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access a listing of general textile terms, click on a letter above. |
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SAK
or Supima: An extra long staple cotton
with fiber lengths varying in length from 1 1/4 to 1 9/16 inches.
SAK quality cotton has a higher tenacity
than CP Cotton, allowing the use of a
smaller thread size and still maintains
seam strength. A&E's brand name for SAK quality cotton is Anecot Plus®. (See Fiber
Science.) |
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SBT:
Refers to a finishing
process on
Anefil Polyester®
that enables this thread to sew like a bonded thread without a bond
application. SBT is recommended for continuous automatic sewing
applications like sewing flags, filters, etc. Other finishes
available on Anefil Polyester®
include BT, ST, and STX. |
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Seam:
According to Federal Spec 751a entitled "Stitches, Seams
& Stitchings", a seam is a series of stitches used to join
two or more plies of fabric together. (Download English .PDF Version
of Seam Types.) |
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Seam
Failure: Caused by either fabric failure or thread failure.
(See Technical Bulletin, Common Seam
Quality Defects.) |
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Seam
Grinning: The opening up of a seam when stress is applied across
it. Seam grinning is usually caused by too loose of a stitch
balance. Lockstitch seams grin less than seams made with other
stitch types because a lockstitch is the
tightest of all stitches. (See Technical Bulletin, Common Seam
Quality Defects.) |
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Seam
Margin: The distance from the stitch-line to the edge of the
fabric or the fabric "fold". Usually sewing machines are
equipped with edge guides (seam guides) or trimming knives to
maintain a proper seam margin. |
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Seaming
Puckering: A common problem on woven
fabrics and can be caused by one or all of the following: 1. Yarn
Displacement; 2.excessive Tension; and 3. Feed Puckering. (See
Technical Bulletin, Seam
Puckering.) |
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Seam
Slippage: The
slippage of yarns in the fabric along a seam when stress is applied.
The result is that the yarns pull out but the thread and the stitch
doesn't rupture. Seam slippage is usually caused by poor fabric
design (too loose of a weave) or too narrow of a seam margin. Not
using enough stitches per inch and a poor stitch balance can also
contribute to seam slippage. (See Technical Bulletin, Common Seam
Quality Defects.) |
Seam
Strength: A
measurement of the load required to rupture a seam. Wovens
are tested using a "jaws" method and knits
are tested using a "ball-burst" test method. The five
major contributors to seam strength include 1. Fabric type and
weight; 2. Thread type and size; 3. Stitch and seam construction; 4.
Stitches per inch; and 5. Stitch balance. Estimating seam strength
on woven fabrics using an SSa seam construction:
- Lockstitch
seam = S.P.I X S.E.B. of thread X 1.5
- Chainstitch
seam = S.P.I. X S.E.B. of thread X 1.7
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S.E.B.
(Single End Break): Refers to the single-end breaking strength
of the thread or tensile strength when stress is applied across a
single strand of thread until it ruptures. S.E.B. is usually
measured in pounds, ounces, or grams. |
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Selvedge: Refers to the edge
of woven fabrics running along the warp
direction of woven fabrics that will not unravel. |
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Serging:
Refers to the overedging of a single ply
of
fabric to prevent the fabric from unraveling. The most common
serging stitch types include the 503, 504 and 505 stitches. Many
manufacturers are serging with Perma Spun® or Wildcat Plus®. |
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Sewability:
Ability to sew without skipped stitches or having the thread
break. Several factors affect sewability, for example, improper
needle size, wrong thread size, excessive
tension, needle heat, worn or defective sewing machine parts, and
improper machine settings. Thread likewise plays a key role in
sewability. Factors in thread sewability include elongation,
uniformity, ply security, lubrication, strength,
and twist construction. (See Thread
Construction or Thread Selection Guide, Sewability,
Performance, and Appearance.) |
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Sewing
Machine: Any machine that uses a needle or needles to form a
stitch by interlocking or interlooping threads through the fabric.
