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A
"A" Frame Window:
A contemporary window structure that is shaped like the letter
A.
All-in-the-Bag: A comforter
set that includes a full set of sheets including a top and bottom
sheet, two pillowcases and two shams. Twin comforter sets
and Bed-in-a-Bag products typically include only one pillowcase
and sham.
Allowance: Accounting
for extra space after taking an exact measurement, for the purpose
of anticipating needs.
American Upland Cotton:
Short, medium staple cotton representing the bulk of the worlds
crop.
Antique Satin: A very popular
rayon/acetate fabric with a smooth and bright feel.
Apron: Horizontal trim
board beneath a windowsill.
Aquadeq: Hollander Home
Fashions' patented ten wash and rinse cycle for processing down,
rendering its down the cleanest on the market.
B
Baffle: A vertical wall
of fabric sewn between the top and bottom layers of a comforter
shell, allowing the down comforter to expand to its highest
loft.
Baffle Box: Three-dimensional
boxes sewn within a comforter shell that prevent enclosed down
from shifting and lumping.
Bar-Tack: A concentrated
group of stitches used to reinforce the lower portion of a drapery
pleat.
Basketweave: An under-and-over
weave
Batiste: Soft, delicate,
plain weave cotton fabric named after French linen weaver Jean
Batiste.
Baton: A rod used
to open and close traverse draperies and blinds.
Bay Window: A series of
windows assembled in a polygon shape that projects
outward from the side of a house.
Bedglove: Hollander's guaranteed-to-fit
bed skirt. Extremely easy to put on, the Bedglove fits
any brand of deep-sided mattresses and firmly holds mattress
pads in place.
Bed Skirt: A piece of decorative
fabric that covers the box spring and the mattress and hangs
to the floor to cover the bed frame. Bed skirts are also
known as dust ruffles, petticoats, and dusters.
Bedspread: A decorative
fabric, less common and longer than a comforter, that covers
the entire bed including the mattress, box spring, and bed pillows.
Beta Fiberglass Fiber:
A trademark name of Owens-Corning Fiberglass, this is a glass
fiber about one half the size of other glass fibers in use.
It provides increased durability and flexibility.
Binding: The decorative
trim on the fold-down portion of a flat sheet or pillowcase.
Also known as edging or piping.
Blend: A combination
of two or more different types of fiber yarns woven together
to make a cloth.
Bottom Hem: The finished
edge at the bottom of a drapery.
Bow Window: A large projecting
window, usually with a semi-circle shape.
Box Pleat: Evenly spaced
double pleats created by folding under the fabric on both sides.
Box pleats are sewn to give a drapery a full look.
Bracket: A metal part connected
to a wall or vertical surface to support a drapery or curtain
rod.
Brocade: Raised design
of flowers and figures typically made of thick and heavy material,
often silk, rayon and nylon yarns.
Brushing: A fabric finishing
process that mechanically raises the nap of the fabric, making
it softer to the touch.
Burlap: A coarse fabric
typically made of jute, hemp or flax.
C
Cafe: A decorative, tiered
drapery, which can be set at variety of heights to control ventilation
and view.
Cafe Rod: A small, decorative
rod used to mount cafe curtains.
Calenderizing: The process
of pressing fabric between hot rollers and cylinders to create
a , down-proof finish.
Cambric: A thin, plain
cotton or linen fabric of a close weave, usually white and finished
with a slight gloss on one side. Cambrics achieve their
lustrous finish with a calendar machine.
Canopy: A fabric covering
at the top of a window.
Cantonniere: A three-sided,
padded box structure covered with fabric used to frame a
window.
Casements: An instable,
open-weave fabric.
Carding: The process of
separating, opening, and cleaning individual fibers of raw cotton
-- a necessary condition for the efficient and smooth spinning
of yarn. Carding and combing are two separate processes; all
cotton fibers are carded, but not combed. See also combing.
Carriers: Small mechanisms
used to hold a drapery pin or hook.
Cartridge Pleat: A fold
of cloth sewn into a drapery and filled with paper or crinoline
to create a full look.
Cascade: Fabric that hangs
in a way that it resembles the look of a waterfall.
Casement: (1) An opaque
drapery made with an open weave cloth. (2) A window with panes
that open sideways or crank out.
Casing: A wood window frame
Center Draw: Draperies
that open and close at the center of a window.
