Upload
duongdat
View
212
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
A DICTIONARY,
ofSILK TE RMS
NEW YORK
I ssued by THE AM ERI CANSI LK JOURNAL.
CLI FFORD LAWTON , Publishers
INTRODUCTION
N preparing this book it has been our
obj ect to present a carefully compiled ,complete and authentic dictionary of
the descript ive,commercial and bi stori
cal s ilk terms employed in the silk
world,as related to every state o f manufactured goods
,
from the raw silk to the finished broad and narrow
silks,including weaves
,styles
,patterns
,woven
,printed
and color effects,etc .
It will prove a valuable re ference book for use
by manufacturers,stylers
,the buyers o f s ilk goods
and wholesale and retail salesmen . To the silk student
it is a short cut to a quick and reliable understanding
o f technical matters not to be found in text books .Before publication in book form this D ict ionary
of S i lk Terms was brought to the notice o f the for e
most fabric and style experts for full and free eriti
cism,revision and amendment and
,therefore
,cannot
fail to prove o f value as a handy reference work in
the mill and in wholesale and retai l s ilk departments
everywhere . In this bel ie f we send it forth on itsmiss ion to the silk manufacturers and trade .
I ‘ M n I1"I
DICTIONARY
ABBATRE . Patterns showing depressed effects .
AB I s MESSALINE TAE FE TA. Trade name for a
high - grade taffeta with messaline finish . The nameAbi s” ofno special Or definite significance .
AD - HOCK . A trade name appl ied to over- print
ing ; hand - block printing in colors over a j acquard design .
AGRA GAUZE,GAZE D ’AGRA . A strong
,tran spar
ent,gauze - like silk fabric .
A JOUR . Openwork effect .
ALBA VELVET . Brand name for a j acquard velvet .
ALEXANDRIA . Prior to the Seventh Century, Alex
andria was well known for its silk manufactures .
ALGERIAN S ILK . Brand name for a coarse rough
silk .
"Reg.
ALLE PPO. Famous for its silks,S ixteenth Cen
ALLOVERS . Relating to the design which covers ,as distinguished from fragmentary moti fs
,borders or
stripes .
ALMA . Cloth ofdouble twill weave running diagonally from left to right . Originally made in black for
mourning wear .
"RE G. : Regis tered in the Regis tered Trade Mark B ureau
of the Silk Ass ocia tion ofAmerica .
8 A D I C T I O N A R Y
ANAPHE S ILK . A species o f wild silk produced
in A frica by the Anaphe s ilkworm .
ANAPHE S ILKWORM . A genus ofsilkworm found
in Uganda and other parts o f A frica . Feeds on the
leaves o f a species o f fig tree . The nest and cocoons
which are formed in considerable numbers,are used for
waste s ilk . In“
Southern N igeria - anaphe silk is used bvthe natives In con j unction with cotton for making th
so—called' “soyan” cloths .
ANAToLIA . Famous for its silk stuffs,S ixteenth
Century .
ANTHE REA . A genus ofmoths belonging to the
bombyx and silk—div i sion ; the leading varieties are :
A . Paphia or tussah, A . mylitta, A .
’
pernyi, A . Muga ,
or assamo,A: meeankoorie, A . roylei .
ANTIQUE . Applied to certain fabrics in imitation
o f the s ilk stuffs offormer centuries ; instance; satin
antiques,m01ré antiques
,etc .
APPLIQUE . Materials cut out and sewed , embroidered or pasted on other materials .
ARABESQUE . A style o f scroll design,famous in
the S ixteenth Century . Patterns o f an Arabic nature .
ARI DAs .- A glossy silk fabric of smooth texture .
ARMENIA . Noted for its silk stuffs , S ixteenth Cen
ARMORCLAD . Trade name for a double- warp taf
feta o i great strengt h and wear ;
ARMOZEEN . A stout black silk used chiefly for
hat bandsf
OF S I L K T E R M S 9
ARMURE . A twilled weave showing a broken rib
or pebbled surface .
ARMURE—LAINE . A heavy ribbed or corded silk ,woo l - filled .
Armure—laine.
ARMURE SAT I N EE . A s ilk showing a fine twill
armure sur face and satin back .
ARRASENE . A cord or thread o f s ilk or wo ol ;resembles chenille ; used for embroidery .
ARTIFI CIAL S ILK . An imitation of natural silk,secured by treating' cellulose obtained from any source
,
usually cotton waste or wood pulp,by variou s processes
,
10 A D I C T I O N A R Y
the chie f obj ect ofwhich i s to impregnate the cellulo se
with nitrogen .
ART SERGE . Any fabric o f a serge character in
esthetic colors .
ASSOUPLAGE . The French term for the processby which s ouple silk is produced .
ASTRAKHAN . The name given to a looped pile
fabric o f a coarse texture presenting a curious curlv
surface . These fabrics are produced in two ways
1. On the weft principle,a shrinkage of the
ground texture throwing the pile weft up as a loop .
2 . As a warp texture,in which a thick curly warp
yarn is brought over wires to form the necessary loops .
ATHENS . Famous for its silk stuffs as early as
the S ixth Century .
ATLAS . A rich fabric woven in India ; the At
tacas Atlas , the largest of s ilk moths producing a silk
o f great strength and weight .ATTACUS . A genus of s ilk moth formerly re
garded as a class o f wild silkworms ; the genus includesthe A . warm
,or eria
,A . Cynthia,
ailan thus,A . atlas
,
and A . selene.
AUNE .. The one and a quarter yard folds o f s ilk
goods folded in the piece are called aunes . Same as
E 11,which see .AURANG - SHAKI . A rich E ast India s ilk fabric .
Aurang meaning “throne,
” it was probably a silk used
for covering the throne o f a H indu King .
AUREOLE. The line or ring that appears round a
cleaned spot on a fabric .
AUSTRIA . S ilk weaving commenced about one
O F S I L’
K T E R M S 11
hundred and twenty—fiv e years ago , when Ital ian weav
ers were operating ov er one thousand looms in or near
Vienna .
AYAS . A so ft Japanese twill . A trade name .
BABY RIBBON . A term applied to the narrowest
of ribbons— widths usually favored for infants’ wear .
BACKED CLOTHS . Cloths which are made thick by
extra weft,extra warp
,or another ply o f cloth p ro
cessed on the back .
BACKING . The weft or warp employed in form
ing the back o f a faced cloth .
BAGDAD . Trade name for an Oriental novelty of
recent origin .
BAKST DESIGNS . In the style o f Leon B akst ,best known for his costume designs for the RussianBallet . Barbaric, O riental feeling expressed in a man
ner all ied to the Futurist . Crude form s in strongcolors without shading— vigorous and sensuous .
BALDACHINE . A Medieval Silk fabric embroid
ered with gold ; was made at Damascus .
BAMBERG . The Lyons Museum at Bamberg'
possesses extraordinary examples o f si lks from the Tenth
to the Twel fth Century .
BANDANNA . A handkerchief of s ilk or cotton in
which spots or, figures are left white upon a red or
blue ground .
BARATHEA . A fine texture o f broken weft—rib
character or armure weave . O riginally adopted as aspecific registered trade name for an armure tie - silk ,and now generally used in the trade to describe tie
silks o f this particular armure w eave .
12 A D I C T I O N A R Y
BAREGE . Sheer stuff of Silk and wool for veiling. Made largely near Bareges , France .
BARRE . S triped laterally, in same direction as thefill ing ; s imilar to travers . Showing transverse bars
,
as the “barrel owl .”
BASKET E FFECT . An order of basket- l ike inter
section ofwarp and weft, giving an enlarged hopsack
or mat appearance in the woven material , hence theSpecial name .
BASKET WEAVE .
‘ A variation of the plain weave
in which the same crossing ofwarp and weft i s re
peated as o ften as the size of the pattern requires .
BATISTE. A sheer fabr ic of Silk and linen woven
plain or with silk or Satin stripes . There are also
bati stes of cotton and ofwool .BAVE . French for the double thread as present
in the cocoon .
BAYADERE . Showing straight or undulating cross
stripes— usually in alternated and brilliant colors
with startling and bizarre effect . Name derived fromB ayadere (or
“Bajadere”
) dancing girl s o f the underworld in India
,dedicated from thei r birth to the li fe ;
the striped garment being supplemented with filmy
scar f or shawl,j eweled trousers , bangles , gold sequins ,
anklets , etc .
BAYADERE MOIRE . Same as above, with watered
effect added .
BEAD E DGE . A series o f looped threads edging a
ribbon,picot edge
,which see .
O F S I L K T E R M S
BEDFORD CORD . A texture in which the interlac
ing is so arranged that a warp surface fabric is pro
duced with a rounded co rd effect, running warp way ,the indented effect being produced by two threads
wo rking plain .
BEEGE . A fabric —
of a twi ll character , somewhatloose in texture .
B edford cord .
BEIGE . Cloth offine texture,woven from double
and twist yarns ‘ in which the two threads are of different colo rs
,or wherein printed yarns are employed .
BENGAL . The -raw s ilk gathered in the Indian
province ofBengal ; a striped musl in .
BEN GALINE . A plain,round- co rded weave, more
or less heavy,o f the poplin family . May be of silk
14;‘
A D I C T I O N A R Y
warp and wool or cotton filling or of all silk, which
latter would be called Bengaline de Soie . Name derived from Bengal
,India
,famous for its production
of various rich and peculiar stuffs of silk,woo l and
cotton .
‘ BENGALINE DE SOIE .-A plain
,corded weave
,re
sembling poplin,with warp and weft of s ilk .
BENGALINE RADIANT . A fancy bengaline h aving
a heavy so ft weft , the fabric surface radiantly reflect
ing the light in po ints . Regf
BENGALINE VELOURS . A h eavy piece—dyed so ft
finished bengaline . Reg .
BENGAL PONGEE . Brand name for a pongee s ilk .
BERBER . Light - weight satin— faced fabric ; came
into favor about the time o f the defeat o f the Berbers
in the war against the Mahdi in'
North A fr ica .
B E YROUT . Famous for its silks , S ixteenth Cen
BINDING THREADS . . Threads employed to unite
two or more textures into one firm structure .
B IRD’
s—E YE . A class o f fabric patterns based on
the diamond twill , the special f eature of which is asmall dot in the center of each figure .
B IRE TZ . A revers ible double— faced Cloth of s ilkand wool
,one .side o f which shows a corded weave and
the other a cashmere or twill weave . Also called “E lec
toral
O F S I L K T E R M S 15
B LEACHING . The Whitening O f textile materials
in the raw, semi—manufactured, or fully- manufacturedstate by “grassing
,
”
or by chemical means .
BLOCK ; The pasteboard rolls on which ribbons
are blocked .
BLOCK PRINTING . The method of printing byblocks
,as distinguished from printing with rollers .
BLOOM . A glaucous appearance like the bloom on
the.
peach and the plum,imparted to s ilk and pile
fabrics either by the nature o f the weave or the finish .
BLOTCH GROUND or BLOTCH PRINTING . Printed
s ilk,the ground o f which is printed in black or color .
Also applied to indistinct printed patterns .
B LUTEAU . See bolting cloth .
BOILED - OFF S ILK . Degummed silk .
BOILING- OFF . Same as degumm ing. The opera
tion o f removing, by means o f a hot l iqu id and soap
suds,the gum which cov ers the raw silk fiber
BOLTING CLOTH . A'
fine gauze cloth made ofungummed silk in a gauze- like weave and used by mill
ers for si fting flour .BOMBAZINE . A black fabric composed ofworsted
weft and s ilk warp,woven in a fine Open twill . Used
largely for mourning hat- bands .
BOMBYX MORI . The genus ofmoths, the caterpillar ofwhich is the silkworm O f China . It is the
main source Of silk . The breed has Spread all ov er
the world . There are three distinct varieties knownto the silk trade
,B . Mori
,B . Fortunatus and B .
Tex tor .
16 A D I C T I O N A R Y ’,
BOOK . As iatic raw Silk is put up in small bundles
called “books .” The Japan book . weighs about four
pounds and contains from fi fty to Sixty skeins . Booksof China and Canton silk are larger and heavier .
BORDER . The outer edge O f a pattern or cloth ;selvage .
BOUCLE . French for buckled . A fabric with sur
face showing lock—Of-h air effect .
BOUILLONNE . Having shirred or gathered effect .
BOURETTE . Showing rough threads appearing inlines
,straight or broken ; produced by lumpy or noil
yarns .
BOURETTE SILK . Short fiber waste silk carded and
BOURRE . Applied to patterns having a padded or
stuffed effect .
