| A |
|
| Abrasion:
The act or result of surface rubbing during laundering or normal
wear. Synthetic threads have superior abrasion resistance to
cellulosic threads. Nylon threads like Anefil™
or Anecord™
have excellent abrasion resistant characteristics. Perma
Core™ has good abrasion resistance and chemical resistance
needed in many pre-washed garments. |
|
| Acid
Dyes: Dyes
used to dye Nylon threads. There are two classes of Acid dyes that
are used by A&E, premetalized and regular acid dyes.
Premetalized dyes have superior color
fastness characteristics but can produce a limited color range. |
|
| Acrylic:
A manufactured fiber in which the fiber forming substance is any
long chain of synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight
of acroylnitrile units. The fiber is made in staple
form only. Common trade names include Acrilan, Creslan, and Zefran.
Acrylic fabrics are lightweight, soft and resilient. Some acrylic
fabrics, particularly knits, approximate the
hand of fine wool. Because of the composition and cross section of
the fiber, fabrics made from acrylic have a high bulk to weight
ratio. This is further enhanced with the so-called "high
Bulk" spun yarns. End uses include floor coverings, blankets,
and apparel such as tailored clothing, dresses and sweaters. |
|
| Aesthetics:
Refers to the
appearance of the thread in the finished seam that can be affected
by contrast stitching, color matching, the sheen of the thread, the
size of the thread. |
|
| Air
Entangled: Threads that have been made from continuous
filaments that have been entangled by high-pressure air as they run
through an air jet. Air entangled threads can be made either with a
"parallel" or "core & effect" construction.
The core & effect construction thread has superior
ply security minimizing thread breakage. A&E's air entangled
thread is called Magic™
and it comes in a variety of sizes from T-21 to T-135. Same as
"locked filament" thread. |
|
| Air
Splice: A
means of joining ends of yarn together using high pressure air. This
produces a union not as thick as a weaver's knot so a better quality
product is produced. Air splices will sew through the needle of a lockstitch
without causing a sewing interruption. |
|
| Anecord™:
A&E's brand name for a nylon monocord
thread that is made from a number of nylon continuous
filaments that have been brought together with a low degree of twist
and then bonded together. Anecord™
threads are flat and ribbon-like providing a lower seam profile and
excellent loop strength. Anecord
Bobbins™ have more yardage than twisted multi-filament bobbins
and they are available either sided or sideless. Registered
trademark of A&E. |
|
| Anecot™
and Anecot
Plus™: A&E's brand name for 100% CP
cotton threads. Anecot Plus™ is a CS
cotton sewing threads that has a higher tenacity
than Anecot™ threads, allowing the use of smaller thread
sizes. Registered trademarks of A&E. |
|
| Anefil
Nylon™ and Anefil
Polyester™: A&E Brand names for twisted multi-filament
sewing threads used for sewing applications such as footwear,
luggage, automobile applications, upholstered furniture, mattress,
& bedding, etc. They are very strong for their size and very
uniform in their physical properties. Both are available either
"soft" or with an additional "bond" for better ply
adhesion and abrasion resistance.
Registered
trademarks of A&E. |
|
| Anti-wicking:
Refers to a finish
(Quarpel) put on the thread to minimize
wicking. The wrapper on cotton wrapped, core threads or 100% cotton
threads will sometimes swell after being sewn into the seam to
minimize water migration. Polyester wrapped core threads are also
used with very small needle sizes to minimize the size of the hole
made in the fabric. |
|
| Aramid:
Includes DuPont fibers like Kevlar® and Nomex®,
which exhibit excellent flammability characteristics and will not
melt or support combustion. Nomex® has better long-term heat
resistance but is weaker than polyester threads and stretches
easily. Kevlar® is very strong and had good short-term heat
resistance but should not be recommended where the thread will be
subjected to prolonged exposure to high temperatures. |
|
| B |
|
| Backtacking:
Refers to the
reverse feed sewing at the beginning and ending of the seam to
prevent the thread from unraveling. Most lockstitch
machines purchased today will be capable of backtacking either
automatically or with the pushing of a lever. |
|
| Bartack:
A pattern of
stitches sewn on cycle machines used to reinforce seams, attach belt
loops, etc. Bartacking sewing machines are available either lockstitch
or single-thread chainstitch. |
|
| Basting:
Refers to temporary
stitching used in tailored garments to hold garment pieces together
until another operation is performed. |
|
| Best
Stretch™: A&E's brand-name for our textured
nylon thread that is commonly used on high-stretch fabrics used in
intimate apparel, foundations, sportswear, etc. Registered trademark
of A&E. |
|
| Blindhemming:
Refers to a 503
EFc-1 overedge hemming operation often sewn on
knit
garments. Many manufacturers are using either spun or textured
polyester for these operations on the sleeve or bottom of garments. |
|
| Bobbin:
A yarn package that
single yarn is wound on in a textile mill. A bobbin is also a small
metal spindle that is inserted into the hook of lockstitch
sewing machines. Sewing machine bobbins can be wound at the sewing
operators work station or pre-wound bobbins can be purchased. When