Center Support: A metal
bracket used to support a traverse rod at the top of a window.
Challis: A very soft fabric
made of cotton, rayon or wool.
Chamber: Walls of
fabric sewn together to create individual pockets of down and
feather within the basic shell of pillows, comforters, and feather
beds. Chambers provide various levels of support for the
consumer.
Clerestory Windows: Small
windows positioned high on a wall to allow privacy and are used
to provide ventilation and light.
Closed Construction:
A term used to describe comforter construction where the filling
is not able to move between chambers. For examples of
closed construction, see baffle box, sewn-through box or sewn-through
diamond box.
Cluster Fiber: Polyester
fibers that are rolled into small balls or puffs and that perform
very similar to down. Cluster fibers actually get puffier
through laundering and provide exceptional support and maximum
comfort by conforming to the body.
Combing: Manufacturing
process to cleanse, sort and straighten cotton and other staple
yarns after the carding process. The finest cotton products
are made from combed yarns, which are more compact than carded
yarns. See also carding.
Comfort Hold: Border along
the top of the comforter that contains more down than the other
three sides, providing extra warmth around the neck and shoulders.
The other three sides of the comforter feature a comfort lock
border.
Comforter: A large bed
cover made with two pieces of fabric stitched along all four
sides and filled with insulating material. Available in
endless fashion options, a comforter covers the top and sides
of a mattress, but not the pillows or bedspring.
Comforter Cover: See Duvet
Cover
Comforter Set: A
pre-packaged set consisting of a matching comforter, bed ruffle
and shams.
Corduroy: A cut-pile fabric
with raised vertical ribbing.
Corner Window: A window
that wraps around the corner of a building.
Cornice: A box-like structure
used to conceal drapery hardware at the top of a window.
Cotton: A vegetable seed
fiber grown in many areas of the world and used in the production
of yarns and fabrics.
Cotton Fiber: Also known
as cotton staple, cotton fiber is grown in the boll of the cotton
plant and is used to produce cotton yarns and fabrics.
The length of the cotton fiber determines the quality of the
cotton.
Cotton Staple: See Cotton
Fiber
Crash: A coarse fabric
caused by weaving uneven and thick yarns, usually cotton, linen,
rayon.
Crinoline: A stiff, heavy
fabric typically made of cotton or horsehair used to support
the edge of a hem.
Custom-Made Draperies:
Draperies that are made to order.
Cut Length: The length
of fabric cut after space for the heading and trim has been
taken into account.
D
Damask: A firm and reversible
fabric, similar to brocade but flatter, with a textured and
woven pattern.
Denier: A system
used to measure the size of yarns and fibers. A Denier number
indicates the weight in grams of 9,000 meters of yarn. For example,
if 9,000 meters of a yarn weigh 15 grams, it is a 15-denier
yarn. The lower the denier number, the finer the fabric.
Dobby Weaving: A special
weaving technique used to create small, geometric figures in
a pattern.
Dormer Window: A vertical
window with the roof sloping away from the window.
Dotted Swiss: A sheer,
lightweight cotton fabric with an array of small, elegant dots.
The dots may vary in color and can be designed in many different
ways.
Double Knit: A highly durable
fabric with double thickness created with a double stitch on
a double needle.
Down: A soft and fluffy
substance found beneath the breast feathers of ducks and geese.
Down is an extremely light insulator that keeps duck and geese
(and humans when used in bedding products) warm in the winter
and cool in the summer.
Down Alternative: A hypo-allergenic,
machine washable polyester fill that looks and feels like real
down.
Down Cluster: Includes
down, nestling down and plumule, but does not include down fiber
or other components.
Down Fiber: Tiny down strands
that are not connected to a down cluster, but are present in
the mixture. Down fiber is not factored into the total Down
percentage.
Down Proof: Fabric
with a 230 thread count or higher is considered down proof.
Down proof fabric has low air permeability, which prevents down
and feathers from leaking out from the inside.
Draw Draperies: Pleated
curtains that can be opened with a pull cord.
Dust Ruffle: See Bed Skirt.
Duvet: The French word
for comforter, a duvet is known as a duvet cover in the United
States. In other countries, a duvet is understood to be
a down comforter.
Duvet Cover: A pillowcase-like
fabric covering a down or down alternative comforter.