B ox - LOOM E FFECTS . Produced on a loom by
which different colors ofweft may be thrown into the
fabric by l i fting or lowering the required shuttle intothe picking plane
,producing different colored cross or
bayadere stripes , al so the cro ss Stripes in p laidsfi
BRIDES . The threads Of warp or weft connect
ing parts Ofthe pattern .
BRILLIANT . Indicating a finish of great luster .May be applied to any fabric .
BRILLIANTE . A sheer piece— dyed fabric woven in
the raw and finished very brill iant . Largely used inmillinery .
BRIN . Thes ingle fi lament Ofthe cocoon .
18 A D I C T I O N A R Y
with gold and silver threads interwoven . Any fabric
woven in j acquard effect .
BROCATELLE . A heavy,rich brocade differing
from damask in that the woven design or figure issatin in texture relieved by a ground less bright i n
appearance,produced by a
.different weaving of the
threads, such as taffeta or sarcenet ground with satin
brocade figures . (See brocade and damask . )
B ROCHE . The French term for“brocade
, ap
plies particularly to figures swiveled in the weave ; a
loom- embro idered effect ; woven with a figure .
BRODE . E mbro idered .
BROKEN CHECKS . Woven check patterns in whichby weave effect the checks are a trifle irregular as dis
tinguished from the regular cubic"
form Ofthe check .
BROKEN—E NDS . E nds in the warp which have
broken ow ing to weakness or being too heavily ten
sioned , and showing de fect in the cloth when the
breaking has taken p lace during weaving.
BROKEN - PICKS . A defec t .in weaving caused bythe weft breaking as it passes from edge to edge of
the piece .
BROKEN POINTED TWILL . A pointed tw il l in
which the twill ing 1s broken and later on continued .
BROKEN TW ILL . A design or plan in which the
effect is that ofan ordinary twill arranged in a broken“
or non- continuous order .
BROUSSA . A s ia M inor, famous for its Silks , Six
teenth Century
O F S I L K T E R M S 19
BRUGES . The Netherlands were noted for Brugessi lk and especially satins in the E ighteenth Century .
BRUSHOFF TAFFETA . Trade name for a pure dye
black taffeta .
BULLDOG TAFFETA . A registered trade name for
an exceedingly strong taffeta,claimed to be non - tear
able .
BURLINGHAM . Trade name for a coarse domestic
silk fabric O f O riental character . Sacking.
BURMAH . Registered trade name for a peculiar
homespun weave of Oriental character Ofuneven sur
face and extremely so ft finish .
BUTTONHOLE TWIST . A si lk thread special ly pre
pared for sewing buttonholes and eyelets .
BYSSUS SILK . Al so knownas “ sea silk, Obtained
from a shell fish,the P enna Noblisis
,which secretes
wooly fibers known as Byssus or “beards” resembl ing
silk . Used in Italy and in Normandy for the making
O f ornamental braid articles .
BYZANTIUM . Satins and silks -were famous inearly Byzantium . Called Byzantine effects .
CACHEMIRE (French for Cashmere or Kashmir ) .
A style showing palms and other Persian and Indian
patterns in dark,rich O riental colorings . Akin to
Persian effects . Name derived from Cashmere,India
,
noted for Cashmere shaWIS f
and rich and beauti ful
fabrics made from ha1r O f the native goat .
CACHEMIRE DE SOIE . A silk cloth woven with a
fine twill and having a cashmere- l ike finish .
A D I C T I O N A R Y
CALENDERING . A finish - for cloth particularly,
which gives smoothness,luster
,and special effects by
pressure under rollers .
CALFSKIN S ILK . Trade name . An exquisitely
so ft weave, with pattern , warp—printed, in marvelousimitation O f the outer skin O f the cal f
,showing all
the markings in colo r and shadings— brown , fawn, etc . ,shading to pure white
CAMAK,or COMACOA . A - silk and c amel ’ s hair
mixed .
CA—ME LET . A mixed fabric O f woo l , hair and silk
tw‘i ll,sometimes waved or watered .
CAM BRIDGE VELVET . Brand name for a piece—dyed
mottled velvet . Reg.
CANILLE . A jo inted effect, with stripes broken
at interval s by knots or small s quares,resembling
somewhat th e j o ints in cane or bamboo .
CANNELE . Also known as “ repp,
” related to taf
feta weaves,and appearing mainly In the form Of
stripes,in combination with some other patterns .
CANTON CREPE . A fabric made Of fine quality
Canton silk yarn which I s given a crepe twist ; the
fabric 15 of crepe weave and heavier in texture than
crepe de chine .CAPTURES . The lacing threads in skeins .
-of raw
s ilk , particularly in Grant reeled silk .
CARDED S ILK . S ilk worked up from imper fectcocoons into yarns .
CARRE CARREAU . Checkered,squared or block
effects .
S I L K T E R M S
CARTON.The pasteboard boxes in which ribbons
boxed are called cartons .
CASSIMERE TW ILL . The twill .
CELLULOSE .The substance forming the cellular
B engal ine with wide cord effect .
ti ssue o f plants and employed in the production o f
imitation silk .
CHAINE OR CHAIN . A word usually used in the
trade fo r “warp .
CHAIN TW ILL . A twill ed fabric Ofa chain char
acter o r appearance obtained by a combination o f
weave and material .
nv b l i
29 A D I C T I O N A R Y
CHALLIS . A l ight- weight, plain - weave fabric o f
silk and woo l,usually printed and sometimes silk or
satin striped .
CHAMELEON . Three—toned o
glacé effect , From
chameleon,a l izard—l ike reptile of constantly changing
color .
CHANGEANT . An effect produced by weaving two
colors together in a plain fabric .
CHAPPE . A term given to silk yarn made from
special wastes O f cocoon and thrown silk .
CHAPPED S ILK . Waste silk degummed by the
process o f fermentation .
CHARDONNET “S ILK . An artificial s ilk so named
a fter the inventor,Count H ilaire de Chardonnet . Pre
pared by nitrating cellulose and dissolving In ether and
alcohol .
CHECK . The term given to the square appearance
produced on a fabric by employing in the weave — two
or more colors O f warp and weft specially arranged to
give a check appearance in the cro ssing of the colors .
CHEN I LLE . A woven fringe, the silk ends hanging
from the binder warp threads . Chenille,French for '
caterpillar .
CHENILLE CLOTH . A fabric with a chenille thread
or effect used as weft with a warp ofcotton or worsted .
CHEVREAU DE SOIE . A piece—dyed silk grosgrain
in which a crepe weft is used . Reg.
CHIFFON . Themerest rag of silk tis sue— the most
fi lmy and so ftest O f s ilk material woven . From chifie,
O F S I L K T E R M S 23
French,a rag ; fl imsy cloth . Also used to indicate
a light - weight fabric ofso ft chiffon finish, as chiffon”
taffeta,
“chiffon” v elvet .
CH I FFoNE TTE . The fl imsiest and mo st bodiless
o f all the chiffon family .
CHIFFON - TAFFETA . An exceedingly thin , soft
l ight- weight taffeta . The same will apply . to all other
weaves with the chiffon prefix .
CH I FFON VELOURS . The lightest and so ftest velours
known,combining somewhat the nature Ofboth weaves
named .
CH I J I M I . A Japanese silk fabric used for draping
purposes .
CHINA . S i lk woven in China as'
early as 1200
B C . Not woven in E urope until 500AD .
- CHINA CREPE . A fine silk gauze woven With a
hard - twisted weft .
CHINA CURLIES . A kind ofwaste made in reel
ing China raw Silk .
CHINA S ILK . The Oldest known form O f silk, de
rived from B ombyx M ori. A term appl ied to the plainwoven silks o f China .
CHINE . A warp—printed effect : designs in mono
or multi—tones printed on the warp .
CH IRIMAN . .A Japanese silk crepe .
CHOP, CHOP TICKET . The brand name by which
different makes o f raw s ilk are identified .
CHOUSE . A large ro sette O f ribbon or tulle .
94 A D I C T I O N A R Y
CHRYSALIS . The last stage in the development o f
the Silkworm from the caterpillar to the moth .
CLASSIQUE . C lass ical patterns Of an approvedor conventional character .
CLOTH OF GOLD TISSUE . Cloths O f gold or
draps d ’or“
velvet and satin became a special class
of splendid stuffs which were plenti fully used in the
Fi fteenth and S ixteenth Centuries ; they superseded to
a great extent.
the brocaded silks of earlier date, al
though the latter fabrics continue in use. Cloths Of
gold have therefo re a very antique origin and the term
may be applied to plain weave silks,brocades and vel
vets,in which gold tinsel or bouillon is intermixed .
’
A
technical difference between the cloths O f gold and
silks broc aded with gold,is that in one the go ld threads
form the ground to the design, whereas in brocades
the ground is o f s ilk,and parts alone of the design
or the entire design are wrought In gold thread .
COCKLED (COCK L I N E SS) . A curl iness or crimp i
ness most marked in fine goods , but always appearingin fabrics when different runs ofyarn or tensions
.
on
sections o f the warp have been accidentally introduced .
COCKLED FABRIC . A de fective fabric,wi th
,an un
even surface appearance , usually due to irregular
shrinkage during finishing. The cause o f such. irregu
larity must, however , be usually looked for much earl ier
on in the cycle o f operations .
COCOON . The covering O f fine threads which the
silkwo rm spins and winds around itsel f , and which
is the material Ofs ilk .
96 A D I C T I O N A R Y
CONDITION ING . The ascertaining or the fixing O fthe amount O f moisture present in textil e material s .Thus to ascertain the true weight O f a bulk lot Of
s ilk,the representative samples must be drawn from
the bales . The samples must then be absolutely dried ,weighed
,and their true or conditioned” weight ob
tained by'
adding to the dry weight the standard “re
gain” moisture . The fixed standard Ofregain for silk
i s 11 per cent .
COQUILLE . Fluted or scalloped , l ike a shell fromwhich the term is deriv ed .
CORA,CORAH . A l ight washable s ilk Of creamy
white from the E ast Indies . An Indian—pattern si lk
handkerchie f .
CORDONNET S ILK . Used for braiding, knittingetc ., consists O f four to eight threads loo sely tw isted
with a left- hand twist to form the primary threads ,three ofwhich are then twisted together with a right
hand tw i st:
CORDUROY. A weft pil e structure in which the
floats O f pile weft are bound into the ground texture
in one continuous l ine warp way, so that upon being
cut they proj ect from this l ine and hence form a dense
pile cord .
COREAN S ILK . Brand name for a piece - dyed dou
pion s ilk Of medium weight,double cocoon fi ll ing .
Reg.
CoRK SCREw WEAVE . A subdiv i s ion of the satin
weave produced by doubl ing yarns of different size
in warp and weft in'
the process Ofweav ing.
O F S I L K T E R M S 927
COTE DE CHEVAL . Al l ied to the Bedford cord
family ;'
a cloth wherein the interlacing Ofwarp and
welt is so arranged as to produce a broken grosgraineffect in a slightly rounded stripe or weft running
warp way, the stripe alternating with an indentedeffect .
COTELE . A ribbed weave O f rather wide flat effect .
COTTON - B ACK SATIN . A l ining material dyed in
the piece,usually made with raw si lk warp and cotton
weft .
COUNTS . A term employed in the silk trade for
indicating the number O f threads and picks per inch .
COUNTS OF YARN . The number given to a yarn
of any material , usually indicating the number Of
skeins per pound Of that yarn .
COVERT WEAVE . A smart upright warp twill,usu
ally obtained by employing a warp sateen weave , or a
modification O f the same .
CRAMMED STRIPED FABRIC . A fabric ofa striped
character produced by cramming a great number o fthreads into one section Of the stripe
,as compared
with the other section or sections o f the stripe . A spe
cial order of looming and sleying is Obviously neces
sary,particularly when the j acquard is employed .
CRAQUANT . The crunching sound Of silk known
as scroop ;” produced by twisted s ilk . See Scroop .
CRAQUELE . Crackled or broken - glass effect in lace
net or silk .
CREPE . French for crape . A puckered or crinkled
fabric .
98 A D I C T I O N A R Y
CREPE ALGERIAN . Aprinted pongee with a roughcrepy surface . Reg.
CREPE BEATRICE . A crepe fabric with an infini
tes imal warp stripe ; also printed . Reg .
CREPE BERBER . Brand name for piece - dyed pon
gee having a crepy sur face : Reg .
