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Glossary Of Fabric Terms [44]

P Paduasoy Luxurious strong corded or grosgrain silk textile that originated in Early Modern Europe. The term paduasoy first appeared in English in 1663.
Paisley A term in English for a design using the buta or boteh, a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Persian origin. Such designs became very popular in the West in the 18th and 19th centuries, following imports of post-Mughal versions of the design from India, especially in the form of Kashmir shawls, and were then imitated locally. In contemporary use, paisley became identified with psychedelic style due to a resurgence in the pattern's mainstream popularity leading up the mid and late 1960s.
Panel Panel is derived from Old French and originally meant “a piece of cloth.” It’s still used as a sewing term, but now it has additional meanings.
Panné velvet Type of crushed velvet, panne is produced by forcing the pile in a single direction by applying heavy pressure.
Pashmina A fine type of cashmere wool. The textiles made from it were first woven in Kashmir. This wool comes from four distinct breeds of the Cashmere goat. Pashmina products are known for their softness and warmth.
Patchwork A form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design. The larger design is usually based on repeating patterns built up with different fabric shapes (which can be different colors). These shapes are carefully measured and cut, basic geometric shapes making them easy to piece together.
Pattern Discernible regularity in the world or in a manmade design. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner.
Pattern Drafting The process of creating a pattern by taking measurements from a person, form, or model, in order to then create a foundation, which is a pattern used as the basis for the design.
Pattern Grading The process of turning base size or sample size patterns into additional sizes using a size specification sheet or grading increments.
Percale Closely woven plain-weave fabric often used for bed covers. Percale has a thread count of about 200 or higher and is noticeably tighter than the standard type of weave used for bedsheets. It has medium weight, is firm and smooth with no gloss, and warps and washes very well. It is made from both carded and combed yarns, and may be woven of various fibers, such as cotton, polyester, or various blends.
Persian weave A method of weave used in jewelry and other art forms. When used for making chains, the Persian weave makes a dense chain with a ring pattern.
PET Abbreviation for polyethylene terephthalate - the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibers for clothing, containers for liquids and foods, thermoforming for manufacturing, and in combination with glass fiber for engineering resins.
Pick A stroke with something pointed, as needle.
Pick Count One of the units of textile measurement. It states the number of picks per inch, where picks stand for weft yarns.
Pick Stitch A simple running stitch that catches only a few threads of the fabric, showing very little of the thread on the right side (outer side) of the garment. It is also sometimes known as "stab stitch". A pick stitch can be made from either the inside of the garment or the outside, depending upon how much thread is meant to show on the outside of the garment.
Pile The raised surface or nap of a fabric, which is made of upright loops or strands of yarn. Examples of pile textiles are carpets, corduroy, velvet, plush, and Turkish towels.
Pile Weave A form of textile created by weaving. Pile fabrics used to be made on traditional hand weaving machines. The warp ends that are used for the formation of the pile are woven over metal rods or wires that are inserted in the shed during weaving. The pile ends lie in loops over the inserted rods. When a rod is extracted the pile ends remain as loops on top of the base fabric. The pile ends lying over the rod may be left as 'loop pile', or cut to form 'cut pile' or velvet.
Pill Colloquially known as a bobble, pill is a small ball of fibers that forms on a piece of cloth.
Pinking shears Scissors, the blades of which are sawtoothed instead of straight. They leave a zigzag pattern instead of a straight edge.
Piqué Also known as marcella, it refers to a weaving style, normally used with cotton yarn, which is characterized by raised parallel cords or geometric designs in the fabric. Piqué fabrics vary from semi- sheer dimity to heavy weight waffle cloth. Twilled cotton and corded cotton are close relatives.
Pirn A rod onto which weft thread is wound for use in weaving. Unlike a bobbin, it is fixed in place, and the thread is delivered off the end of the pirn rather than from the centre. A typical pirn is made of wood or plastic.
Plaid Any fabric woven of differently colored yarns in a crossbarred pattern.
Plain Weave Also known as tabby weave, linen weave, or taffeta weave, it is the most basic of three fundamental types of textile weaves (along with satin weave and twill).
Plied yarn A yarn which underwent the process of plying. It is done by taking two or more strands of yarn that each have a twist to them and putting them together. The strands are twisted together, in the direction opposite that in which they were spun. When just the right amount of twist is added, this creates a balanced yarn, one which has no tendency to twist upon itself. Almost all store-bought yarns are balanced, plied yarns.