Lockstitch sewing machines use a hook and a bobbin
thread to form the stitch. Chainstitch, overedge,
and safety stitch machines use a looper to
form stitches. Blindstitch and some buttonsewers and buttonhole
machines use a spreader to form stitches. |
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Shade
Machining: Refers to the selection of a thread color that is
close to the fabric color it is being sewn into but not necessarily
a color match. Shade matching reduces the number SKU required and
also allows the ordering of stock colors; or is done to use up
excess inventory. |
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Shrinkage:
Refers to the dimensional stability of a thread when it is
subjected to boiling water or heat. ASTM Test Method D204 describes
the standard test procedures for sewing thread using either the
boiling water (BW) or dry heat (DH) method. Dry heat shrinkage at
350°F is more severe than boiling water shrinkage. During this
test, the thread is subjected to 350°F for 30 minutes with a weight
attached equal to one gram per Tex Size. |
Signature®
Thread: An A&E brand of high quality sewing thread. Both
divisions in A&E offer products under the Signature® brand:
Registered
trademark of A&E.
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Singles
Equivalent Size: Refers to the yarn size
divided by the number of ply. (Example: 40/2 yarn has a 20
equivalent size, 60/3 yarn has a 20 equivalent size.) |
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Singles
Yarn: Refers to the individual yarn that is spun prior to twisting.
Most threads are formed by taking two or more singles yarns and
twisting them together. |
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Skipped
Stitches: Refers
to malformed stitches that are caused when a stitch-forming device
misses its appropriate loop. On chainstitch
and overedge machines, skipped stitches can
unravel allowing the seam to fail. |
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Slack
Twist: Refers to a yarn imperfection where
insufficient twist is applied to the thread so it has very poor ply
security. |
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Slubs:
Refers to yarn imperfections found in spun or corespun threads
that resemble cocoons. They are caused by fibers in the air getting
caught into the yarn as it is being spun. |
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SN Metallic™:
A&E' brand name for a metallic thread. SN Metallic
threads are used for
machine quilting, embroidery, and decorative applications.
(See Signature®
Specialty Threads.) |
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Soft
Finish: Refers to thread that receives no further processing to
change its general physical characteristics. It is dyed to the
proper shade and wound with a thread lubricant on a cone. (See
Thread Finishing.) |
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Spectrophotometer:
A color-testing instrument used to measure the reflectance of
light as a function of wave length. A&E currently uses the
Datacolor system for shade matching and shade approval. |
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Spinneret: A showerhead
looking device used in the melt-spinning process for making
polyester or nylon that helps determine the size of the filaments. |
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Spinning:
The process used to produce singles yarns where staple
fibers are drafted down to their final size and twisted
together. Most singles yarns are applied in the "S"
direction. (See Thread
Construction.) |
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Spreader: Refers to a stitch
formation device used in overedge, coverstitch,
blindstitch, and buttonsewing machines. Spreaders carry another
thread to a position so it can be entered by another stitch forming
device. Except for coverstitch machines, a spreader does not have
its own source of thread. |
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Spun Kool®: Refers
to a spun polyester thread with a flame-retardant finish
specifically designed for sewing Children's Sleepwear. For a
Textured Polyester thread with the FR Finish, see Tex Kool®. |
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Spun
Thread
Construction: Thread made from cotton or polyester staple
fibers that are spun into single yarns and then two or more of these
yarns are plied to make a sewing thread. Spun threads have a fibrous
surface giving them a soft hand and good lubricity
characteristics. Spun threads are used in everything from women's
intimate apparel to heavy leather gloves. These threads will pull
apart if the twist is backed out of the thread.
See Perma Spun®, Anecot®, Anecot Plus®. |
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Spun
Polyester: Refers to a thermoplastic thread made from staple
polyester fibers, which are spun into singles yarns and then plied
into a thread. A&E's brand name is Perma Spun®. (See Thread
Construction.) |
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Solarane™:
Refers to a PTFE
monocord thread used for outdoor application that require excellent
UV and chemical and mildew resistance. |
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Statimat:
A stress-strain testing machine used to evaluate the strength,
elongation, modulus and tenacity of a
thread. |
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Staple:
Small fibers approximately 1-1/2 inches in length with crimp in them
used to spin yarn or sewing thread. When twisted
together, the crimp locks the fibers together increasing the
strength of the thread. We spin the following staple fibers into
sewing threads: CS & CP
Cotton, Polyester, Lyocell®, Kevlar®,
and Nomex®.
Spun threads have the following characteristics: 1. Fibrous or fuzzy
surface contributing to a soft hand, low sheen and good lubricity
characteristics; 2. Lower tenacity than continuous
filament constructions; and, 3. Produce lower cost thread
constructions. (See Fiber
Science.) |
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Static
Electricity: Refers
to an electrical charge, which may affect synthetic thread during
sewing. An Anti-stat is usually added to the thread lubricant to
minimize the effect of static. |
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Stitches
Per Inch: Refers
to the number of the stitches made in one inch of seam, starting at
a needle penetration and measuring the lengths of thread between
needle penetrations. |
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Stitching:
According to Federal Spec 751a entitled "Stitches, Seams
& Stitchings", a stitching consists of a series of stitches
used to decorative stitch or hem a single ply of
fabric. (Download English .PDF Version of Stitch
Types.) |
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Stitch
Balance: Refers
to the balancing the sewing machine tension systems so that a proper
stitch is formed. Generally, it is desirable to balance the stitch
with minimum sewing machine thread tension. A 301 lockstitch
is properly balanced when the same amount of needle thread as bobbin
thread is consumed in the seam and the two threads are interlocked
in the center of the seam being sewn. A 401 chainstitch
is properly balanced when the needle thread from the previous needle
penetration will lay over almost half way to the next needle
penetration. This should be checked by unraveling the looper
thread on the bottom of the seam and observing the stitch formation.
A 504 three thread overedge seam is properly
balanced when the needle thread is pulled up tight on the underside
of the seam to minimize seam grinning and the looper threads or
"purl" meets on the edge of the seam. |
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Stretch
Polyester: See Textured Thread Construction
or Wildcat Plus®. |
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Stretch
Nylon: See Textured Thread Construction
or Best Stretch®. |
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Sublimation: A term relating to
the loss or migration of color due to heat. Certain dyes when
exposed to high heat will change from a solid to a gas and then
redeposit somewhere else. |
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Synthetic
Fibers: Are made from various chemicals or regenerated from
cellulose such as wood pulp and cotton waste. Examples are polyester
and nylon, which are synthesized from petro-chemicals and then
melt-spun into either continuous filment
or staple fibers. (See Fiber
Science.) |
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Tenacity:
A term relating to the strength per size of a thread and is
generally measured in grams per denier. The
following fibers are ranked according to their tenacity from
strongest to weakest: Kevlar®
Nylon, Polyester, Nomex®, Lyocell®,
Rayon, CS Cotton, CP
Cotton. Threads made from continuous
filament fibers are stronger and have a higher tenacity than
threads made from staple fibers. |
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Tencel®:
A registered trademark of Courtaulds Fibres Ltd. for a cellulosic
fiber that exhibits a very soft hand and good drape characteristics.
Tencel® fiber, which is used for sewing thread, is called Lyocell®.
A&E's brand name is Endurance™.
For more information, see: http://www.tencel.com |
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Teryl
B™: A very fine (T-14) polyester monocord
thread designed specifically for blindstitch operations on tailored
garments. The thread comes is various colors that are ideal for the
Career and Tailored Clothing manufacturers. |
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Tex Kool®: Refers to a textured polyester thread with a
flame-retardant finish specifically designed for sewing Children's
Sleepwear. For a Spun Polyester thread with the FR Finish, see Spun Kool®. |
Tex
Size: Refers
to a ticket size of sewing thread that is based on the gram weight
of 1000 meters of greige (undyed) thread. Tex sizes are bracketed or
rounded off to a smaller size. (Example: a Tex 42 thread would be
labeled a Tex 40 thread.) The Tex size is 1/9 the denier
size. To convert singles equivalent yarn size
to Tex Size, divide 590.6 by the singles equivalent size. (See
Worldwide Thread Size
Comparison.) General Guide
for Thread Size Selection:
- Light Weight
T-18, T-21, T-24, T-30 Shirts, Blouses, Dresses, Tops, Tee
Shirts
- Med. Weight
T-30, T-35, T-40, T-45 Pants, Chinos, Slacks, Jackets, etc.
- Heavy Weight
T-60, T-70, T-80, T-105, T-120 Jeans, Hvy. Jackets, Coats, etc.