CREPE CHARMEUSE . A si lk Ofrich qual ity,piece
dyed,to which is Imparted a glove— l ike finish which
imparts a dull luster,being Ofso ft drapy quality . Cor
rectly made with warp Ofgrenadine twist si lk and weft
Of crepe twist s ilk in satin weave .
CREPE DE CHINE . An exquisitely so ft and drapyfo rm o f crepe
,plain,
figured or printed .
CREPE DIANA . A brand name for a cotton and
silk crepe . Reg .
CREPE FAILLE SUBLIM E . Brand name for an all
s ilk heavy grosgrain with a very hard twisted silk
fi l ling . Reg .
CREPE LA . A small crepe—l ike effect .
CREPE LISSE . A plain fabric with crepy hand,
extremely diaphanous and very like the lightest moussel ine .
CREPE METEORE . Originally a trade name given
to crepe de chine but now generally applied to a fabricdistinguishable from crepe de chine by its lustrou
satin face and so ft finish .
CREPE N E TTE . An all—star crepe pongee piece—dyed .
CREPOLINE . A fabric Ofa warp - rib character, in
which the regular order of the weave is so broken as
to g1v e a“rib—crepe” effect .
O F S I L K T E R M S 99
CREPON . A dress fabric o f silk or wool or silk
and—woo l mixture , in which the des ign is produced byy arns having a different degree of stretch
,which give
a twist; crinkled or raised effect to the design .
CRIMP . A term synonymous with crépon , but less
frequently employed .
Ch iné or warp - pr int.
CRINKLED CREPE . A l ight—weight silk fabric with
a satin— face crepe having a crinkled sur face and variously made to show more or less wrinkled or crinkledsur face .
CRINKLED RE P . A ribbed fabric o f s ilk and cotton
in crinkled rep weave . Reg .
30 A D I C T I O N A R Y
CROI SE . A velvet weave in which the threads cross
each other at the back, forming a kind Oftwill . Fromcroise
’
,French for cro ssed .
CROSS- DYED S imilar to resist dyeing. The dye
ing o f a fabric usually composed O f two material s
say s ilk and wool— one Of.these materials,usually the
warp,having been yarn or warp dyed prior to weav
ing, so that there only remains the second material to
be dyed . In resist dyeing all O f the material which is
not to take the dye in the first dip i s brushed over
with wax . The wax may be removed and again ap
plied to parts which are to resist a second dye,and
so on .
CROSS- OVER STYLE . A style O f fabric O f a stripedcharacter
,in which the stripe takes the direction Of
the weft .
CROWS ’ FEET . The wrinkles found in goods after
being folded are known as crows ’ feet .
CRYSTALS,CRYSTALLINES
,ETC . Corded
,usually
WOO-lfilled fabrics,somewhat akin to Bengalines .
CUBIST DESIGNS . I rregular triangles and other
straight s ided figures O f different colo rs massed to
gether in great apparent disorder with perhaps an oc
casional segment ofa circle or an elipse . Colors O ftenrange from full - strength to l ight tints , frequently there
is a great deal o f tan or buff .
CUT . The standard length O f a finished piece of
cloth as it i s cut f rom the loom .
CUT PILE . A pile formed by looping the threads
over wires,which carry at their ends kniv es, so that
O F S I L K T E R M S 31
as each wire is withdrawn its kni fe severs the pile loop,
thus producing cut p'
ile .
DAMASK . Named from the city of Damascus,
famed in the middle ages for its wonder ful silk fab
rics . A fabric w ith flat figures formed by contrastbetween warp and fil ling surfaces
, i . e.,satin figures
( formed by the fill ing) on satin or twill or taffetasground ( fo rmed by the warp ) .
DAMASSE . With damask effects introduced . Applied to fabrics having a rich heavy woven design ;similar to damask
,which see .
DAMIER . From the French . A check pattern .
E quivalent to Checkerboard .
DEGUMMING . The boil ing—OffO f silk in soap andhot water in order to dissolve and wash away thenatural gum or sericin which surrounds the fiber .
D ENIER . A small silver French coin,value one
twel fth O f a sou and weighing 24 Pari s grains,used as
the standard weight o f silks . According to the UnitedStates S ilk Conditioning Testing Co .
,a denier i s
given as a Skein O f silk 450meters long, weighed by
a unit Of grm . (called denier ) 13 to 15 is written
etc . The standard of the denier varies considerably in different parts O f E urope, the followingbeing some O f the values in use :
Weigh t , Grain s . Length , Meters .
Den ier ( légale) 450
( International ) 500
(Turin ) 476
(M ilan ) 476
(New Lyonese ) 500
32 A . D I C T I O N A R Y
In E ngland and the United States the size is alsoexpressed in terms O f the we ight in drams Of
yards o f the s ilk . This weight may be converted into
the corresponding denier by multiplying it by the fac
tor
DENT . One space in a reed .
DENTAL S ILK . Pure s ilk twisted threads Specially
treated for use for. dental purpos es
DENTELLE. work or lace effects .
Indented ; also'
applied to certain kinds Ofedges .
DEUx TONES . Two tones:
DIAGONAL .
‘ A term ‘
applied'
jgenerally to bold
twills .
DIAPER PATTERN . .A sma ll diamond -Shaped figure
effect .
D ICE PATTERN . A typ e ofpattern cons isting o f
squares Ofvarious dimens ions emphasized in va1 ious
weaves .
DIRECTOIRE . In'
style Of'
the French Directorate,
1793- 18015
DISCHARGE DYEING . B y this process the material
is piece dyed and the color a fterwards removed in cer
tain places by the action Ofchemicals .
DISCHARGE PRINTING . D ischarging or extracting
the colo r with chemicals from a dy ed fabric when
same i s being printed . S imilar to extract printing .
D I SCHARGI NGf Another term.
for degumming silk .
DOUBLE - AND—TWI ST . Threads doubled and then
twisted . Usually applied to the yarn composed o f two
34« A D I C T I O N A R Y
DOUBLE—FACED SATIN . A cloth with two satin
faces made with two systems o f warp so combined that
only one will be vis ible On either side . The color onone side i s generally different from the other .
DOUBLE PLUSH . A plush fabric with a pile onboth sides .
DOUBLING . The twisting together O f two or morethreads
,in order to make a stronger and firmer thread .
DOUP,DOUP WEAVING . A process in weaving
which twists the warp threads around the fi ll ing picks
by means Of special harness loops called “doups .”
DOUPION,DUPION . An irregular rough raw silk
reeled from double cocoons .
DRAM,DRAMMAGE . The one - s ixteenth O f an
ounce . The counts o f thrown, s ilk are des igned in
d rams . The dram system is based on yards tothe dram
,o r 256 yards to the pound for NO . 1 size .
Dividing by any drammage gives its yardage
per pound .
DRAP . Cloth .
DRAP D’ETE . A lli ed to the cashmere in weave but
of heavier texture .
DRAP DE LYONS . A rich,plain French silk made
on Lyons looms .
DRAP D’
OR . Literally meaning C loth OfGold .
”
Also a trade name for a fabric woven in the gum ,Of
class ic Italian (warp ) a nd tussah (fi lling ) , and bo i led
Offto the color Ofpale gold .
DRAP DE SOIE‘
. A somewhat heavy corded“
weave .
Literal ly,si lk cloth .
O F S I L K T E R M S 35
DRAP—SATIN . A wool material w ith satin - l ike
finish .
DRESDEN . A chiné effect,somewhat in imitation
Of the figures and colorings seen in the famous dec
orated porcelain made in Dresden,Saxony .
DUCHESSE . A fine quality o f satin weave, ofgood
body and high luster,the back woven with flat twill .
DUMB S INGLES . S i lk threads reeled without twist,
which are combined to form tram or thrown silk weft .
DUVE TYN . A fabric having a so ft velvety face .
Not a velvet . Wov en Ofs ilk, schappe, wool or cotton .
The weft being double hard—twist yarn,the crinkles
produced by the hard twist after weaving being teasled
or cut to produce a face not unlike that O f a laid or
flattened pile . Duv et,French for “down .
DYEING . The coloring O f materials in the skeinor piece to enhance the value and appearance . Thereare five methods o f producing color in the fabric : ( 1)Raw material dyeing, (2 ) Yarn dyeing, (3) Cross dyeing
, (4 ) M ixed dyeing, ( 5) P iece dyeing .
DYNAMITED S ILK . S ilk which in process o f
weighting is weighted with ti n salts .
E CART . French for variation in the size Of
Silk,i . e.
,the minimum of unevenness O f the highest
and lowest s iz ing skeins taken in a test .
E COSSAIS GENRE . From e’
cossai-
s,French for
Scotch,and genre— a style offigure and color in tissue
il lustrating every—day l i fe,manners and customs
,the
same as in painting and other arts .
36 A D I C T I O N A R Y
E cRAsE . Showing a crushed,laid or flattened
effect .
E CRU . Raw,unbleached silk in its natural color .
From crudus, Latin for raw .
E GYPTIAN CREPE . Trade name for crinkly crepe .
E LL . The ell,or aune on which the denier - aune
system Of si lk measure was based,measured
E nglish inches .
E M BOSSE DO r RAISED VELVET . Show ing pattern inrelief .
E MBOSSING . Impress ing a pattern on a fabric by
means of engraved cylinders on a two—bowl calender ,producing an
'
embossed design .
E MBROIDERY SI LK s . Twisted threads Of variousthicknesses o f a so fter nature ~ than sewing silk and
which include twist,floss
,filo
,rope and etching silks ,
made in all co lors .
E MPIRE . S tyles Ofwomen ’s dress fashionable during the reign O f Napoleon I , based on the mode o f
dress customary in ancient Greece .
E N CARREAU . A square pattern .
E ND-AND—E ND WARP . A warp made with threads
Oftwo colors alternating.
E NDS . A term applied to the threads in a warp_
also to the we ft .
E OLIENNE . Thi s name is applied to a fabric hav
ing the fill ing of coarser count than the warp andin consequence producing a corded effect across thebreadth Of the goods . Usually made O f a raw s ilk
O F S I L K T E R M S 37
warp and either cotton or Worsted fi ll ing, w ith thewarp ends per inch greatly in excess o f picks per inch .
Made in the gray and dyed in the piece . The namecomes from the Greek E eolus
, God o f the Winds .
Cote de Chev al. A type Of surface rib or welt ofthe
B edford cord fam ily .
E PINGLE . A r ibbed fabric in vast variety,show
ing moderately large and smaller ribs alternating— in
plain , in figures and in colors i
E PONGE . A French term for sponge cloth , or
fabric O f so ft nubby yarns ; also applied to terry - l ikeweave effects .
38 A D I C T I O N A R Y
ERIA . The si lk derived from the Attacus ricini,
a moth found in Assam and neighboring provinces:
E STRELLA . A plain woven fabric consisting of
s ilk warp and botany yarn we ft,picked 2 right - twist
yarn and 2 le ft- twist yarn . The weft yarn is very
hard tw ist in order to produce the required crimped
appearance .
E TAMINE . A l ight cloth made of wool,s ilk
,
l inen,etc .
,and o f an Openwork structure o riginally
used as a fi lter cloth
E VE NsIDE D . A weav e wherein the arrangement
o f warp - up”
and“filling- up
” i s evenly balanced,such
as an ev ensided twill .
E XTRACT PRINTING . See discharge print ing .
E XTRA. WARP . The termgiven to warp threadswhich are added to a single cloth with the Obj ect of
(a ) Increasing the weight ofthe cloth . (b) . Figuring
the cloth, or ( c ) Both increas ing the weight and figur
ing at one and the same t ime .
E XTRA WEFT. A term given to extra weft threads
or picks with the Obj ect O f : (a ) Increasing the weightO f the cloth . (b) Figuring the cloth , or ( c ) B oth in
creasing the weight and figuring at one and the same
time .
7 7FAQON N E S. French for fancy weaves .
FAGOTING . A cri ssfcross open - work stitch done in
a rope s ilk .
FAILLE . A so ft,drapy weave Of the grosgrain
order,with very fine flat ribs .
O F S I L K T E R M S 39
FAILLE FRANgAI SE . A faille made on Frenchlooms .
FAILLE MARQUISE . Trade name for a Lyons made
cloth with flat cord and messaline finish .
FAI LLE TI N E . A l ight and extremely so ft weaveO f the faille order .
FAI LLE TI NE MOIRE . A l ight faille in moiré effect .
PAILLETTE . Round—spot patterns on fabrics .
FAILLE VELOURS . A si lk with a crepe faille or
grosgrain weave . Reg.
