Glossary

acrylic - type of water-based paint usually used for canvas painting. can be used (diluted with water) for painting on shirts but tends to bleed/fade (if too thin) or crack (if too thick) when washed. can be mixed with textile medium for better results.

boat neck - a neckline quite high cut and square in style

cap sleeves - halfway between a normal short sleeve and a tank top. make them by cutting the end of a sleeve off diagonally (shorter at the bottom, wider at the top).

contact paper (UK sticky-backed plastic) - paper which is sticky on one side. comes in a roll with peel-off backing paper. the best choice for most stencils as it prevents islands from being a problem. can be found in stationery/office supply stores.

corset - a top which has a structured style created by boning - plastic or metal rods which are inserted into channels around the shirt.

cowl neck - style of neckline where the fabric drapes in an arch around the chest.

darting - making cuts and pleats into the bust area of a shirt to ensure a good fit. the darts help to make a rounded shape rather than the fabric lying flat, and prevents gaping at the sides.

empire line - a cut of shirt/dress that has a seam right under the bust and falls A-line over the waist and hips.

eyelets (also called grommets) - small metal rings which are hammered around holes to reinforce them. good to use when lacing up seams so the fabric does not tear. usually sold in packs with a hammer and eyelet press, from DIY/craft stores.

fabric medium - see textile medium.

fabric paint - paint specially made to be used with fabrics. comes in opaque (for dark shirts) and translucent (for light shirts). the paint is often fixed by ironing the garment when dry. good brands: dylon, peber, tulip. found in sewing/craft stores.

french seams - a neat way to sew seams created by first sewing the seam right side out, then wrong side out, to hide the seam in a channel inside the garment.

grommets - see eyelets

halter - a style of top which usually has no back and ties at the back of the neck.

interfacing - a strip of material which bonds fabric together. can be used for seams or hemming. comes primarily in iron-on strips, found in craft/fabric stores.

iron-on letters - velour letters with a special glue backing which allows them to be attached to shirts using the heat from an iron. found in craft stores.

islands - the white parts of a stencil which, when cut out, are not attached to the main part of the stencil. these can be avoided by either planning the stencil to avoid white parts surrounded by black (or vice-versa) or cut out seperately and stuck on with contact paper.

off-shoulder - tops which fall on the shoulders or the tops of the arms.

one-shoulder - tops which are cut diagonally so the shoulder part is only intact on one side.

puff/3D fabric paint - paint which comes in a squeezy tube and is applied directly onto the shirt. it dries with a slightly raised effect. good for detailed or freehand work or lettering.

right sides facing (wrong side out) - the correct way to sew all seams to avoid visible seam lines on the outside of a garment. this is often achieved by turning the garment inside-out when sewing seams.

ruching - scrunching up fabric (especially side seams) with the use of ribbon or elastic.

ruffle - a strip of fabric which is pleated and sewn to create decorative edging on shirts.

slash neck - style of neckline where the line is high and cut straight across the neck. good to make out of old polo-neck shirts.

stencil - a cut-out image which is applied to a shirt, painted over then removed to leave the image on the shirt.

textile medium - a clear gel that, when mixed with acrylic paint, make it more colourfast when washing. the medium is usually mixed one part medium to four parts paint. found in craft/fabric stores.

(iron-on) transfer paper - special paper which lets you print an image from your computer and transfer it onto a shirt using the heat of an iron. the paper comes in two forms: dark, for dark shirts, and light, for light shirts. found in stationery and office supply stores.
top tips for transfer paper: