with a sheen on its surface.

Taped Top:

A curtain with a wide woven heading tape incorporating pockets for curtains hooks and gathering cords.

Tie Backs:

A shaped and stiffened band, tasselled cord, sash or ribbon used to hold back a curtain.

Tie Blind:

A single panel curtain, usually with two tie ribbons which can be secured with a bow at the desired height.

Valance:

A soft fabric skirt that hangs from the top of the window or bed, as an alternative to a pelmet.

Velvet:

A warp pile cloth in which a succession of rows of short cut pile stand so close together as to give an even, uniform surface. When the pile is more than one-eighth of an inch high, the cloth is usually called plus.

Voile:

A sheer, transparent, lightweight fabric made of highly twisted yarns of cotton or blends.