FANCY TWILL . A twill weave showing various
combinations O f twill weaves forming more o f a pattern th’an the plain diagonal or unbroken twill .
FAST COLOR . A term applied to the color Of ayarn or cloth which wil l withstand light and water .
FELLING MARKS . Marks woven into fabrics at
certain distances,indicating that one piece has been
finished and another piece started .
FESTOON . Loop des igns , sometimes called scal
FEUTRE . Felted,furry . Descriptive of fabrics
having a furry back or face .
FIBER . The name given to the individual con
stituents of a thread . Thus fibril s may be said to
constitute threads,and threads may be said to consti
tute cloths .
FIBROIN . One Ofthe two organic constituents Of
raw silk . A protein substance which may be classed
among the amino acids . The fibroin i s le ft in the silk
40 A D I C T I O N A R Y
after the removal O f the serecin in the process Of
boiling Off.
FIGURED VELVET . Velvet in which the figure or
des ign is obtained through contrast between those por
tions O f the pile which have been cut away,pressed
down,or appear in cut or uncut form on a ground Of
satin,taffeta or other weave .
FILATURES . The factory in which raw silk i s
reeled into skeins from cocoons ; also the machine used
for reel ing from the cocoons .
FILET DE BRUXELLES,BRUSSELS NET . A net ma
terial having a siX— s ided mesh .
f
FILLING E FFECTS . A designation given to weaves
in which the fi ll ing or weft effects predominate .
FINISH ING . The processes through which goods
are put after leav ing the loom,to improve them in ap
pearance and give them the required finish characteristics . Dyeing may be cons idered a finishing Operation ,but it is perhaps better cons idered as a process distinct
from the finishing.
FLEUR DE JEUNESSE . An especial ly l ively si lk on
the order o f Fleur de Soie and properly a member Of
the taffeta family . Finished water— spot proo f . Al so
known as the “S i lk Of'
L ife .
FLEUR DE SOIE (Flower o f s ilk ) . Face Of satin
de Lyons twill,with a backing interlaced in what is
known as the twelve - sha ft satin principle .
FLEUR -DE VELOURS (Flower Ofvelours ) . A fine
and very Superior grade Ofvelours .
A D I C T I O N A R Y
practically useless , but now is Spun into very satis
factory yarn .
FLOSS - S ILK . The soft envelope Of the cocoon
made into spun silk embroidery floss double—end twist
threads o f s ilk used for embro idery .
FLOTTI LONS. Test skeins o f raw silk, rleeled 450
or about 500 yards in length , to determine the denier
or s ize o f s ilk . The legal denier is a skein Of this
length,wound in 400 turns on a reel Of112% centi
meters in circum ference (about 44 inches ) , and
weighed by a unit Of five centigrammes (about 7%grains ) , called denier , which see .
FOLI E s B ERGERES . Trade name for a new washable Silk . From the “FOlies Bergeres ,
” a noted amuse
ment resor t in Paris .
FOND . French for the ground or foundation
weave .
FOULARD . A two—and - two—thread weave, forming
a Soft , fine,l
'
avable s ilk,usually printed . Originally
imported from India,now made in other countries .
FOUNDATION WEAVES . There are but three
plain,twill and satin . Al l others are variations Of
these .
FOUR—I N —ON E . Trade name for a closely wovenJapanese fabric, claimed to be spot and perspiration
proo f,and a fast black .
FRISE Ruffled .
FRISONS o r FRI SON N E TS. The irregular and
tangled silk on the outside ofcocoons ; waste obtained
in reeling'
cocoons .
O F S I L K T E R M S 43
FUTAK o- ORI . A fancy cotton material woven in
France in which a little silk is used for effects .
FUTURI ST DESIGNS . Roughly drawn natural forms
without shading . Colors diluted with white from sharp,
hard colors , bringing them hal f—way between pastel
t ints and ful l - strength colors . Introduced as the styleo f - the future
,hence Futurist . S imilar in principle
to paint ings o f Futurist school .
GALLOONS . Bindings composed Ofsilk and gold or
si lver threads .
GASSING . A process which certain classes Of
yarns,especially certain silk and cotton yarns
,are put
through to take away all superfluous fibers and thus
make a very clean and smooth thread .
GAUFFRE . From gaufrer , to figure cloth or vel
vet ; to honeycomb or waffle . An effect produced bypressure or gauffrage in calendering, by which the sur
face of almost any fabric,but especially the lighter
weaves,can be pressed into forms o f rel ie f . Satins
,
for instance,may be made to imitate moiré . Fluted
and accordion - pleated effects are obtained in l ikemanner .
GAUZE . French, gaze ; a very fine and peculiar
weave Ofthe hunting order . A thin v oile,or veiling .
GEISHA S ILK . Brand name for a domestic habu
tai , piece—dyed . Reg.
GENOESE . Term applying sometimes to velvet a fterthe early Genoese styles
,cut and uncut and interwoven
with gold .
44 A D I C T I O N A R Y
GEORGETTE CREPE . A‘ brand name for a diaphan
ous si lk crepe O f special weave c onstruction in infin i
tesimal or armure effects,a lso striped .
GEORGIAN CREPE . Brand name for an armure
crepe . Reg
GIM P . A“
term usually applied to a twist yarnusually Of a
“
fancy character . One or more colored
threads are twisted around a center core thread,com
p letely hiding i t .
GLACE . A lustrous effect imparted by weavingtwo tones
,and a special finish . From glacial
,having
the sheen of glacier ice .
GLORIA . P lain =weav e of s ilk aiid wool , and s ilkand cotton ; made forumbrella cover ing. The name
is literal,mean ing - bright .
GLOSSING . S tretching and moistening S i lk yarns
to impart luster ; glazing.
GORDON CORD . The name applied to a weave “ o f
a twilled cord character .
GOSSAMER . A s ilk gauze o f cobweb texture so ft
and flexible ; a veiling .
GRAINE .- E ggs O f s ilkworm .
GRAMME . Metrical unit Ofweight .
GRANDE FAgON . E quivalent to the complete
wo rking out or demonstration .
” Also known as the“One Hundred Per Cent . M ethod” o f adjusting the
price to be paid for throwing, on a bas is which determines the “amount o f waste made by the throwster
,for
which he is required to pay at the thrown silk price .
O F S I L K T E R M S 45
GRANDMOTHER S ILK . Registered trade name for
a fine,pure dye s ilk, in black and colors , O f superior
weave and finish . A renaissance O f the rich and
able Si lk O f the Olden time .
E p ingle o r ép ingaline. A cross p in rib ofwh ich there
are sev eral v ar iet ies .
GRANDRELLE . A type o f twist yarn produced bytwisting together of two threads usually very differently colored .
GRANITE . A sort o f armure Or pebble weave
effect .
46 A D I C T I O N A R Y
GRANITE SOIE .
'
A rich and elegant form O ffaconné ; in color a whitish gray, as seen in the granite
rock .
GRANT REEL . A skein O f raw s ilk so reeled that
the thread forms definite and regular crossings,as dis
tinguished from a skein wherein the thread is reeled in
parallel rows .
GRAY GOODS . Goods Woven with undyed yarn for
dyeing in the piece .
GRECQUE . Greek, applied to patterns or moti fshaving a Greek character .
GREGE . French for raw silk .
GRENADINE . An open—work,gauze - l ike fabric Of
s ilk or wool . E xtremely thin and transparent . The
silk fabric is known as grenadine de soie.
GRISAILLE . A fabric with a gray effect woven
with a warp and fi ll ing contrasting black and white .
GRI VELE. Spe ckled,spotted or m
’
ottled effects .
GRos DE LONDRES . A dress si lk woven in alter
nating coarse and fine ribs,sometimes in ribs Of two
different colors .
GROS’
DE NAPLES . Another Of the numerous gros
family with the cross - ribbed weave O f the demi—gros
grain,but not as smooth or bril liant as taffeta lustre
’
.
GRos DE TOURS . Resembling taffetas , the differ
ence being that,instead o f one
,two or more picks are
inserted in the same shed or Opening Of the warp
threads,forming a fine ribbed sur face . A sublimated
grosgrain .
O F S I L K T E R M S 47
GROS DES INDES . A dress si lk w ith a wide wale
diagonal weave .
GROSGRAIN . From gros ( coarse or large ) andgrain A ribbed fabric with heavy threadrunning crosswise“ C lassed with the épingles . Gros
de Londres,Gros de Naples , Gros de Columbia, Gros
de Paris,and all the other numerous “
Gros” are Of
the same general character .
GROUND . The plain part Ofa web.
HABUTAI . A So ft, washable Japanese s ilk Ofplain
weave o f smooth and even texture . Originally and
stil l largely made in Japan , and now also in the United
States .
HABUTAI DE SUISSE . Trade name for a pure dye
spotp roofs ilk Ofthe Habutai order, finished with l ittle
luster .
- HAIRLINE . A term indiscriminately applied to fine
colored striped fabrics . . S trictly speaking these stripesshould be formed on the true hairline pr inc iple
,which
is,that for the stripe in the warp direction each color o f
warp must be covered by its own Color Of,
weft , and
for the weft direction that each color o f weft Should
be covered by its own color warp .
HAMMERED S ILK: A recently produced novelty,showing effect as O f hammered metal— copper , brass
or other imparted in the weave by use O f the j ac
quard . Trade name for a neckwear fabric .
HAND . The handle Ofgoods or its touch to the
sense O f feeling .
48 A D I C T I O N A R Y
HARD S ILK . Raw s ilk t hrown or unthrown in thetingummed state .
HARLEQUIN CHECKS . A plaid effect in three ormore distinct colors . Af_ter .
the parti - colored dres s o fa buffoon
,or harlequin .
HARD TWI ST . A yarn which contains more thanthe usual number o f turns per inch, and is consequently
employed only in special cases such as for hard twistfabrics l ike crepe de chine and grenadine .
HARNESS . A collection Ofheddles,cords or wire
,
having openings or eyes in their centers,through which
the warp threads pass in the loom .
HATTER’S PLUSH . A~ silk plush from which men ’ s
full - dress hats are made .
HEATHER S ILK . Trade name for a rough -finished ,
pure dye fabric o f exquiSI te S Oftness , seen in a greatvariety o f artistic color effects
,resulting from the
union Oftwo contrasting colors or Shades in both warpand weft . An imitation in silk Of the heather effects
seen in Scotch woolens .
HENRIETTA CLOTH . A twilled cashmere Of l ightweight and high finish
, originally made o f s ilk warp
and wool fi ll ing in Yorkshire, E ngland . The name was
given in honor o f Henrietta Maria,O f E ngland , Q ueen
o f Charles I . The silk warp , hand - woven fabric was
produced about the year 1660.
HERRING - BONE . A striped des ign,in which , by
means o f special drafting or a special weave , a cer
tain number O f threads are twilled first to the right
and then to the'
left,thus Opposing each other and
giving the appearance Ofa herring- bone .
50 A D I C T I O N A R Y
two sheds only,being produced by two threads of
warp and two o f weft '
working together .
ILLUSION . A th in and very transparent tulle .
I M B E RL I N E STRIPE . A fabric having the appear
ance o f combining two or more separate fabrics in
long strips,four or s ix to the width
,sometimes O f di f
ferent patterns , as well as being different in"
coloringsand of a damask character . These appear to be j o ined
together by a striae gold stripe which has the appear
ance O f a separate s ilk galloon . The fabric,however
,
i s woven entirely in one piece .
IMPERIAL OTTOMAN . A rather heavy rib piece
dyed fabric o f the bengaline character having a so ftfi ll ing.
IMPRIME . .French for printed .
IMPRIME RADIEUSE . A brightly- lustered article,
surface - printed . A trade name .
I NCRoYAB LE . A style of costume modeled upon
the dress ofa dandy in the period ofthe French D i
rectorate .
INDIA S ILK . A name app l ied to the plain woven
Silks manufactured in India on the primitive hand
looms . The warp and weft are woven ev enly and
produce a beauti ful natural luster . It is Similar to
China and Japan,India s ilk being almost a myth
,so
l ittle O f it is exported .
INLAYING . Same as brocading.
IRIDESCENT . .Rainbow and Shot colo r effects , show
ing prismatic hues and a play Of color .
O F S I L K T E R M S 51
JACQUARD E FFECTS . ‘ Figures produced by themechanism invented by Jean Marie Jacquard , a French
genius o f the time Of the first Napoleon .
JAPANESE S ILK . P lain woven silks manufactured
in Japan .
JARD INIERE . French for flower pot . Garden
effect in which many colors are employed to form pat
terns ofbuds , fruits , flowers , fol iage, etc .