A duvet, also known as a comforter cover, adds a decorative
touch to the bedroom ensemble and serves to protect the comforter.
The use of a flat sheet is recommended with a duvet cover for
increased comfort.
E
Egyptian Cotton: Extra
long, durable staple cotton produced mainly in the Nile River
Valley.
Embroidery: Decorative
needlework on fabric applied by either hand or machine.
Emorizing: See Sanding.
End Bracket: Metal supports
used to secure a curtain rod to a wall.
End Housing: The casing
that surrounds the cords of a drapery.
End-to-End Box: See
Baffle Box.
Eurofeathers: A natural
fill mixture for bedding products of 95% feathers and 5% down.
Eurodown: A natural fill
mixture for bedding products of 85% feathers and 15% down.
F
Fabric Forward Law: The
fabric law label must indicate where that fabric was woven (i.e.
a fabric woven in China is required to indicate that fact on
its law label).
Faille: A plain weave
fabric with slight ribbing.
Feathers: Light, hollow-shafted
growths forming the plumage of birds. Both springy and
soft, feathers appear alongside down on ducks and geese.
Featherbed: A fabric shell
filled with feathers and used on top of the mattress for added
comfort.
Featherbed Cover: A large
fabric covering to protect a feather bed from body oils, dust
and dirt.
Fill Power: A measurement
of the quality of down products. Fill power is determined by
placing down in glass tubes and allowing the down to loft for
72 hours. The down is then measured in cubic inches. Down
comforters with a higher fill power are lighter, fluffier, and
warmer than down comforters with less fill power.
Filling Yarns/Filling Picks:
See Weft Yarns.
Fenestration: The arrangement,
proportion, and design of windows on a wall.
Festoon: A decorative window
treatment made of folded fabric that hangs in a natural curve.
Fitted Sheet: Also known
as the bottom sheet, fitted sheets typically feature gusset
corners with elastic sewn around the bottom edge to fit around
and hug the mattress.
Finial: Decorative and
ornamental ends of a drapery pole or rod.
Finished Length: The full
length of a finished drapery
Flannel: A soft, light
wool fabric with a napped finished.
Flat Sheet: Also known
as the top sheet, the flat sheet is placed on top of the fitted
sheet and tucked around the bottom and sides of the mattress.
Foamback: Descriptor for
a fabric laminated to polyurethane foam.
French Pleats: A common
three-fold pleat.
G
Glazing: A thin coating
applied to some fabrics to create a sheen or luster.
Greige: (pronounced gray)
A raw or unfinished fabric in a cream or tan color.
Gusset: A side wall along
the perimeter of a comforter or pillow
H
Hand: The feel of fabric
when its touched. For example, the softness, firmness, elasticity
and fineness of a fabric determine its hand.
Heading: Hemmed, layered
fabric across the top of a drapery or curtain.
Hem: The finished sides
of a drapery or curtain.
Hemstich: Specialty embroidery
often used on pillowcases and sheets.
Holdback: A decorative
hook used to draperies to the side of the window.
Hypoallergenic: A term
used to communicate that a fiber or material has undergone processing
that renders it less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
I
Inherent Flame Frees: Woven
from non-processed, flame-resistant fabrics.
Insert Pulley: A part of
the traverse rod used to operate drapery cords.
J
Jabot: A cascading, decorative
fabric used to finish a horizontal festoon. See Festoon.
Jacquard: A decorative
weaving technique used to create fabrics that have intricate,
non-linear patterns.
Jamb: The inner sides of
a window or doorframe.
L
Lambrequin: See Cornice.
Laminated Weights: Used
to weight hems of curtains and drapes.
Lanai: A window covering
made of hinged plastic panels.
Linen: Woven from fibers
of the flax plant, linen has a natural luster and does not soil
quickly.
Lining: The fabric sewn
into the back of a drapery.
Lintel: A horizontal beam
placed over doors and windows for reinforcement.
Loom: A machine used to
weave fabric by interlacing yarn.
Loft: A fibers spring
or fluffiness.
Long Staple Cotton: Grown
in the boll of the cotton plant, long staple cotton produces
finer, smoother yarn for high-quality fabrics.
M
Madras: A finely woven
fabric with length-wise strip and patterned texture, either
dobby or jacquard, in the background.
Master Carrier: Two arms
that overlap, allowing draperies to close completely.