Plissé Mainly cotton fabric with a crêpe effect created by chemically treating the fabric to pucker and crinkle, typically in stripes.
Plush A textile having a cut nap or pile the same as fustian or velvet. Its softness of feel gave rise to the adjective "plush" to describe something soft or luxurious, which was extended to describe luxury accommodation, or something rich and full. Originally the pile of plush consisted of mohair or worsted yarn, but now silk by itself or with a cotton backing is used for plush, the distinction from velvet being found in the longer and less dense pile of plush. The soft material is largely used for upholstery and furniture purposes, and is also much employed in dress and millinery.
Point de France lace Needle lace developed in the late 17th century, which is typically very rich and symmetrical. This expensive lace was popularized by the clergy, who used it for the ornaments of their rochets . Most pieces of the 16th and 17th centuries are in museums.
Point de Gaze lace Needle lace from Belgium named for the gauze-like appearance of the mesh ground.
Pointelle A delicate-looking fabric that is woolen or knitted and has little eyelet holes to create the appearance of lace.
Polar fleece Soft napped insulating fabric made from a type of polyester called polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other synthetic fibers. Other names for this fabric are "Polar Wool," "Vega Wool," or "Velo Wools." Despite names suggesting the product is made of natural material, polar fleece is 100% polyethylene terephthalate. It is used in jackets, hats, sweaters, sweatpants, cloth nappies, gym clothes, hoodies, inexpensive throw blankets, and high-performance outdoor clothing.
Poly Chiffon The blend of polyester and chiffon.
Polyamide Fiber Synthetic fiber produced from melts or solutions of polyamides. It is characterized by high tensile strength and excellent resistance to wear and impact. They are stable to the action of many chemical reagents and biochemical agents, and they have an affinity to many dyes. Polyamide fibers are used in the manufacture of common household items, tire cord, rubber products, filters, fishing nets, brushes, and cables.
Polyester A man-made fiber consisting of polymer. It has an extremely wide variety of uses ranging from clothing to plastic bottles.
Polyethylene Fiber Polyethylene is a hard, stiff, strong and a dimensionally stable material that absorbs very little water, and it is resistant to UV light and to acids and alkalies. Polyethylene fiber has a round cross section a smooth surface. Dyneema and Spectra are examples of polyethynelene fibers.
Polypropylene Fiber Thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging and labeling, textiles (e.g., ropes, thermal underwear and carpets), stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes. Polypropylene is a major polymer used in nonwovens, mostly for diapers or sanitary products where it is treated to absorb water.
Pongee Soft thin woven cloth. In the early 20th century, pongee was an important export from China to the United States. Pongee is still woven in silk by many mills across China.
Poplin Also called tabinet (or tabbinet), is a strong fabric in a plain weave of any fiber or blend, with crosswise ribs that typically gives a corded surface. Poplin traditionally consisted of a silk warp with a weft of worsted yarn. Poplin is now made with wool, cotton, silk, rayon, polyester or a mixture of these. Clothes made from this material are easy to iron and do not wrinkle easily. Poplins are used for dress purposes, and for rich upholstery work. The term poplin originates from "papelino", a fabric made at Avignon, France, in the 15th century, named for the papal residence there, and from the French "papelaine', a fabric, normally made with silk, of the same period.
Prepreg Composite materials in which a reinforcement fiber is pre-impregnated with a thermoplastic or thermoset resin matrix in a certain ratio. Prepregs have unique properties as they are cured under high temperatures and pressures. Some key areas where prepregs currently find use are aircraft interiors, aerospace components, automotive parts and components, ballistic panels, UV resistant parts, sporting goods, and honeycomb and foam panels.
Protein Fibers Also known as animal fibers, they are natural fibers which largely consist of particular proteins. Silk, hair/fur (including wool) and feathers are the most commonly used animal fibers.
PTFE Fiber Chemically resistant material. It is used in woven form in certain pump packings as well as in nonwoven form in hot gas bag filters for industries with corrosive exhausts.
Punch A piece of equipment that cuts holes in a material by pushing a piece of metal through it.
Punto in Aria lace Early form of needle lace, devised in Italy. It is considered the first true lace because it was the first meant to be stitched alone, and not first onto a woven fabric. It is a closely related needle lace to reticella, and their designs have many similarities when compared side-by-side.
Purl stitch A knitting stitch usually made with the yarn at the front of the work by inserting the right needle into the front of a loop on the left needle from the right, catching the yarn with the right needle, and bringing it through to form a new loop.
Put-Up The way fabric is packaged when sold.