JASPER . Black warp with white fi ll ing,or white
warp with black fi ll ing,forming a gray . Commercially
known as j asper or pepper and salt mixture .
JERSEY CLOTH . A knitted s ilk fabric,also called
M i lanese and tricot cloths ; made from raw s ilk and
dyed in the piece . Now extensively used for women ’ s
undergarments,s ilk gloves and various dress acces
sories .
JOSEPH ’S COAT . A warp in stripes o f different
warp usually made for the sample loom for weaving
samples in various colors . Same as sample blanket .
JOUY. In the late E ighteenth Century the fashion
for I ndiennes,printed cotton fabrics imported into
France from India,had become so popular that at
tempts were made in France to produce the same ef
feets . Factori es were establ ished in several cities,but
the man who first attained any degree Ofprominence
was Ch ristopher Phil ip Oberkampf , a German , who
establ ished a factory at Jouy,near Versailles. He
achieved such success that the name Jouy has been
definitely associated with finely prin ted fabrics follow
ing the types he developed ever since that t ime . The
52 A D I C T I O N A R Y
manufacture ofJouy prints developed to such an ex
tent th-at they seriously threatened the silk industries ,and a Royal edict was issued prohibiting their manufacture and sale . Th is was prior to 1759
,and while
much material was ma de surreptitiously, it was subse
quent to this d ate that the manufa cture attained its
greatest proportions . Thirty years lat er there wereover a hundred factories engaged in making Jouy
prints . The designs were characterized by class icmoti fs beaut i fully engraved and finely colored . They
were made with White backgrounds and also with the
moti fs brought out conspicuously against"an allover
background ofa'
very“
intricate character .
KA- NE - KO STRIPES . Brand name for a striped
warp fabr ic shot with coarse rough Silk . Reg.
KENSINGTON . Brand name for a printed tussah
pongee . Reg .
KHAIKI .‘
A - Japanese s ilk Ofplain weave but Of
not 80' fine a texture as habutai .
KHAKI .'
An earth color . This word is derived
from the H industani word for “earth .
”
KHEDIVE . Trade name for a fabric OfOriental
character .K IB I SSO. Japanese name for certain ofthe wastes
made in the reel ing Ofraw silk .
KIKAI . A name given by Japanese to waste made
in reeling raw silk .
KILOGRAM . A metric weight‘
of grams , esti
mated to be equal to pounds .
KIN . A Japanese weight equivalent to
O F S I L K T E R M S 53
pounds,which is commercially reckoned as
pounds,so that 756 kin weigh pounds . The
quotations on Japanese raw Si lk are‘made in yen per
kin .
Mo iré.
KIOTA . A piece—dyed fabric,l ight weight fris
sons ; coarse rough silk fi ll ing . Reg .
KISMET CLOTH . A trade name for a s ilk fabric
Of peculiar ratiné weave, also Woven with matelassé
effect .KNUBS . Waste s ilk produced during the Operation
Ofwinding Off from the cocoon . Al so little knob— l ike
flecks on raw and So ft Silk are SO—called .
54 A D I C T I O N A R Y
LAMPAS . Kindred to brocatelle ; belongs to the
class o f damask satins . The g round o f lampas , however, i s different in colo r from that O f its figuring .
3)LANCE . French for “thrown Showing tiny dots
or specks ; also fine pin point or pettits pois effects , as
i f the figures were thrown on the ground .
LANSDOWNE . A mixed fabric in fine twill,with
s ilk face and worsted back .
LA VOGUE . A moiré effect formed by fine satin
l ines on a bengaline ground . A trade name .
LE JUNGLE . Trade name for a heavy,coarse
weave showing glimpses o f yarn o f contrasting colors ,with Oriental suggestions .
LEVANTINE . A kind O f silk cloth ; cotton imported
from Smyrna .
LIBERTY . A name first applied by L iberty CO. ,
o f London and Paris , converters— by printing, dyeing
and finishing— Of various silk goods direct from ' the
loom,to a wide range of fabrics handled by them .
Later,in this country
,the name was adopted by the
Liberty S ilk CO .,and applied
,under trade - mark
,to a
variety Of their exclusive productions — as L iberty
satin,L iberty crepe
,L iberty taffetas , L iberty peau de
Soie,L ibe rty bril l iant and other , namely o r exclusively
piece - dyed fabrics . Name now generally applied to
a wide range Ofhigh luster light—weight satins .
LIGNE . The French line,which is one- twel fth O f
a French inch,i s . the world ’ s standard for measuring
the width o f ribbon,tape and other narrow fabrics .
O F S I L K T E R M S 55
There are approximately eleven French lignes to theE nglish inch .
LISSE. From lissorn— supple,flexible . A sort Of
chiffon o f the gauze order with crepe twist . Muchused for ruchings and kindred purposes .
LOADING . A method O f adding either weight toyarn or cloth by loading with various substances .
Low PILE . See high pile .
LOUIS QUARTORZE . See Louis X IV .
LOUIS QUINZE . See Louis X IV and X V .
LOUI S X IV , LOUIS X V ,REGENCE
,DIRECTOIRE
,
E MPIRE,ETC . Terms employed to designate the styles
that prevailed in certain periods o f the political historv
ofFrance,by attaching the name ofthe ruler or form
Ofgovernment then existing .
LOUISINE . A fine- grained,l ight - weight
,so ft
finished s ilk o f infinitesimal basket weave ( invis ible tothe eye ) .
LOUISINE E MPIRE . Trade name for a superior
quality O f above weave .
LOUSINESS , LOUSY S ILK . The flossiness in dyed
silk yarns,known as duvet, v rillie, fine ends
,double
ends,slugs, nibs , knots , imper fectly cemented fila
ments,etc .
,which may exist in the cocoon fi lament
or be caused by faulty reeling, bad throwing, badsoaps and Oils and rough handling
,and boi l ing Off in
the dyeing process .
LUNETTE . Registered trade- mark for a fine sheer
crepe .
56 A'
D I C T I O N A R Y
LUSTRE . Having a special brill iant appearance .
LUSTREAUX . Brand name for a piece—dyed silkfabric having a pile face . Reg .
LUSTRINE,LUTESTRING . A sturdy bri ll iant s ilk
fabr ic on the order o f taffeta lustré .
LUTESTRING . A kind o f silken fabric made earlyin the E ighteenth Century . Striped lutestring.
LUXOR .
'
A weave o f the satin family,with a high
finish , but less lustrous than a satin duchesse . A
sumptuous fabric,de lur e
,o f a reversible order
both s ides alike .
MAKING - UP . A process which finished goods are
put through,such as folding
,ticketing, papering, etc .
,
in preparation for the market ; different markets re
quire goods to be made up in special ways .
MALINE . A fine silk net o f gauze—l ike texture .
Practically the same as tulle .
'
MANDARIN CREPE . A trade name for a s ilk Of
crepe weave Of peculiar construction .
MARABOUT S ILK . Used for crepe, consists oftwo
or three threads united without prel iminary twisting
and dyed without scouring and strongly twisted to
gether,so as to yield a stiff thread .
MARAMATO. A gold brocade OfArabian origin .
MARCELLINE . A light,thin
,diaphanous fabric
used largely for millinery and other l inings .
MARQUISETTE . A sheer,plain—weave fabric ofs ilk,
having a -mesh ‘more Open than that o f voi le and not
quite so large as grenadine .
58 A D I C T I O N A R Y
ME RVE I LLEUx . A m ember of the satin familyshowing
.
a l ight,lustrous twill . From mervaille,
marvel .
MESSALINE . A finish . May be imparted to anyweave
,rendering it exquis itely so ft and supple . Orig
inally a fine , so ft imperial satin Ofpeculiar texture firstmade in Lyons
,with organzine fi ll ing , From M essa
l ina,third wi fe Of E mperor Claudius
,the most in
famous woman in Roman history .
METER . The standard linear measure ofthe Met
ric System,equals E nglish inches .
METRIC COUNT . The numbering applied to vari
ous yarns where such number is based upon the Metr ic
System .
MEXIXE . A registered trade name for s ilks carry
ing des igns suggested by the Aztecs— the original in
habitants Of Mexico . The M exixe” designs are
unique and vivid in colorings .
M I CU I T . A s ilk which contains when dyed about
hal f Of its original gum .
M IKADO TAFFE TAL I NE . Trade name for a peculiar
weave o f l ight taffeta .
M ILANAISE . A corded material,the cords O f
which are covered with certain warped threads by
means o f a doup harness . See Doup .
M ILANESE S ILK . A knitted Silk fabric, made from
raw s ilk and piece dyed , a light j ersey cloth .
M I LLERAYS.
’ A Si lk fabric having a small r ibbed
effect similar to grosgrain , but in which the rib runs
lengthwise the fabric .
O F S I L K T E R M S 59
M IROIR,M IROITE . M irror or looking- glass effects .
M IROIR DU NORD . Same as foregoing,with sug
gestions o f the North— a glacial effect .
M IROIR VELVET . A velvet fabric with the pileironed or pressed down .
M IRROR . A square of flat aluminum painted
block or thin board covered with black velvet on to
which a thread o f silk is reeled in close parallel lines .Used to reveal unevenness and cleanness o f s ilk yarns .E ach square thus wound is called a mirror .
M ISE- E N —CARTE . A pattern as it is laid out onthe square paper used by designers as a guide for cutting j acquard cards .
M ISPI CK . A defect le ft in the cloth by a fi ll ing
thread that misses binding or interlacing in its regular
order with the warp, leaving an imperfection in the
woven material .
MOGUE PONGEE, MOGUL PONGEE . Brand name
for unusually rough shantung pongees . Reg.
MOIRE . A watered effect produced by use O f engraved rollers and high pressure on material o f rib
weave .
MOIRE ANTIQUE . A fabric watered in des ign to
imitate antique effects .
MOIRE A POIS . A watered effect with small satin
dots sprinkled over the surface .
MOIRE ARETOUR .
‘
A material with a special weave
for watering,one—hal f O f its width being figured and
on b eing folded“
and pressed,reproduces an imprint
A D I C T I O N A R Y
on the plain s ide , the watered design then being alikeon each hal f.
MOIRE BENGAL . Trade name for a line ofgoodsnot differing particularly from many other watered
stuffs .
MOIRE BENGAL SOLIDE . Same as abov e . A tradename .
MOIRE DIAMENT .- Same as above .
MOIRE FRANgAI SE . A moiré effect in stripes , p roduced by use ofengraved rollers .
MOIRE IMPERIAL . Show ing an indefinite watered
effect covering‘
the entire surface .
MOIRE ME TALLI QUE . Presenting a w a t e -r
’
e'
d ,
clouded and frosted appearance . A metallic effect .
MOIRE M IROIR . A”
designation for two corded
fabrics woven as ‘
One,bound
-
together only by occa
SIOnal threads ; afterwards moiréd and separated re
su lting in a so ft, velvety watered face .
MOIRE Mother - Of-
p earl effect , showing
the del icate pinkish flush and del icate tints seen in the
interior ofsea shells ; produced by two or more Shades
in a shot S i lk and moiréd .
MOIRE OCEAN . Watered in a design ofwavy, un
dulating stripes .
MOIRE POPLIN . A wool -filled corded fabric withwatered effect .
MOIRE RENAISSANCE ; A fabric watered in Renais
sance design .
MOIRE SCINTILLANT . A Scintillat ing or lustrous ,
NewBedford Textile lnsiliO F S I L K T E R M S NewBl Ol
'
ti, ififi.
watered effect . In satin , a moiré material in whichthe tram threads are woven to produce a peculiarly
bright effect .
MOIRE SOLEIL . A brilliant s ilk fabric with an indist inct moiré effect as sometimes seen in moire
louisine .
MOIRE SUPREME . A rich satin weave,watered .
MOIRE TYROLIEN . A . trade name Of no special
s ignificance .
MOIRE VELOURS . A moiré fabric in velvety effect
imparted in the calendering. See Velours .
MOIRETTE . An imitatiOn'
ofmoiré, wov en O f cot
ton Or other yarns , and dressed:.With a watered appearance
MOLINE . A s ilk taffeta made W ith' heavy spun
silk warp and tram fi l l ing .
MOMMIE . A Japanese weight equivalent to
gra ins 120 mommies; equal one pound .
MON E YBAK . Registered trade name for a depend
able grade Of taffetas .
MONK ’S CLOTH . Brand“
name for a spun rough
tussah silk woven in basket weave . Reg .
MONOTONE . One tone or color .
