Republic of the Philippines

Eastern Visayas State University

THE EMBROIDERY TERMINOLOGY

Aari
- it is a type of needle with a hook at its tip to do the embroidery.

Adda
- a wooden adjustable frame with four wooden bars used to
stretch the fabric for embroidery.
Applique
- it is a fabric cut-out attached to the surface of a larger piece of
fabric.
Backing
- is used to give support to the fabric being embroidered.

Badla
- It is a flat gold or silver wire used for embroidery.
Buckram
It is a coarse, woven backing fabric that is usually very stiff. It is
used to stabilize the fabric for stitching.
Blanket Stitch
- it is an ornamental stitch mainly used to finish an
unhemmed blanket or any thick fabric.
Chain Stitch
 - it is a very common stitch of hand embroidery. It is made by making loop
stitches and is used mostly to embroider straight lines and big curves.
Combing
- it is the act of smoothening and making uniform the sliver of a
yarn.
Couched
- it is a method of embroidering in which a thread laid upon the
fabric's surface is caught down at intervals, by stitches taken with
another thread through the material.
Counted Thread Embroidery
- is an embroidery in which the fabric threads are counted by
the embroiderer before inserting the needle into the fabric.
Dabka
- It is tightly coiled fine metallic wire used for embroidery
Design
- is used for a motif(s), which is decorated with the
different stitches of embroidery.
Design Catalogue
- a collection of different types of designs, which may be
used for various types of embroidery.
Dori
- It is term used for a thick thread which is especially used for
hand embroidery.
Embroidery
- is an art, using thread and needle to adorn fabric/garment.

Embroidery Machines
 - are specialized for different types of embroidery. They are manually or
motor operated.
Even Weave Fabric
- is a fabric that has the same number of threads, vertically as
well as horizontally.
Frame
- is a device which holds the fabric to be embroidered it
provides firmness and tightness to the fabric during the process
of embroidery.
Framing
-refers to fixing of a fabric, tightly in an embroidery frame.
Filling Stitches
- long and short satin, close herring bone, fishbone are
considered as filling stitches in embroidery It covers large areas and
they generally have a flat look.
Finishing
- this process is performed after embroidery work is
completed.
Foam
- It is used to add dimensions to an embroidery pattern. It is
mainly used on caps, jackets, quilts, bags, and etc.
Fusing Paper
- is a base which is coated on one side with fabric or other
material by the controlled application of heat and pressure.
Gapping
- is used for the spaces (fabrics) between the stitches in design.
 Gota
- is a narrow ribbon or strip, woven with gold or silver
thread used for decorating the fabrics.

GSM
- it is a metric measurement meaning grams per square metre.
Heavyweight Fabric
-is a fabric that is approximately above 350 GSM.
Hoop
- embroidery frames are also called hoops.
Hooping
It is also known as ‘Framing’.
Ingots
- These are the solid blocks of steel, gold or other metal, melted
and compresessed to converts into wires/pieces of
different shapes.
Kalabattu
- It is a silver glit - thread used in embroidery.
Karchobi
- It is a dense metal embroidery done on material using a frame.
Kasab
- A gold or silver wire sometimes wrapped around a thread.
Lacing
 - is a cord or string for holding or drawing together, as when passed through
holes in opposite edges.
Lettering
- is done for making beautiful letters or expressions of words, it
is often called 'keyboard lettering'.
Lightweight Fabric
-is a fabric that is approximately between 30-150 GSM.
Locking stitch
- It refers to a series of three to four very short stitches done
on the back to lock the stitch. It is used to prevent the stitching
from unravelling.
Marking
- is done on the instructions sheet to help the embroider initiate
embroidery work on the given design.
Monogram
- A design composed of one or more letters, often intertwined ,
used as an identified mark of an individual or institution.
Needle
- It is the stitch forming device that carries the thread through
the fabric.
Organdie
- It is a fine, translucent, stiff cotton muslim, used mainly for
dresses.
Pencil rub
- It is a low-cost method to transfer the design. Place a piece of
tracing paper on a projected or embossed sample design and then
lightly rub with pencil. The design will appear on the tracing
paper.
Puckering
 - It results when the fabric is being gathered by the stitches.

Repeat
- It occurs when a line, shape, space, and etc., is used more than
once in fabrics or materials at different intervals.
Ruche
- It is a strip of fabric which has been pleated.
Satin stitch
- This is a stitch in which every stitch is closely
worked parallel to another.
Scale
- In embroidery, the term scale is used to enlarge or minimize the size of the
design without changing the elements of design.
Smudge
- It is a dirty mark of dry or wet media on a surface.
Snagging
- It refers to a break, pull, tear in the fabric.
SPI
- Abbreviation for stitch/ Stitches Per Inches. It refers to
the number of stitches in 1.
Stitch density
- It refers to the number of stitches used to give proper
coverage of the design without creating a thick, hard area in
embroidery that may be uncomfortable to the consumer.
Thread
- It is slender, strong strand, especially designed for
sewing or other needle work.
Thread Clippers
 - Small spring loaded scissors designed to operate with just the thumb and
forefinger.
Tilla
- It is a simple, flat metal wire, used for embroidery.

Trimmings
- Decorating a garment or article using decorative
and functional accessories or details as referred to as trimming.
The trim is added to a garment to make it look embellished
and attractive.
Zardozi
- The term zardozi is used for silver and gold metal embroidery.