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Textured
Thread Construction: Refers to threads that have been
textured to entangle the parallel continuous
filaments. The textured filaments are then twisted slightly and
wound on dye tubes for dyeing. After the thread is dyed, it is then
wound on cones with a low friction thread lubricant. Textured or
"fluff" threads provide excellent seam overedge
when used on overedge or coverstitch seams.
Textured sewing threads are NOT recommended for sewing on 301 lockstitch
machines. A&E brand threads are:
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Thread
Breakage: Usually refers to when the thread fails during sewing
and can be caused by a number of factors. (See Technical
Bulletin, Minimizing Thread Breakage.) |
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Thread
Size: Many different thread size systems are used in the
world for sewing threads. Generally, the thread size refers to the
diameter or thickness of the thread. A&E uses the Tex
Size universally for all of its thread products. Other thread
ticket size systems used include the Cotton Count System (60/3), the
Metric System (120's), the Denier System (100d
X 3) and the Silk System used for both Silk and Mercerized
Cotton threads (000/3). Larger thread sizes are generally used on
heavier fabrics. They are usually stronger and provide greater seam
strength. Heavier sizes are more expensive and will cause more bobbin
changes on lockstitch machines. (See World
Wide Thread Size Comparison.) |
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Threaducation®:
Refers to a series of workshops on thread. See
Technical Information. |
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Torque: When twist is
applied to thread, torque is created. These torque forces are
balanced by using opposite twist in the singles and ply
twist. Heat setting the thread during dyeing or autoclaving will
also minimize the torque forces in the thread. Excessive torque can
cause the thread to "french-knot" or kink excessively. |
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TQM:
Total Quality Management. A comprehensive collection of commitments
focused on the needs and desires of Customers. A&E's TQM
commitments include: 1. Commitment to Customer requirements; 2.
Commitment to Continuous Process Improvement; 3. Commitment to Total
Employee Involvement; and, 4. Commitment to Measurement and
Feedback. The inputs to the TQM Process include: Training; TQM
Culture & Language; Quality Infrastructure; TQM Analytical
Tools; Recognition & Rewards; and, Partnerships with both
Customers & Vendors. |
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Trevira®:
Hoechst/Celanese®'s brand name for polyester. |
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Twist:
In thread
construction, twist refers to the number of turns around the
axis. The direction of the twist can be an "S" or
"Z" direction. Most of our sewing threads are ply
twisted with a "left" or "Z" twist. Generally,
sewing threads are made with a "Z" twist because most
sewing machine stitch forming devices enter the needle loop from the
right-hand side and this reduces the unplying of the thread during
sewing. |
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Twist
Balance: The absence of torque in sewing thread. See torque. |
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Twist
Per Inch (TPI): Refers
to the turns per inch used to spin the singles yarn and ply
twist. Usually the twist is determined by a twist multiple.
Constructing a thread with the right amount of singles and ply twist
enhances sewability and seam appearance. |
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Twisted
Multifilament Thread
Construction: Thread made from continuous
filaments of polyester or nylon that are twisted
together into a cohesive bundle and then plied to make the thread.
See Anefil Nylon® or Anefil Polyester®. |
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Two
Needle Coverstitch Hem: Refers
to a 406 stitch - 2 needle bottom coverstitch
turned down hem used on knit goods. Common
needle spacings include 1/4", 3/16" and 1/8". A wide
needle spacing provides greater seam elasticity. |
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Tyvek®:
Registered trademark of DuPont. Refers to a brand of durable sheet
products of polyethylene fibers. |
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Ultraviolet
Light (UV) Resistance: Refers
to the light rays that can affect the durability and color
fastness of a thread. Sometimes an UV inhibitor is used to
reduce the amount of harmful rays absorbed by the thread. Some
fibers react differently if they are exposed under glass versus
direct sunlight. Solution dyed polyester has superior UV resistance
compared to vat dyed polyester. |
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Technical Information |
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Need
More Information? |
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Glossaries |
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Performance Measurement |
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Textile
Resources |
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A&E
Technical Services |
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Internet Sites |
AAFA:
American Apparel and Footwear Association
www.apparelandfootwear.org
AATCC:
American
Association of Textile Chemist and Colorists.
www.aatcc.org
North
Carolina Center for Applied Textile Technology: Part of
the NC Community College System, NCCATT provides instruction in
textile technology and related fields.
www.nccatt.org/home.asp |
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Technology |
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