Fabric Glossary: Terms Starting with C

Cable Twist

In textile construction a cable twist is when each successive twist is in the opposite direction to the preceding twist. This type of twist is defined as S-Z-S or Z-S-Z. A similar technique can be seen in the construction of chiffon.

Calais Val Lace

Is a type of bobbin lace that originated in Valenciennes. It is made with a round mesh. Usually made of heavier threads and in wider widths than conventional lace.

Calendering

Is the process of passing fabric between rollers referred to as calenders. The process is done under carefully controlled heat and pressure producing a variety of surface effects, such as moire or watermark patterns.

Calico

One of the oldest cotton fabrics that traces its origin to Kolkata, India. It is a plain woven fabric in solid colors printed in small floral patterns. Calico prints are popular for items like quilts and dresses.

Camel Hair

Is made from the hair on the underside of the camel and is classified as wool. Generally camel hair refers to the fiber that may be made from either pure camel hair or a blend of camel hair and another fiber. Today camel hair fabric is most popular for coats, suits, sweaters and blankets however during biblical times it was traditionally used for tents, carpets and cloaks.

Canvas

Is a heavy firm weight fabric made from cotton, linen, or synthetic fibers. Canvas is a plain weave fabric that has many uses such as for making sails, tents, and backpacks depending on the type of fiber used. Canvas is also referred to as duck fabric.

Carding

Is one of the steps in yarn preparation and is the process of opening and cleaning fibers which separates them from each other, lays them parallel, and forms them into a thin web. The fibers are then condensed into a single continuous untwisted strand or bundle of fibers called silver. Depending on the type of fiber the next step in yarn preparation would be combing.

Carrickmacross Lace

Is an Irish lace with appliqued motifs, cutwork, and buttonhole edges. Carrickmacross lace is a needle lace based on a machine-made net and the application of a fine cotton muslin. The excess muslin is later cut out to reveal the intricacy of the lace pattern. Carrickmacross lace has been revived recently by the Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton) who incorporated this lace along with others in her wedding gown.

Cashmere

Is a fine soft fiber from the undercoat hair of the Cashmere, Pashmina, or Changthangi goat as well as some other breeds. Cashmere is classified as wool. Cashmere fiber is finer, stronger, lighter, and more insulating than sheep’s wool.

Cellulose

Cellulose fibers are extracted from natural sources such as wood pulp, cotton, flax, and other plants and can be used in their natural form (like cotton or linen) or chemically processed to create regenerated cellulose fibers which are known as manmade cellulosics (MMCFs) and include fabrics like viscose, lyocell, and modal.

CFA

Is the abbreviation for Cutting for Approval. It is a small snip or cut of fabric from the specific roll or bolt that is reserved for a booked order. A CFA is often used in home decor when large quantities of fabric are required for drapery and matching dye lots.

Challis

A lightweight soft fabric known for being one of the softest fabrics made. It is a plain weave and comes in solids or printed fabric. Challis fabric was originally made from a blend of silk and wool however it is now available in a variety of blends including cotton, rayon and others.

Chambray

Is a popular variety of cotton fabric that is used for shirting. It combines colored warp and white weft (filling) yarns in a plain weave. Originally from Cambrai, France. The name Chambray replaced linen Cambric in the USA in the early 19th century. Chambray fabric may be carded or combed in stripes, checks and dobby designs.

Chantilly Lace

Is a fine French handmade bobbin lace with six-sided mesh grounds with a pattern outlined in heavy thread. Chantilly lace was mostly made with silk although both linen and silk blends were made. Today you can find copies of original Chantilly lace, however they are often made with nylon and polyester.

Charmeuse

Is a soft satin weave fabric which is smooth and shiny. It can be made of silk, cotton, polyester, rayon, or other man-made fibers. Silk Charmeuse is available in various weights and is reversible. Charmeuse is a warp-faced weave which has a satin finish on one side and is available with the other side being a crepe. This is referred to as crepe back satin. Charmeuse has a slight nap due to the way it is woven, and it is very important when laying out your pattern pieces that you ensure all the naps are oriented in the same direction.

Checks

Are woven fabrics where the yarns have been dyed and then woven into patterns consisting of crossed horizontal and vertical lines to form squares. Check fabrics can be made in virtually any type of fiber such as silk, cotton, wool, polyester and synthetic. It is normal for checks made from natural woven fabrics like wool, silk, cotton or linen to not pattern match due to variances in loom tension during the weaving process.

Cheesecloth

Cheesecloth is a gauze-like loosely woven cotton cloth used primarily in cheese making and food preparation. When it is bleached and starched it is known as scrim. Better grades of this gauze can be used for apparel applications. Cheesecloth has other applications like in printmaking processes and in product safety and regulatory testing processes.

Chenille

Is the French word for caterpillar whose fur is supposed to be resembled in the yarn. Chenille is made from a fuzzy soft yarn used mainly in the production of decorative fabrics, embroidery, tassels, bedspreads, throws, mats, and carpets. The word Chenille can also be used to broadly describe any type of fabric woven from chenille yarns. Chenille yarns are commonly made from cotton, acrylic, rayon, and olefin. Chenille will look different in one direction compared to another as the fibers catch the light differently.