Mercerize: A fabric finishing
process that increases the luster and color absorbing properties
of yarn.
Milium: Thermal lining.
Mitered Corner: A 45-degree
angle hem on the bottom edge of a drapery.
Mohair: Fabric made from
the long, silky hair of the Angora goat.
Moire: Fabric, such as
cotton, silk, acetate, rayon, with a wavy surface pattern.
Passing the fabric through engraved rollers creates the pattern.
Mullion: The vertical wood
or masonry between window frames.
Multi-Draw: Opening multiple
draperies at the same time using one rod.
Muntin: Horizontal strips
of wood used to separate glass panels in windows.
Muslin: The general term
for a large group of plain weave cotton fabrics ranging from
light to heavy weight.
N
Ninon: A sheer fabric of
thin open mesh cloth.
O
Off-Center: A window or
door that is not centered on a wall.
Ombre: A graduated effect
of color, from light to dark, used in a stripe motif.
One-Way Draw: A drapery
that only opens in one direction.
Open Construction: Type
of design that allows filling to move freely between chambers
or pockets within the comforter. See also: Closed construction.
Open Cuff: A durable heading
at the top of a drapery
Opus™ Down: A work
of art utilizing the highest available Hungarian White Goose
Down and crafted in three different fill powers for varying
comfort preferences. Opus Down was created for down-filled
comforters and pillows.
Organdy: A transparent
and stiff fabric, typically of a muslin material that can withstand
multiple washings and still retain its crispness.
P
Panel: One-half of a curtain
or pair of draperies.
Pattern Repeat: The distance
between repeating patterns in a design
Percale: A smooth, tightly
woven plain weave fabric. The word "percale" refers
to the weave of the fabric, not its content. Percale typically
has a thread count of 180 or higher.
Picture Window: A very
large window, usually with two smaller windows on each side.
Piece Dyed: The whole fabric
is colored after it is weaved.
Pilling: The act of fibers
working loose from a fabrics surface and forming balls of fiber
that remain attached to the surface of the fabric.
Pillow Protector: Typically
a zippered fabric covering for a pillow, used under a pillowcase,
to protect the pillow from dirt and dust.
Pillow Sham: A decorative
pillow covering, usually with an embroidered trim.
Pillowcase: A pillow covering
protecting the pillow from body oils. The pillowcase typically
matches the sheet set.
Pin-On-Hook: A metal pin
used to secure draperies to a rod.
Pinch Pleats: Process of
dividing drapery pleats into equally smaller pleats and sewing
them together at the bottom right edge of the fabric.
Pima Cotton: Extra-long
staple cotton, named for the Pima Indians, and developed in
the US desert.
Piping: A thick tube
of fabric used for decorating the edges of pillows and comforters.
Plain Weave: The most common
type of weave, a plain weave is a basic, one thread over one
thread weave. It is also long staple cotton grown in the
southwestern United States.
Pleat: A fold or crease
of cloth, stitched in place.
Pleat To: A pleat to
is the final width of a fabric after it has been pleated.
Pleater Tape: Pocketed
heading material used with pleating hooks to create pinch pleats.
Plied Yarns: Yarn containing
two or more different yarns twisted together. When counting
for thread count, plied yarns should be counted together as
one.
Polyester: A durable,
synthetic fiber used in textiles.
Polyfill: A soft,
hypo-allergenic fiber used as fill for pillows and comforters.
Polyurethane Lamination:
A process of applying a very thin, stain-preventing film to
a fabric surface.
Pre-Shrinking: A mechanical
process that allows cotton cloth to shrink naturally in its
length, resulting in minimal shrinkage after the process.
Print Pattern: The decorative
pattern or picture created by transferring colors to cloth.
Protractor: A tool used
to measure exact angles.
Ready-Mades: Standard-size
draperies.
Repeat: See Pattern Repeat.
Resin Finish: A polymer
finish that gives fabric stiff, permanent press characteristics.
Resin can decrease residual shrinking of fabrics, but can weaken
the fabrics as well.
Return: The distance from
the face of a curtain rod to the wall.
Rod Pocket: A sleeve running
across the top or bottom of a drapery through which a rod is
inserted.
S
Sanding: A mechanical process
that slightly raises the nap of the fabric, making it softer
to the touch.