MORESQUE . Patterns or effects on the Moorish
order .MOTIF . The unit of a des ign which is repeated
over and over again in a paftern .
MOUSSELINE DE SOIE . An extremely light—weight
silk . fabric . Anglice,s ilk muslin.
62 A D I C T I O N A R Y
MULL . A thin. plain woven fabric O f fine so fttexture with cottonWarp and silk fill ing used for dress
purpo ses .
MUMMY CLOTH . A cloth the rough or hopsack
weave O f which is not unlike the appearance Ofclothsused for wrapping E gyptian mummies .
MYSORE S ILK . A printed tussah pongee . Reg.
NACRE . French for pearly . A delicate pearl - shell
effect . Name O f Oriental origin, from nakir— hol
lowed ; a pearly substance which lines the inner side
o f many shells,most especially mother - Of- pearl .
NANKIN . Silk used’
in the blonde laces made at
Bayeux,Caen and Ch antilly early in the E ighteenth
Century was made at Naukin , China , hence sometimes
called Nankin lace .
NAP . The sur face O f a fabric raised in the finish
ing Operations to give it a napped effect .
NAP WARP . P i l e warp .
NARROW FABRICS . General des ignation for rib
bons,tapes
,webbing
,bands and l ike materials .
NATTE . Tressed or basket weave . A name given
to a fabr ic constructed in loose check design in one or
more colors,in a manner to give the cloth a braided
appearance .
NET . Any fabric formed by twisting orweaving
threads together so as to form Open mesh .
NET,FILET . Materials OfOpen mesh weave used
for vei ling,etc .
“NET” S ILK . S i lk yarns produced from the
O F S I L K T E R M S
cocoons by winding or throwing the s ingle fibers as
threads,as distinct from spun silk Obtained by tear
ing the material into a fibrous mass and preparing and
spinning as in the case o f wool .
NID D ’
AB E I LLE . Beehive effect .
NOCTURNE SATIN . A term used to designate a
satin with a repoussé surface l ike that Of hammered
brass .
NOIL . The waste Of the combing machine ,knobbed yarn .
NON —SPOTTABLE PONGEE . A yarn—dried fabric
finished so ft and proo fed a'
gainst spotting o f water .
NOSH I ITO. A kind o f waste made in reel ing raw
NOUVEAU . French for new ,nov el .
NUANCE . A shade“
or tint .“
NUNS ’ VEILING . A sheer veiling made either Of.worsted or all s ilk .
OATMEAL E FFECT A style Ofmixed interlacmgwhich gives a m ixed crepe” appearance to the fabric
,
or an appearance something like oatmeal .
OB I J I . A Japanese fabric made for Japanese
sashes .
OMBRE . A shaded color effect,produced in the
warp by warping in different tones, thus shading from
light to dark . Anywhere from twelve to thirty tones
may be warped in to obtain the des ired effect . Rain
bow shadings,also Obtained by a patent printing
process .
64 A D I C T I O N A R Y
OMBRE MOIRE RENAISSANCE . A watered fabric
showing three tones o f color in broad stripes , shaded ,combining ombré and mo ire effects
,with Renaissant
design suggestion .
OMBRE RAYE . An"effect formed by alternating
ombré stripes with stripes o f the foundation color .
ONDINE . A thick cord bengaline,with eve ry th ird
cord crinkled .
ONDULE . From the French ondulé,undulate .
Anglice , a wavy effect .“ON E HUNDRED PER CENT . THROWING METHOD .
See Grande Facon .
ORGANDY . A th in,l ight
,transparent musl in . May
be O f s ilk or cotton .
ORGANZINE . The s ilk fiber doubled and twisted,
as thrown ” into yarn for warp threads .
OTTOMAN . A fabric with wider,
“
coarsen rib thanfaille
,but belonging to the faille family . May be all
s ilk,all wool
,or a mixture of both
,or a mixture Of
s ilk and cotton .
OTTOMAN CORD . A fabric in which the thick Otto
man—l ike r ibs or cords run lengthw ise the fabric and in
contra—distinction to the crosswise from selvage—to
selvage ribs ofOttoman .
OURVRE . Worked , embroidered or stitched effects .
OVERCHECK . A check introduced over and above
a ground or more subdued check .
OVERSPUN . A thread or yarn that is uneven owing
to its having been Spun or thrown to too high a count
66 A D I C T I O N A R Y
and galloons , especial ly those made of rich gimps,
braids , beads , s ilks and t insel .
PASTEL . Applied to tones Ofany co lo r when ex
cep tionally pale .
PASTILLE . A round or oval spot .
PATTERN ._ A specimen or sample O f a particular
style of fabric .
PEAU . French for skin, hide, pelt .
PEAU DE CHAMOIS . A s ilk armure having a very
so ft finish .
PEAU DE CREPE . Copyrighted trade name for an
exquis itely soft, crepy material, kid - l ike to the touch,
and O f superior wearing and draping qualities .
PEAU DE CYGNE . Skin o f swan . One of the
numerous varieties of the peau family .
’
Of a so ft
texture and finish,and a “hand suggestive of the
feel Ofthe plumage ofa swan— French , cygne.
PEAU DE PECHE . Literal ly peach skin, havmgthe so ft handle l ike the skin ofa peach .
PEAU DE SOIE .
.
An eight—sha ft satin with one
point added , on the right or le ft, to original satin spots ,imparting to the fabric a somewhat grainy appearance .
L iterally,skin Ofs ilk .
PEAU DE SOURIS . Mouse skin, a so ft finished silknot
.
unlike d uvetyn .
PEAU DE SUEDE . A s ilk of so ft supple finish so
named because ofhaving in the handle the feel effect
of leather’
finished'
i
on the wrong or flesh s ide giving
an undressed surface .
O F S I L K T E R M S 67
PEE—WEE E FFECTS . Tiny w eave effects usuallyseen in thin - crepes .
PELUCHE . Shaggy, rough , plush—l ike .
PEKINS . Fabrics in which the stripes,particularly
Ofsatin,run in the direction O f the warp .
PERCE .
'
Usually applied to per forated or eyeletted
fabrics ; a sort o f Openwork effect .
PERSIAN . A thin silk fabric,formerly much used
for linings .
PERSIAN E FFECTS . Also called Oriental and cash
mere . Showing the pecul iar des igns and color tonescommon to cashmere shawls and other Indian and
Thibetan textile productions .
PETITS POIS . Tiny dots or specks . French for
small peas .
PICK . A Single strand O f weft reaching once across
the.p iece. This term is also used to express the action Ofthrowing or picking a shuttle in a loom .
PI CK AND PI CK . This implies the throwing of
s ingle picks ofdifferent colors into a fabric.
PI CK GLASS . A magni fying glass used for count
ing the threads and picks per inch or one—quarter- inchin cloths . Al so used for examining warp and weft
threads when d issecting cloth .
PI CKING. Putting in the fi ll ing threads in weaving .
P'ICKING . The process ofcleaning warps by hand
of_
knots,nibs
,etc .
, and of removing from woven
fabrics by hand or by machine , yarn or weav e blem
ishes .
68 A D I CT I O N A R Y
PI COT . French for splinter . Applied to an edge,
as seen in certain ribbons , looped out to form a finish
on one or both s ides- picot edge .
PICUL . A Chinese weight used in the silk trade
equivalent to 133V3 pounds .
PIECE . A length Of cloth woven from various
warp lengths . As a rule the warp length is fixed,and
under varying conditions will yield varying lengths
O f fabrics .
PIECE DYED . S ilk dyed in the piece —after it is
woven . . P iece dyes are usually woven in the raw or
gum Si lk state,the gum is afterwards boiled Off and
the cloth then dyed in the piece .
PIERCED COCOONS . Cocoons punctured by the
moths emerging after maturing .
PILE . A nap O f fiber on the sur face O f the fab
PILE FABRIC . A fabric in which either special
threads or picks are caused to stand _up from the sur
face . I f left looped the fabric is spoken Ofas uncut
velvet or terry . I f cut the fabric is spoken Of as
cut .”
PILE WARP . The warp which is looped up in
making the sur face O f plush - woven fabrics
PILE WEFT . The weft which is woven into vel ~
v eteens and similar fabrics for the purpose of being
cut to form a sur face pile .
PI N CHECK . M inute squares or dots on the orderO f crossing hairl ines .
O F S I L K T E R M S 69
PI NHEAD CHECKS . Checks O f infinites imal size .
PIQUE . See Marseilles .
PIQUES . The Silk derived from imperfect cocoonsis SO called .
PLAID . A checked pattern .
PLAIN WEAVE . The s implest form O f a woventexture in which each thread O f weft passes alternatelyover and under each thread Ofwarp .
PLAITED YARN . A thread forming a core around
which a thread o f different material is twisted as a
cotton thread wound with si lk or tinsel .
PLISSE. French for pleated . A pleated effect that
may b e appl ied to almost any material,including vel
vets . May be done by machinery, or, in case O f ribbons
,
’
by use o f draw strings . From French plisser,to plait
,to crimple
,to fold
,etc;
PLISSE OMBRE . An armure weave in plissé effect
and ombré shading .
PLUSH . A cut- pile fabric Ofs ilk, mohair, cotton ,flax or wool woven with a deeper pile than that o f
velvet . P eluehe,the origin o f the name , is French
for shaggy .
POIL OR S I NGLE S ILK . Used for gold and s ilver
tinsel,i s a raw silk thread consisting O f eight to ten
cocoon threads twisted together .
POINTED TWILL . Twill weaves in which the twill
points in the direction O f the fill ing and also o f the
warp .
POINTILLE . Dotted .
70 A D I C T I O N A R Y
POLKA DOTS . Tiny dots usual in printed silks,
especially foulards .
POLO DOTS . Large dots printed in white or coloron white or sol id color grounds . Also called coin dots .
POMPADOUR . From Madam Pompadour,mistress
o f Louis X V , who created an epoch in fashion during
a portion O f the past c entury . Pompadour effects asseen in s ilks and ribbons are largely floral in char
acter,and are expressed in rich
,so ft colorings
,Some
what Of the pastel order Sometimes applied to a
peculiar crimson or pink shade
POMPADOUR GROS DE TOUR . A high—class gros
grain,w ith fine ribbed surface and in Pompadour
effect .POMPEIAN VELVET. A velvet made Ofyarn - dyed
organzine . Registered brand name .
PONGEE. A plain s ilk woven in "the gum, usually
of s ingles ,”
which may be used in the raw s ilk form
or boiled '
off, and may be piece - dyed or printed . NameO f E ast Indian or igin, and originally applied to a fab
r ic ofundyed s ilk from India or China .
PONGEE IM PERIAL . A heavy pongee s ilk woven
with . a taffeta sur face .
POPELINE . A rep wool - and - s ilk material,the
warp ofs ilk .
P OPE LI NETTE . An extremely light—weight poplin
weave between a grenadine and taffetas
POPLIN .- From the French popeline, luster . A
fabric O f many v ariet ies , usually O f si lk and worsted .
I rish poplin is made Of silk warp _and worsted weft .
O F S I L K T E R M S 71
POST - IMPRESSIONIST D ESIGNS . Natural formssimplified to give only impress ion ofsalient characteristics, not detail . Like Post- Impressionist paintings , adegree more indefinite than Impressionist work .
POULT DE SOIE . A peculiarly strong and durablesilk o f the grosgrain family .
PRINTING. Impress ing a pattern on warp or fabric by machine or block .
PROOFING . A process through which certain silk
goods pass , whereby they are rendered imperv ious tospotting by water and are variously termed “
showerproo f” and “spot- proo f .”
PUNJAB S ILKS . Domestic imitations of Indianfabrics . Seen in checks , fancies , shot and changeable
effects,or w ith figures imparted by box loom Or j ac
quard work .
PUNJAPORE . A s ilk of rough weave . A trade
name .PURE DYE . An unweighted dyed silk .
PURL . A l ittle loop or pearl picot which edgesthe ribbon .
PUSSY WILLOW TAFFETA . A trade name for as ilk O f original construction
,so ft and drapy, named
after the pussywillow .
QUADRILLE . Applied usually to small checks insquares . The Shepherd checks
“may be classed gen
erally as among the quadrillés .
QUEEN S ILK . A very so ft fabric of the chifi’onorder
,both yarn and piece—dyed , in w idths from
twenty- one to thirty- six inches .
72 A D I C T I O N A R Y
RACSAGADA Trade name for one o f the rough
sur faced,loose—woven s ilks .
RADIA . A forty - four - inch silk,Lyons made ; so ft
and sheer,in plain weaves , with high luster"I s seen
in .all colors , both plain and imprimé .