Cheviot

Is a tweed fabric that has a harsh hand with uneven yarns usually twilled diagonally or woven in chevrons. It is a popular staple lightweight sport coat tweed named for the Cheviot sheep from the Cheviot Hills of Scotland. Traditionally cheviot fabric was made from the wool of the Cheviot sheep however other types of wool or blends are also used.

Chevron

Is a term to describe the pattern produced from a twill weave and is characteristic of a V shaped zigzag pattern. A herringbone weave is a chevron weave.

Chiffon

A balanced plain-woven sheer fabric consisting of alternate S and Z twist crepe yarns originally made from silk fibers. In 1938 a nylon version was invented and later in 1958 polyester chiffon became popular due to the low cost. Chiffon has an elegant floating appearance and is ideal for evening gowns.

China Silk

The term China silk is widely used to describe any soft, lightweight silk fabric woven in a plain weave. Specifically, silk habotai is commonly referred to as China silk due to its smooth texture and fine quality. In the textile industry, the name China silk is also applied to lightweight polyester fabrics. This has led to confusion since polyester is a synthetic, man-made fiber derived from petroleum products and is entirely different from natural silk. Always confirm the fiber content before purchasing China silk since polyester does not possess the same natural properties as real silk.

Chinchilla Cloth

Chinchilla cloth is a heavy twill weave fabric made from wool or cotton blends. It features a distinctive spongy, napped surface with small rolled nubs that give it a textured, plush feel. Despite its name, this fabric is not made from chinchilla fur. The name originates from the town of Chinchilla in Spain, where it was originally produced.

Chino

Chino is a classic twill weave fabric made from cotton, wool, linen, synthetics, or blends. Originally developed for military uniforms, chino fabric is durable and comfortable. Today, chino pants referred to as khakis are a worn for casual and semi-formal events.

Chinon

Chinon is a synthetic fabric designed to imitate the appearance and drape of silk chiffon.

Chintz

Chintz is a glazed plain weave cotton or cotton blend fabric, sometimes called polished cotton. It is a firm, medium to heavyweight fabric available in solid colors and printed patterns, most commonly florals. The unglazed version of chintz is known as cretonne. Originally produced in Hyderabad, India, during the 1600s, chintz gained widespread popularity in Europe, leading to production in French and English mills by the 1700s.

Circular Knit

Circular knit fabrics are produced on machines that create knitted fabrics in a tubular form. These fabrics can be either single knits (jerseys) or double knits, offering a range of textures and weights suitable for apparel and other applications.

Cloque (Cloqué)

Cloqué is a French term meaning "blistered" and refers to fabric with a raised, woven pattern that creates a puckered, blistered, or quilted effect.

Color

Color is our visual perception of light as it is reflected, transmitted, or emitted by objects. Color is determined by the specific wavelengths of light that are reflected or emitted.

Colorfast (Colorfastness)

Refers to a fabric’s ability to retain its original color or shade throughout the life of the garment, resisting fading or running during washing, exposure to light, or wear.

Color Harmony

Color harmony describes combinations of colors that are visually pleasing by creating a sense of balance and order. Color harmony may be achieved by arranging analogous colors (those next to each other on the color wheel) and by arranging complementary colors (colors opposite each other on the color wheel).

Color Theory

Provides guidance to color mixing and the visual effects of a specific color combination. There are three basic categories of color theory: the color wheel, color harmony, and the context of how colors are used. Hues, tints, tones and shades are all part of color theory.

Color Wheel

A color wheel is a circle based on the primary colors red, yellow, and blue. Secondary colors are formed by mixing the primary colors to create orange, green, and purple. Primary and secondary colors are pure hues. Tertiary colors are formed by mixing a primary color with a secondary color such as yellow & orange, red & orange, red & purple, blue & purple, blue & green, and yellow & green.

Colour

Is the commonwealth English spelling of color.

Combing

Combing is a yarn preparation process that removes short fibers and impurities from carded yarn, resulting in a smoother, more compact yarn. This step precedes weaving and produces finer yarns. Unlike carded yarn, combed yarn has fewer projecting fibers. The combing process is also used in wool yarn production, known as the worsted system, which involves specialized combing techniques due to differences in fiber characteristics.

Complementary Colors

Complementary colors are pairs of colors located directly opposite each other on the color wheel. This color harmony scheme creates the highest contrast and visual impact between colors.

Continuous Filament

Continuous filament refers to a long, unbroken strand of fiber. Most man-made fibers are produced as continuous filaments, while most natural fibers are short staple fibers. The exception is silk, which is naturally spun by silkworms as a continuous filament ranging from 300 to 1,600 yards in length.

Converter

In the fabric industry, a converter is a company that purchases unfinished fabric directly from mills and then dyes, finishes, or prints on it to produce the final finished fabric.

Coolmax

Coolmax is a brand name for a high-performance polyester fabric designed to wick moisture away from the body, keeping the wearer cool and dry.