Sanforizing: A fabric pre-shrinking
process patented by the Sanforizing company.
Sash Curtain: Sheer fabric
hung close the windowpane.
Sash Rod: A small rod mounted
inside a window frame to support a sash curtain.
Sateen: Cotton fabric with
a glossy surface.
Sateen Weave: A four over
and one under weave pattern. This places the most threads on
the surface, making it very soft but slightly less durable than
other weaves.
Satin Weave: A basic weave,
characterized by long floats of yarn on the face of the fabric.
The yarns are weaved in such a way that there is no visible
interlacing pattern, which gives the fabric a smooth, shiny
surface.
Scalloped Heading: A decorative
curtain top treatment featuring curved spaces between curtain
rings.
Sea Island Cotton: Extremely
fine, long fiber cotton. This particular type of cotton is limited
in supply, and therefore, very expensive.
Selvedge: The woven edge
of a fabric.
Shams: Decorative pillows
used to cover the space between the head of the bed and the
top of the comforter hem turnback.
Sheet Set: A sheet set
typically includes a flat sheet, fitted sheet, and two pillowcases
in queen and king sets. A twin set usually includes only
one pillowcase.
Shell: The basic
fabric construction of a comforter, duvet, pillow, mattress
pad or feather bed.
Side Hem: See Hem.
Silk: A natural fiber that
comes in a filament form. Silk is reeled from silkworm
cocoons and creates a fine lustrous fabric.
Sill: The horizontal ledge
of a window frame.
Slides: Runners used to
connect a drapery pin or hook to a traverse rod.
Slub Yarn: Yarns that are
irregular in diameter resulting from either a defect or caused
purposely to attain a desired effect in the final fabric.
Spacing: Refers to the
flat area between pleats.
Stacking: Extra space required
for draperies to fully open.
Supima™ Cotton:
Brand name used on products made of 100% pima cotton.
Swag: A bundle of fabric
draped over a window.
Synthetic Fiber: A man-made
fiber.
T
Taffeta: A plain-woven,
crisp and smooth fabric with a slight sheen. Taffeta is
typically made from silk, rayon or nylon
Tension Pulley: A pulley
attachment that allows traverse cords to move smoothly when
the drapery is drawn.
Terry Cloth: A cloth pile
fabric with uncut loops on both sides.
Texture: The more common
meaning is the feel and finish of a fabric. Texture is
also the number of warp yarns and filling picks per inch in
a woven fabric.
Thread Count: The number
of threads in one square inch of fabric.
Tiebacks: Decorative pieces
of hardware used to hold draperies back from the window.
Tier: Multiple layers of
curtains arranged one above the other.
Traverse: To open and close
a curtain across the window. Turbidity: A method for gauging
the cleanliness and purity of down. A turbidity factor of 450
is considered hypo-allergenic. Hollander averages between 500
and 550 turbidity.
Twill Weave: A basic
fabric weave that creates a diagonal line pattern.
U
Under-Draperies: A lightweight,
sheer drapery, usually hanging beneath a heavier drapery.
V
Valance: A decorative fabric
drape hung across the top of a window frame to conceal window
fixtures.
Velour: A very soft woolen
fabric with a close, fine, raised and even nap. Velour
often resembles velvet.
Velvet: A warp pile cloth
with a very dense, even and raised nap. Velvet is soft
and smooth on one-side and a plain underside.
Voile: Usually a plain-weave
nylon that creates an open-mesh and transparent cloth.
W
Weights: Weights sewn in
the corners of a drapery panel to ensure straight hanging.
Warp Yarns: Also known
as warp ends, these are yarns that go the length of woven fabric.
Warp yarns are pulled through the loom as weft yarns are woven
across to form a fabric. See also weft yarns.
Weaving: The ancient process
for making fabric. The last weaving process was developed
in 1747. Plain, twill and satin are the basic weaves that
all weaves are based on.
Weft Yarns: Filling yarns
inserted across warp yarns, going the width of woven fabric.
Wickability: The property
of a fiber that allows water or perspiration to absorb an evaporate.
Wool: A natural fiber most
often obtained from the fleece of sheep or lambs.
Y
Yarn Dyed: Each individual
yarn is dyed the same or different colors before being woven.
Yarn Size: Also known as yarn count,
yarn size is the measurement for determining the thickness or
fineness of yarn.
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