ordering pre-wound bobbins, the following information is required:
Thread type & size, color, bobbin style, and sided or sideless. |
|
| Bonded
Finish: Refers to a finish applied to continuous
filament nylon and polyester threads which coats the fibers giving
the thread better ply security and abrasion
resistance. Bonded threads include Anefil
Polyester™, Anefil
Nylon™, and Anecord™. |
|
| Bottom
Cover-thread Stitch: Refers
most often to the two needle one looper 406
stitch used for 2-needle hemming knit garments,
making belt loops for jeans, attaching elastic to panties, and
binding operations on knits with a top edge folded binding. |
|
| Bottom
Thread: Refers
to the under thread in a stitch formation, usually called a bobbin
thread on lockstitch machines or a looper
thread on chainstitch, overedge
and coverstitch machines. |
|
| Bottom
Weights: Heavy weight fabrics used for jeans, coveralls,
jackets, coats, etc. These fabrics usually require heavy thread
sizes with good needle heat resistance. |
|
| Bound
Seams (BS): One
of four classes of seams in the Federal Specification - Stitches,
Seams, and Stitchings. A seam where a binding or piping is sewn to
the edge of one or more plies of fabric usually with the assistance
of a folder on the sewing machine. |
|
| Breaking
(Thread): Caused
by a number of variables including: 1. Using wrong thread for
application, 2. Thread defects including knots, slubs, etc., 3. Too
much elongation or being sewn with too much tension, 4. Worn sewing
machine parts, 5. Machine out of adjustment, and 6. Operator
handling. |
|
| Busted
Seam Construction: Seams
that are sewn and then pressed flat after seaming. Used on tailored
garments like coats, trousers, dresses, etc. |
|
| Buttons:
Fasteners. |
|
| Button
Holing: The
sewing of buttonholes with either a single thread or lockstitch
cycle machine. Buttonhole machines can be complicated and cause many
sewing problems. Many manufacturers use a PW or CW core thread on
these machines to minimize thread breakage and skipped stitches.
Some eyelet buttonhole machines also use button gimp
like our T-180 Anecot™
Gimp that is inserted along the edge of the buttonhole to give the
edge of the buttonhole stability. |
|
| Button
Sewing: The sewing of buttons with cycle machines which can
either use a single thread chainstitch or
lockstitch to attach the button to the
body. A lockstitch button sewing machine is recommended to minimize
the possibility of the stitch unraveling and the button falling off. |
|
| C |
|
| Carding:
A process used in
the manufacture of staple yarn, which
separates, cleans, aligns and delivers the fibers in a sliver form.
The machine consists of a series of rollers, the surfaces of which
are covered with many projecting wires or metal teeth. |
|
| Cellulosic
Fiber: A fiber made from plants - a wood pulp by-product.
Cellulosic fibers include Cotton, Rayon and Tencel®
or Lyocell®.
These fibers have similar physical properties in that they have a
relatively low tenacity, a low elongation,
and good heat resistance. They are not as durable to abrasion,
laundering, and chemicals as polyester or nylon fibers. |
|
| Chain
Tacking ("Latch Tacking"): Refers to the sewing of
the overedge chain back into the stitch to
prevent the seam from unraveling. This is usually performed at the
beginning of the seam. The thread chain is pulled off the overedge
stitch tongue and then aligned and sewn back into the beginning of
the next seam. |
|
| Chaining-off:
Refers to what
sewing operators do when they sew on or off the fabric at the
beginning or end of a seam without stopping. On some machines,
chaining or sewing without fabric is more difficult than sewing on
the fabric because the fabric helps in loop formation. On the other
hand, overedge and coverstitch
machines have needle plates with chaining fingers or stitch tongues
to aid in chaining-off between pieces. |
|
| Chainstitch:
Refers to a 401
multi-thread chainstitch where a needle thread is interlooped with a
bottom looper thread on the underside of the
seam. A looper thread 60% of the strength of the needle thread can
be used and still maintain seam strength because a loop of looper
thread holds the needle thread on the underside of the seam. Most
main seams on woven apparel are seamed with
this stitch formation. |
|
| Clearlon™:
Refers to A&E's brand name for its monofilament
sewing thread. Clearlon is translucent and is available in either
clear or smoke. Registered
trademark of A&E. |
|
| Color
Card or Palette: A&E has regional color cards specifically
designed to serve the needs of the regional market. These regional
color cards include a Western Hemisphere card, a European card, and
a Far East card. A&E also has developed a Global Color Palette
that was designed for global companies that would like to specify
one color for thread regardless of where the sewn products will be
produced in the world. Special color cards are also available for
special products like Wildcat
Plus™ textured threads, Anecord™,
Anefil
Nylon™ & Polyester™
threads, etc. |
|
| Color
Matching: Refers to the selection of a thread that will match
the sewn fabric. The best process is to match a color off the color
card because: 1. The shade has been formulated; and, 2. There is a
better chance that there is inventory available. |
|
| Colorfastness:
The ability of the thread to retain its color during normal use,
laundering, and /or when exposed to sunlight. Polyester threads
exhibit the best colorfastness for most apparel applications.