Corded Fabric

Corded fabrics are characterized by a distinct filling rib or cord running across the fabric. Examples include bengaline, grosgrain, faille, ottoman, poplin, taffeta, Bedford cord, and Russell cord.

Corduroy

Corduroy is a cut-pile fabric made with an extra set of filling yarns that create narrow to wide vertical ribs called wales. The back of corduroy is typically plain or twill weave. Corduroy can be made from various fibers, including stretch blends. The wale count refers to the number of ribs per inch; a lower wale number indicates thicker ribs (e.g., 3-wale is thicker than 10-wale). Wale counts range from about 1.5 to 21, with traditional corduroy around 10 to 12 wales. Fine corduroys like pinwale or needlecord have wale counts above 16.

Core Yarn

Core yarns consist of one type of fiber twisted or wrapped around a central core fiber. Some core yarns are designed for strength, while others provide stretch. Stretch core yarns typically have a spandex or rubber core wrapped with textured synthetic or natural fibers such as silk.

Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy natural fiber obtained from the seed pods of the cotton plant. It is composed almost entirely of cellulose. Cotton fibers are spun into yarn or thread and used to produce a wide variety of fabrics, including terrycloth, denim, corduroy, seersucker, twill, knits, and bed linens. Egyptian cotton, known for its superior quality, is hand-picked and considered a luxury fiber for high-end sheets.

Course

In knitted fabrics, a course refers to the row of stitches or loops running horizontally across the fabric, corresponding to the weft in woven textiles. The length of yarn required to complete one course is known as the course length.

Crease Retention

Crease retention is a fabric’s ability to hold an intentional fold or pleat, often created through heat treatment. Thermoplastic fibers such as nylon and polyester are especially effective at maintaining permanent creases.

Crease versus Wrinkle

In textiles, a crease is an intentional fold or pleat, while a wrinkle is an unintentional ridge or series of uneven folds caused by rumpling or fabric contraction.

Crepe (Crêpe)

Crepe fabric is characterized by a distinctive, slightly crinkled or crimpled surface, achieved through the use of hard-twist yarns or specific weave constructions. The texture can range from subtle to pronounced. Crepe is available in silk, wool, and synthetic fibers, and comes in lightweight, midweight, and heavyweight varieties.

Crepe Back Satin

Crepe back satin is a soft fabric featuring one smooth, shiny satin side and one textured crepe side. It can be made from silk, cotton, polyester, rayon, or other man-made fibers. Silk crepe back satin is reversible, with charmeuse being a well-known variant. This fabric is available in various weights.

Crepe de Chine

Is a lightweight plain weave fabric with a crepe-twist filling yarn. Originally made from silk, it is now also produced from polyester, viscose, and other man-made fibers.

Cretonne

Cretonne is an unglazed version of chintz, typically a medium-weight printed cotton fabric.

Crimp

Crimp refers to the natural or manufactured waviness in fibers. It occurs naturally in fibers like wool or can be introduced mechanically or chemically to enhance fabric properties.

Crinkle

Crinkle is an intentional treatment or finishing process that creates a puckered or wrinkled texture on the fabric surface.

Crinoline

Crinoline can refer to either a heavy, stiff fabric or a type of garment. As a fabric, crinoline is a stiff netting made from polyester, nylon, linen, or cotton, traditionally blended with horsehair. Modern crinoline fabrics are mostly polyester or nylon. As a garment, crinoline refers to a structured petticoat or steel-hooped cage used in the 19th century to shape skirts. Popular across social classes, crinolines were hazardous due to fire risks and accidents. By the 1870s, smaller crinolettes and bustles replaced the large hoops. In the 20th century, flounced nylon and net petticoats without hoops were also called crinolines. Today, crinoline remains popular for evening gowns, wedding dresses, and ball gowns requiring voluminous silhouettes.

Crocheting

Crocheting is a technique for creating fabric, trims, or lace by interlocking loops or stitches with a single hook or needle.

Crocking

Crocking is the unwanted transfer or rubbing off of dye from a dry, dyed, or printed fabric onto another dry fabric due to abrasion or mechanical action. It is most common with dark, vivid colors like black, blue, and red, and occurs frequently on linens, cottons, silks, and fabrics with nap or pile such as corduroy and velvet. Crocking can be minimized by washing in cold water with vinegar and thorough rinsing, but some fabrics require professional dry cleaning to prevent damage. Dry cleaners use specialized solutions to reduce crocking during cleaning.

Cross-Stitching

A counted-thread embroidery technique where X-shaped stitches are made in a tiled pattern to form pictures or designs. It is typically worked on basket weave or even-weave cotton or linen fabrics, categorized by thread count per inch.

Crushed

Crushed refers to an intentional process or treatment that creates a crushed or crinkled texture on the fabric surface.

Cut

In clothing, sewing, and tailoring, cut refers to the style, shape, or silhouette of a garment including how it hangs on the body and the overall effect it creates.

Cutwork, Cut Work

Cutwork is a needle lace or machine embroidery technique where portions of fabric are cut away and the edges are reinforced or filled with needle lace or embroidery. This creates decorative holes shaped into patterns or designs. Fine cotton or linen is typically used as the ground fabric for cutwork.