Fabric Glossary: Terms Starting with B

Bamboo

A natural plant fiber that when broken down and re-assembled to form cellulose loses all of its natural characteristics and must be referred to as rayon or viscose. Rayon from all cellulose sources are identical.

Barathea

A fine woven twill fabric made of wool sometimes mixed with silk or cotton used for coats and suits. Silk barathea is frequently used in the making of neckties.

Barré

A bar effect that appears in both knitted and woven fabrics resembling stripes. Barré most commonly occurs in the direction of the weft.

Batiste

Lightweight cloth traditionally woven from mercerized cotton or linen however any combination of fibers can be used. Batiste may be used for blouses, summer shirts, dresses, lingerie, infant wear, and handkerchiefs.

Battenberg

A coarse form of renaissance lace made from linen braid or tape and linen thread. The lace may be either hand or machine made.

Bave

The thread of the silkworm. Many Bave must be combined to form a single silk thread suitable for weaving into silk fabric.

Beaded

A reference to fabrics that have had beads attached to them.

Bengaline

A horizontal ribbed fabric with the ribs travelling in the weft direction making it a warp-faced fabric. Traditionally the fabric was made from a mixture of cotton weft threads and silk warp threads however any combination of fibers can be used.

Bleeding

The running of color from wet dyed fabric onto other fabrics.

Blends

The combining of different types of fibers to form a single yarn. Examples include cotton and polyester, silk and rayon, silk and polyester.

Bobbin

In sewing – The container used to hold the lower thread in a sewing machine. The bobbin fits into a bobbin case below the sewing machine needle.
In weaving – A spool of filling yarn used in a shuttle which carries the yarn across the loom.

Bobbinet

A lace weaving machine used to produce a fine bobbin lace. Bobbinet lace has a six sided mesh and is correctly referred to as tulle.

Bonding

The technique of permanently joining together or laminating two fabrics. This is commonly done between a face fabric and a lining using special adhesives or binders.

Bouclé

A knitted or woven fabric with a looped or knotted surface created by using Bouclé yarns which are yarns that vary in thickness as a result of being spun or plied at different tensions. The looser strand will create curls or loops around the anchor strand which is under greater tension.

Bourré (bourette)

The highest grade of silk waste created during the silk thread spinning process.

Broadcloth

Historically made of wool, it is a tightly woven lustrous cotton cloth with fine imbedded crosswise ribs that resemble poplin. The ribs are finer than those in poplin, with broadcloth having more filling threads or “picks” that run in the weft direction. Broadcloth may also be woven from other fibers such as silk.

Brocade

Woven on a Jacquard loom using contrasting colors combined with silver and gold threads in a pattern or floral design on a satin or twill ground. The pattern is raised up above the ground as a relief. Brocade may be made from any fiber.

Brocatelle

A heavy cross ribbed Jacquard woven upholstery and drapery fabric with an all-over interwoven raised design similar to brocade only heavier in both fabric weight and in the degree of pattern relief.

Brushing

A fabric finishing process where brushes abrade the surface of the woven fabric to produce a raised nap or surface texture.

Brussels

Named after the city of Brussels it is a bobbin lace of the non-continuous thread variety in which the pattern is made first with the background being added after. Brussels lace is of very high quality and was introduced in the 15th century with Princess Mary of England (daughter of Henry VIII) having received Brussels lace for New Years in 1543.

Buckram

A plain woven stiff course cotton cloth used for bookbinding and as interfacing in millinery. It may also be used to shape belts, handbags, and the header of draperies. It is either sewn in or fused between two layers of fabric using a steam iron and provides stiffness and body to the completed project.

Burlap (hessian)

A coarse woven fabric traditionally made from natural fibers such as jute, hemp, or flax.

Burn-Out (devoré)

A fabric treatment technique where a chemical process is used to dissolve or "burn out" certain fibers in a blended fabric, creating a semi-transparent pattern or design.