Colorfastness variables include wash fastness,
crock
fastness, sublimation, cold water
migration and light fastness. Some thread types are relatively fast
to some variables and only moderately fast to others. We recommend
doing pre-production testing prior to going into production to
assure quality results. |
|
| Combing:
Refers to a step
used when processing 100% cotton subsequent to carding, which
straightens the fibers and extracts neps, foreign
matter, and short fibers. Combing produces a stronger and more even,
compact, finer, and smoother yarn. |
|
| Compatibility:
Refers to the
ability of a thread to follow another thread supplier, thread type,
and/or thread color on the sewing floor with minimum machine
adjustments. To minimize thread incompatibility, A&E recommends
using the minimum number of suppliers if possible. |
|
| Cones:
Threads are wound
on cones or spools with a precision wind. Most cones today are made
of plastic that can be recycled. Industrial sewing threads are
generally wound on larger put-ups or cones with 6,000 yds., 12,000
yds., etc. |
|
| Consumer
Products: Refers to A&E products for use in home sewing. |
|
| Continuous
Filament: Refers to synthetic fibers of an indefinite length.
Fibers used to
manufacture sewing threads are either continuous filament or staple.
We can use continuous filament nylon, polyester, and rayon to make
various thread
constructions. The five thread constructions produced from
continuous filaments include monofilament,
twisted multifilament, monocord,
textured, and air
entangled. Corespun threads use a combination of continuous
filament polyester core and a staple cotton or polyester wrapper.
The sizing system for continuous filaments is the denier
system. |
|
| Contrast
Stitching: Refers
to the sewing of thread into fabric of a different color. Using 100%
polyester thread will reduce the chance of color migration. Filament
threads have a higher sheen and spun thread with a fibrous surface
has a softer look. |
|
| Cord:
Refers to the number of ply in the
thread
construction such as a 2-cord thread - 2-ply thread. |
|
| Cord
Stoppers: Used on the ends of cords for items such as jackets
and coats to prevent the cord from being pulled out of the item. |
|
| Core
or Core Spun Thread: One of seven thread
constructions made by wrapping a cotton or polyester staple
wrapper around a continuous filament core
of polyester fibers. Two or more of the core yarns are then plied to
make a core spun sewing thread. When using a cotton wrapper, D-Core™
has good needle heat resistance and will wash down in color during
subsequent wash processes. When wrapped with a polyester wrapper, Perma
Core™ threads have excellent tenacity,
chemical resistance, and color fastness.
Core threads are recommended for tough sewing application such as
sewing on automatic multi-directional sewing machines. |
|
Coverstitch:
Stitches used for
seaming knit underwear, athletic wear, intimate
apparel which provides excellent coverage on the top and bottom side
of the seam. This allows very flat seam constructions. Below are the
common coverstitch stitch formations:
- 602 2 needle,
1 looper & 1 top spreader thread
- 605 3 needle,
1 looper & 1 top spreader thread
- 606 4 needle,
4 loopers & 1 top spreader thread
- 607 4 needle,
1 looper & 1 top spreader thread
Usually spun
polyester or texturized polyester/nylon threads are used on these
machines. |
|
| CP
Cotton: Refers to Combed Peeler cotton that comes from
California. CP cotton is not as strong as CS cotton
and is also less expensive. CP cotton has a lighter color when
compared to CS cotton. CP cotton threads are available either soft,
mercerized or glaced. See Anecot™. |
|
| Crocking:
Refers to the rubbing off of color. Crocking is checked both dry
and wet using ASTM D-204 Test Method. Excessive crocking can be
caused by poor dye penetration of the thread or a thread that has
not been properly scoured and has residual dye on the surface. |
|
| CS
Cotton: Refers to SAK cotton that has a longer staple
length and is a superior grade of cotton compared to CP
cotton. CS Cotton is stronger and
recommended when replacing high tenacity
spun polyester threads for garment dye programs. CS cotton threads
are more expensive than CP cotton threads. CS cotton threads are
available either soft, mercerized or glaced. See Anecot
Plus™. |
|
| Curing:
Refers to a process that whereby post-cured piece goods are
passed through an oven to activate the wrinkle-resistant finish. |
|
| Cut
Stitches: Refers to the damage of threads where one seam crosses
another seam, particularly on denim garments that are subjected to
stone-washing, etc. |
|
| CW:
Refers to cotton wrapped core thread, such as D-Core™.
See Core Spun Thread. |