RADIUM . Trade name for a light—weight,supple
s i lk for l ining or dress purposes .
RAINBOW SHAD INGS . Same as ombré,which see .
RAJAH . Trade name for a special production . A
cloth o f very firm texture,wide
,rough and compact ,
piece - dyed in all colors . The rough material is intro
duced in the fi ll ing .
'
RATI NE . A material o f silk,schappe
,wool or '
cot
ton woven in crinkled or curled yarn having small
loops l ike terry,the weave being rather Open .
RAW S ILK . A term applied to the fiber produced
by the si lkworm in the form Ofcocoons,and the term
also applies to the thread produced by reel ing a given
number O f cocoons together,thus each thread being
composed ofa number O f fi laments .
RAYE . French for striped .
RAYURE . French for stripe .
REED . An attachment Ofthe loom lathe made Of
fine flat wires or reeds between which the warp threads
are carried and kept'
uniformly separated:
REED MARKS . Marks of l ines running up the
warp way o f the'
CIOth,usually . due to insufficient or
too many warp threads being arranged in a dent ; also
due to an injury to the reed , or to faulty setting Of
the loom .
74 A D I C T I O N A R Y
REVERSE SATIN . A satin with the weft p redominating in a satin - l ike effect ; also applied to a fabricw ith a face weave O f a different chain than the back
o f the cloth, which shows a satin effect such as armure
sat-inée.
REVERSIBLE . See Renverse .
RHADAM E . S ilk fabric O f rather heavy quality of
twelve - sha ft construction showing an indefinite tw il l
weave .
RHADZI M E R. A sort O f tw ill .
RHADZI M E R SURAH . A surah w ith amodified rib
or“
tw i ll across the surface .
RIBBON . A narrow web O f silk, cotton , or any
RI B WEAVE . A weave in which,either owing to
the interlacing or to the yarns used , warp or weft isthe stronger and remains comparatively straight
,while
the weaker material does all the bending. Thus in
warp ribs the weft i s the stronger, caus ing the warpto bend and form a warp sur face rib running from
selv age to selvage Ofthe goods , while in weft ribs the
warp is Stronger, forming a we ft sur face rib running
lengthw ise up the goods .
ROLLER PRINTING . The,
process Of printing by
mach inery from engraved rollers .
ROMAN STRIPE . A series O f bright contrasting
colo r stripes Ofthe same or varying w idths .
ROYALE . Amodification ofGros de Tours (whichsee ) ; the r ib line, which in the latter is extended
O F S I L K T E R M S 75
straight across the cloth,being broken Offat intervals
,
after a given number Ofwarp-
threads .
SAMM E T OR SAMITE .
‘ In the M iddle Ages Arabiawas renowned for the beauty O f its s ilk fabrics andespecially for sammet
,a richly embroidered material
widely employed for church embroideries and rObeSOfstate .
SAMPLE BLANKET . Material woven in different
colors Ofwarp and weft and used as samples .
SARCENET . A thin sheer silk of so ft finish o fthe veiling character used as lining inmil l inery . . The
name is derived from the Arab Saracens by whom itwas worn in their headdress . The earl iest figuredsilks known and produced in E urope were thin
,re
sembling sarcenet and taffeta .
SATIN . A Silk cloth Of close texture and overshot warp, with rich , glo ssy sur face . Thus : C loths
o f gold and satins rich Of — Chaueer .
SATIN A LA REINE . Another o f the family of
irregular satins Of fine structure made on six“
shafts
straight draw .
SATIN ATHENA . Brand name for an al l- si lk piece
dyed satin . Reg.
SATIN CHARMEUSE . P iece- dyed satin made .with
a warp O f hard twist organzine ; weft is usually o f
Spun silk .
SATIN CREPE . A satin - faced material made with
organzine warp and crepe twist fi lling .
SATIN DE BRUGES . An upholstery fabric O f s ilk
warp and wool weft,showing a satin face .
76 A D I C T I O N A R Y
SATIN DE CHINE . An extremely so ft and drapysatin w ith crepe - l ike finish .
SATIN DE’
LAINE . Wool satin .
SATIN DE LYONs . A satin with a tw il l—back showing twil l l ines in the satin face— or thin or sheer satin
oftw i l l and satin construction also called “Flower o f
s ilk” — fleur de soie.
SATI N DIRECTOIRE . A trade term for a so ft,r ich
satin made Ofhigh - grade s i lk .
SATIN DUCHESSE . See Duchesse .
SATIN E MPRESS . Brand name for a Liberty satin .
Reg.
SATIN FAQONNE . A j acquard -figured materialwith a Satin ground , usually Of fancy des ign .
SATIN FEUTRE . A satin cloth woven w ith a single
strand Spun Silk yarn which has been rendered fluffy
byr teasling in order to give the back
~
of the material
a furry effect . See Feutre .
SATIN GREC . A twelve - harness satin in which'
a
taffeta point is added at each place Of interlacing, with
effect O f making the cloth much fi rmer .
SATIN IMPERIAL . A printed all—s ilk satin . Regis
tered brand name .
SATIN LUXOR . This may be a heavy twelve- shaft
satin or double— face peau de soie of- subdued luster .
A brand name for a wool—filled satin . Reg.
SATIN. MARVE I LLE UX . A light brilliant twill satin
shot in color contrasting with the warp .
SATI N PANNE . An unweighted piece- dyed heavy
O F S I L K T E R M S 77
SATIN SERGE . A satin twill .
SATIN SERRANO . Piece - dyed satin Ofl ight we ight .
SATIN SOLEIL . A fabric o f satin - l ike“
sur face witha cross - l ine appearance and a
- pronounced sheen .
SATIN TAFFETA . A satin - faced fabric rev ersmg
taffeta .
SATIN TURC .
'
One Of the family O f irregular
satins made on the four - shaft straight through draw .
SAVONA VELVET ; Brand ‘
nameuforxa' Jasper v elvet
dyed in the skein . Reg .
SCARF . A l ight kind O f shawl ; a broad ribbon“
;
necktie .
SCHAPPE .. A term referring to the yarn spun
from silk waste which has not been fully discharged
or degummed .
SCINTILLANT . French for scintillat ing, sparkling .
A changeable effect .
SCROOP . The rustle or crunch ofsilk . The viscoushardness supposed to be the natural property Of s ilk ,but which is increased - by treatment with dilute acids .
SEED E FFECTS . Are formed by tiny dots which
give the appearance as i f smal l seeds had been strewn
over the surface of the tissue .
SELVAGE . The edge o f a p iece ofgoods , this term
being synonymous with the term “l ist .”
SEN . A Japanese coin equivalent to hal f a cent ;100 sen equal one yen .
SERGE . French for twill .
SERGE MOIRE . A material with a plain or striped
78 A D I C T I O N A R Y
rib weave made with spun s ilk warp and glazed cotton
weft,moiré finished . Sometimes made with mercer
ized cotton warp .
SERICIN . The name applied to the substance o fs i lk ; the natural
'
gum on silk .
SE RVI SI LK . Copyrighted trade name for a foundation silk for so ft, clinging fabrics .
SEWING S ILK . Composed offrom 3 to 24 threads,
2, 4 or 6’
OfWhich are united by twisting .
SHADING E FFECTS . E ffects produced by different
colors or qualities ofmaterials or by weav e, the resultbeing a gradual change of appearance from one color
or structure to another , as in the case of an ombré
or rainbow shadings (which see ) .
SHAFT. A single harness frame for a loom .
SHANTUNG . A rough - surfaced silk originally
woven from the wild silk Of China,with all knots
,
lumps and imper fections retained ; now largely'
pro
duced by domestic manufacturers .
SHED. The Opening made across theWarp by raising some threads and depressing others ; through this
Opening or shed the shuttle passes leaving the weft
in its wake .
SHEDDING . The dividing O f the warp threads into
two parts to form a passage for the shuttl e
SHEPHERD CHECKS,PLAI Ds . Small or large checks
or plaids s imi lar to those worn by the Scottish Shep
herds .
SH I K E GI NU . A Japanese'
habutai with doupion
fi ll ing.
O F S I L K T E R M S 79
SHIKII , BROCADE, BROCHE . B rand name for arough si lk material in plain , j acquard or broché weaves .Reg.
i
SHOE TOP S ILK . Heavy materials ofall - s ilk, s ilkand wool or s ilk and cotton in various weaves wovenplain and figured ; used for shoe tops .
SHOT S ILK . Fabrics woven with weft o f a di fferent color than that of the warp to show . in thefinished cloth different colors at different angles ; alsoknown as changeable and as iridescent s ilks .
SHOOT , SHOT . The we ft or fi l ling .
SHOWER- PROOF, SHOWER - PRoo‘
F FOULARD . Registered trade -mark for a process and material Ofsatinand twill weaves
,printed .
SHRINKAGE . The amount O f contraction which
most fabrics are subj ected to from the loom to thefinished state .
SHUSU - HABUTAI . A Japanese habutai in satin
weave.
SHUTTLE . The shuttle carries the fi ll ing or weft
across the warp in process Ofweaving
S ICILIENNE . A very l ight- weight fabric'
f akin to
moussel ine de soie - also a corded s ilk and wool fabr icl ike bengaline .
SI GLATON . A_ fabric_worked with gold and usu
ally red,used in the Middle Ages for curtains and
mantles .
S ILK . The fine fiber spun by the caterp ilars Of
moths belonging chiefly to the Bombyx genus ; silk
yarn,thread
, or
'
cloth .
80 A D I C T I O N A R Y
SILK SHODDY . Resembles wool shod dy in origin,
consi sting o f recovered fibersT rOm’imanufactured silks .
S ILK VELVET is usually called silk v elv et to dis
tinguish it from other kinds of velvet, v elveret or
velveteen _(cotton velvet ) .
SILK WADDING . Produced from the waste after
bourette spinning. See. Bourette S ilk .
S INGEING . Removing the fluffy nap from yarn
and fabric by burning.
"
S INGLES . A term re ferr ing to single threads hav
mgno twist . These are sometimes doubled in variousnumbers to give the. requis ite strength , appearance and
handle to the fabrics into which they are manufactured .
S ingles are woven in the raw or gum state , the fabrics
being degummed after weaving.
S I NGLE YARN . Yarn composed O f only one strand
or thread
S IZE . Any .viscid substance used for stiffeningand binding fabrics .
S IZING . A“ process Oftreating yarns or goods in
process o f finishing to render “same smooth and fi rm .
To test yarn to determine their s izes .
SKEIN . A lengt h O f yarn made up into a hank ,varying in S ize and length in different —fibers .
SKEIN OR YARN DYED . S ilk dyed in the thread or
skein form prior to weavingSLUGS
,NUBS OR N i B s . Thick
,lumpy spots in the
yarns or woven materials .
SNARL . A knot or curl on a yarn .
89 A D I C T I O N A RY
SPLIT- E DGE. Goods woven in two or more widths '
and separated by cutting between the edges .
S PONGE CLOTH . A cloth having a sur face resembling that Ofa small sponge .
SPUN S ILK . Waste s ilk spun into threads on spinning machines .
STENTERIN G ..See Tentering.
STIFLING. K ill ing the Chrysali s in the cocoon of
STRATFORD VELVET . Brand name for a Jasper
velvet piece—dyed . Reg.
STRI PE . A .term appl ied to patterns running longi
tudinally -w ith the warp in - textile fabr ics and may beeither woven or printed stripes .
STRIPPING .. Process o f removing sericin or gum
from raw Silk by bo iling Off.
STRUSSA. Consisting ofwaste s ilk from double
cocoons .
SUMMA Trade n ame given to a selected
habutai s ilk of close , smooth weave and high luster,claimed to be spot and waterproo f .
SURAH . A l ight,so ft
, tWilled . silk.
SURAH E COSSAI S QUADRILLE . A surah in design
and color ing ofS'
c'
o'
tch squares , or shepherd checks .
SURFACE - PRINT . Printing on the face ofa fabric .
SWATCH . A sample or strip O f material , a sample .
SWIVEL E FFECTS .“
Produced by use O f a diminu
tive shuttle in figure weaving,the same carrying
threads O f various shades w ith the Obj ect O f Obtain
O F S I L K T E R M S 83
ingSpecial -effects , as in the —shadingOfifigur'
es ,» flowers
,
foliage, etc.
SYRA GAZA . Registered trade name for a roughsilk, woven with Open mesh; and designed for
'
use
as lining .
