i'm new at the REAL sewing, i've always just kinda made things in my head and put them together the best way i could... but i'm trying to do it the real way this time...

what is a nap???

thanks
ash

and a selvage also... whats that?

thanks ash

Not a very helpful bunch are we...

thanks anyway...

ash

ok, I'm new to sewing and self taught, but will share the little I do know.

A nap, is when a fabric sits a certain way. You know when you brush your hand up or down suede, velvet and certain other fabrics it makes it 'stand up' You can see sometimes with velvet, if you hold a peice one way up there is a difference to the peices the other way up? This is a badly explained nap. If you cut a skirt out with the front nap in one direction and the back going in the other direction they could appear to be different colours as the light will hit them differently.


I believe a salvage is the edge of the roll of material. You know the bit that sometimes has printing on it? I think I read somewhere that you should avoid using this even within a seam as it is more densly woven and can affect the way an item washes and wears.

Hope this helps.
June.

Yes junerose both answers are absolutely correct and I think they're great explanations! And yes, you should just cut the selvedge off rather than include it in the garment because it can shrink more than the rest of the fabric.

This site http://vintagesewing.info/1910s/17-ad/ad-02.html has lots of information but it's somewhat old fashioned. The reason it's talking about pre-shrinking is that if you shrink a fabric properly before you make the item you want to make with it, then the fabric is pre-shrunk and won't shrink any more. Most quilting cottons would need this treatment.

The sewing editor is away so I am answering on her behalf.

Hi Ash,

Sewing.org is a great web site that has a page with basic sewing definitions. It covers "nap"

Sewing.org Sewing Terms
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