TABBINET . A material Of s ilk and worsted likea fine tabby or poplin
,plain or moiréd an upholstery
fabric .
TABBIS . French for tabby . O ld name for a
watered or figured s ilk . Also commonly used to denote a plain or s imple weave .
TABBY . A plain or taffeta—l ike weave .
TAEL . A Chinese measure equivalent to one- and
a - third ounces ofsi lver but o f varying value in differ
ent districts .
TAFFETA . A s ilk fabric ofplain weave, w ith warp
threads much finer and more numerous than the filling threads . This makes
‘
the sur face O f the ‘ fabricribbed
,with warp alone showing .
‘
The name taffeta
is from the Pers ian taftan,to spin .
TAFFETA CHAMELEON . Taffeta hav ing two .colors
in the fi ll ing c ontrasting with a different one in the
warp ; a three - tone changeable effect.
TAFFETA FAcONNE . A taffeta with a jacquard or
fancy weave effect .
TAFFETA GLACE . A taffeta cloth shot With weftcontrasting with a different color “ in warp , two - tone
effect .
TAFFETA LUSTRE . A brill iant - strong -taffeta - clo-th .
A D I C T I O N A R Y
TAFFETA ME TALLI QUE . A taffeta finished inmetall ic effect .
TAFFETA SOUPLESSE . Trade name for a pure dye,
so‘
ft finish taffeta,dyed in the piece .
TAFFETA UN I . P lain taffeta .
TAFFETA WEAVE . Same as plain weave or uni .
TAFFE TALI N E . P iece—dyed pongee with spun silkwe ft in taffeta finish .
TARTAN . From the French tar tane; Spanish,
tiritana— a sort of thin silk . Al so,a checkered or
cross - “pattern” or plaid in colors such as are recognized as dist inctive with the various Scott ish clans .
TASHIKO. Trade name for a perspiration - pro o f
Japanese silk .
TATSU BROCHE . A broché fabric with a weft of
dupion or double cocoon silk . Reg.
TENDER -GOODS . Cloths rendered weak by im
proper dyeing.
TENTERING . A finishing process in which goods
are widened out or tenter'
ed by~
being hooked on to
chains,which expand to the width required , then carry
the cloth through a heated chamber or over gas j ets
so that the cloth is dried in this position .
TERRY CLOTH .
‘ A material woven in looped effectforming a n uncut loope
'
d pile,as uncut velvet . One o f
the family o f loop—yarn construction similar to that Of
the Turkish toweling.
TERRY POPLIN . A si lk- and—wool fabric in which
the alternate warps are thrown to the surface in min
ute loop s .
O F S I L K - T E R M S 85
TERRY VELVET. A velvet showing a pile uncut .
TETE DE NEGRE . Niggerhead .
TEXTO FESTONA . An artistic embro idery floss
used for scalloping edges o f doil ies and centerpieces .Made only in pure white , that will wash without turn
ing to a yellow white .
TEXTO - ROPE .
- A trade term for an artificial thread
made in a great variety of artistic shades for highclass decorative hand embroidery .
THROWING . The process o f spinning silk by
winding,doubling and twisting.
THROWN S ILK . Material that has been doubledand spun into yarns o f various sizes— organzine or
tram— in preparation for the loom . The raw silk of
commerce being a continuous fiber, it is“thrown” into
yarns,whereas short staples , such as s ilk waste , cotton ,
wool or flax,are spun to achieve a like result .
THRUMS . E nds of weft or warp sticking up
through the cloth ; remainders ofwarp and Weft .T I E S ILKS . Cravat s ilks made especially for the
making ofmen ’ s neckwear .
TINSEL . Fine flattened metal threads twi stedabout a cord o f cotton or wool yarn .
TINTING . A process o f covering the s ilk with a
fugitive color so that it may be readily distinguishedwhen in contact with other s ilks and p articularly used
in throwing to keep separated the various lots o f s i lks
in the process o f throwing .
TONQUIN BROCHE . A coarse rough broché silk
material . Registered brand name .
A D I C T I O N A R Y
TRAM . Filling,weft .
TRAVERS . S tripes running in the direction ofthefi l ling, similar to those in bayaderes (which see ) .
TREVETTE, TREVET . The cutting instrument orsliding kni fe in cutting velvets woven double .
TRI-COT CLOTH ; A knitted s ilk fabric made fromraw s ilk and piece dyed— also called j ersey cloth andmilanes s ilk cloth (which see ) .
TRICOTINE . A variation o f tricot .
TUFF- TAFFATY OR TUFTAFFETA . A tuft or shaggytaffeta fabric woven with a pile
,l ike velvet ; in use
inthe S ixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries . One of
the terms used then to imply a satin or a silk fabric“scraped or cut to produce fluffy sur faces .”
TULLE . A plain,fine silk net
TURC . Turkish colorings or designs ofTurkish
character .
TUSSAH . A species of rough silk obtained from
wild . worms , not“ in captivity
,
” and that feed on oak
and other leav es o f the forest . It is sometimes calledthe “Wild S i lk ofIndia
,i s darker in color than ordi
nary raw'
silk, contains more gum,and is more difficult
to util ize . Name also applied to silk fabrics made o f
these s i lks .
TWILL . Fabrics woven on the twill ing principle
with an interlacing effect running in a d iagonal direc
t ion across . the goods , as distinct from non—twill effects
which will follow the direction o f either warp or weft
or may have no definite direction whatever .
O F S I L K T E RM S 87
TWIST . The number Of twists_0r turns given to
a yarn to bind its fibers together .and thereby to add
more strength for manipulation and weaving. Theamount O f twist applied var1es according to the ma~
terial, process , means employed for its application, and
ultimate requirements .
TWI STING . The binding offibers into a yarn to
add to its strength . This is definitely accomplished byrunning the sp indle at a decided number Ofrevolutionsaccording to the number of inches taken up
- b_y the
rollers Ofthe spinning frame to'
which the s ilk i s de
l ivered .
TWI STING- I N . Joining a new warp to the ends of
an old one by twisting together .
TWI ST- S ILK OR SEWING TWIST . S i lk thread made
especial ly for sewing purposes .
TW ITTY . A term applied to yarn which is'
irregu
lar in Size .
TYRIAN TAFFETA . Brand name for a pure- dye
organzine taffeta . Reg.
UMBRELLA S ILK . P lain or twil l weave silks madeespecially for umbrellas . See Gloria .
UN I . P lain weave .
UNION FABRIC . Fabrics composed Of'
mixed ma
terials , such as cloths made up o f mixtures o f silk and
cotton or silk and wool .‘
USONA S ILK . A trade name for a silk-. and - cotton
mixed fabric made ofJapanese s ilks and proo fed .
Usucm .A varlety“
of, thin habutai - of'
Japanese
make .
(I)
U)
A D I C T I O N A R Y
UTRECHT VELVET. .A furnitu re plush or velvet o fmohai r or sometim es ofcotton and mohair . Doubtlessthe nam e Ut recht was a trading term for the heat; r vel
vets that came from thi s district,as di stinguished from
the fin e silk velvets from France and Italy .
VALE NTI A. A fabric composed o f silk and woolen,
worsted or cotton yarns and especially designed for
waistcoats and shoe tops .
VARI E G ATED YARN . A yarn composed o f a num
ber of colors usually Obtained by printing.
VELOURS . French for velvet . From“
the Latin
fellow s— hairy . A pil e fabric somewhat akin to plush,that is produced in numberless forms, both plain and
in fancy effects .
VELOURS ALB IGEOIS . A‘
fancy striped velours fab
ric in two Or more tones , the stripes runn ing seven or
eight to the in ch .
VE LOURS—ANTIQUE- E COSSAI S . . An antique—plaided
effect velours .
V E LOL’
RS DE LUK E . B rand name for a pure—dye
spun silk velours. Reg.
VE LOURS E COSSAI S . A plaid velours .
VELOURS E CRA SE . S imilar to miroir velvet ;
VELOURS E MBOSSE . A velvet with the figured pat
tern embossed in relie f produced either in weaving or
by embossed roll ers .
VELOURS E NVERS ' SATIN . A fabric with a velvet
face and sat in back,as satin back ve lvet ribbon
“
.
90 A ~ D I - C T I O N A R Y
rope 500AD . (See Period Furnishings . Velv et
was frequently mentioned in E nglish inv entories, 1300AD . B y Spanish and Ital ian writers, 1400AD . A
writer in the early S ixteenth Century states that themanufacture of Ital ian - made satins and velvets
,both
plain and cut,
' i s made in a way totally unknown to the
ancients . (See Alan Cole,“Ornament in E uropean
S ilks,
” page
VELVETEEN . A fabric covered w ith a close,short
fine pile o f cotton ~ introduced on the we ft pile bas is .
VENETIAN . Brand name for an armure pongee .
VENETIAN VELVET . A velvet cloth made - with
yarn—dyed organzine .“
VESTINGS . Heavy textures of. all - s ilk, si lk- and
cotton Or s ilk—and - wool mixtures woven in various plain
and fancy weave effects and used for ’
v estings .
VIGOUREUX PRINTING . So named after t he in
v entor. The printing Of textile fibers to produce a
mixed color effect in the yarns and goods .
VOILES . VeihngsfiThe sheerest and th innest ofthe hard '
twist gauze fabrics .
WADDING OR NERI S ILK . The inner portions of
the cocoon are so termed .
’
WARP . The longitudinal threads in a woven
fabric .
WARP E FFECTS . Patterns which depend mainlyupon the _ treatment o f the warp in Weav ing.
WARPING . Winding or making the warp .
O F S I L K T E R M S 91
WARP PRINTS .- Fabrics in which designs have
been p r1nted on the stretched warp before the weav
WARP RI B . A warp surface weave m which theweft picks be1ng thicker or grouped together 1n greater
numbers , lay straight, causing the warp threads to bendround them and
“
thus produce a ribbed appearanceacross the piece , but with a warp surface . Hence theterm warp rib .
WASTE . Waste made in the process Ofmanufac
WATERING .
‘
Imparting a wavy pattern to the surfaceOffabrics, by pressure and heat . Same as moiré
,
which see .
WATERPROOF. A fabric which i s made waterproo f
by . one Of three methods : ( 1) B y some physical action on the material Ofwhich the
"
fabr1c l s composed .
(2) B y impregnating the material with some waterres isting agent . (3) B y coating the .material with a
fi lm Ofrubber or other water— res isting agent .
WATER - TABBY . A watered light - weight silk tissue .
WATTEAU . A pattern or design Sim1lar to those
produced by Watteau , the artist
WATT S ILK . A very irregular lowgrade ofre fusewaste raw s ilk.
WAVED WARP . The longitudinal threads in the
web osci llated to impart a -waved appearance to thecloth .
WEAVE . The interlacing o f warp and weft with
each other to form a suitable cloth.
A D I C T I O N A R Y
WEAVING . The process o f producing a cloth bythe intersection Ofweft between the warp threads insuch a way as to form the desired interlacing.
WEB . The whole o f the textile material s on a
loom ; warp,
WEFT . Same as fi l ling . The cross threads in awoven fabr1c .
WEFT BARS . Broad bars or stripes running across
fabrics usually caused by we ft Of varying thickness
being woven in alongs ide one another . Such bars may
also be caused by defective letting—off and irregular
taking- up o f the loom mechanism,resulting in a varia
tion in the picks per inch .
WEFTING. Interlacing the weft with the warp ;fil l ing ; picking.
WEIGHTING . I ntroducing materials to increase
the bulk and weight Of s ilks .
WHIPCORD . A pronounced d iagonal rib or c’
ord
weave .
WHIP THREAD. The cross ing threadi
- in a gauze
fabric .
WILD S ILKS . Applied to fibers produced by cater
pillars,other than the bombyx mori . Although some
o f these wild species are protected against the weatherand the attacks O f birds , they are not cultivated like
the true s ilkworm .
WINDING . The process of winding silk from
skeins onto bobbins .
WOOF . Weft or fi l ling.
O F S I L K T E R M S 93
WRONG- DRAW . The drawing o f a warp threadthrough the wrong space in harness or weave , producing an imperfection in the cloth .
WROUGHT VELVET . The word wrought was usedin Olden times to mean a fabric with ornament or design “wrought in it
,meaning worked or wrought by
hand .
'
YARN DYED . Yarns dyed in the skein or in thethread state before weaving .
YEN . A monetary unit of Japan equivalent in
value to 49 842/1000 cen-ts , gold .
YURI - HANA . A l ining Silk recently introduced .
A trade name .
ZIG ZAG . term sometimes applied to herringbone textures and designs .