W
Walking Foot
A walking foot is an attachment for your sewing machine that enables smoother sewing when using several layers or fabric. It provides an extra bit of hold from the top that works with the feed dogs below the fabric, pushing the fabric during the sewing process. It "walks" the fabric. It also works well with slippery fabrics that may need control not available with the feed dogs only.
Warp
The threads that run down the length of a woven fabric.
Warp
Threads running the length of a woven fabric, sometimes known as the lengthwise grain (little to no stretch) (see weft and grain).
Warp
The long threads of fabric.
Water Soluble Pen
Used for marking fabric because the mark can be erased with a damp cloth.
Wearable Art
Decorative, usually quilted, clothing made to be unique, beautiful, and functional.
Weft
The threads that run across a woven fabric.
Weft
Threads running at right angles to the length of a woven fabric, sometimes known as the cross grain (very little to some stretch) (see warp and grain).
Weft
The short threads of fabric.
Welt
A strip of fabric sewn between the two sides of a cushion to give it more depth.
Welt
A method of covering the raw edges of a pocket or other opening, can be single or double welt.
Wing Needle
Needle with wide, wing shaped, flared sides used to create holes in tightly woven fabrics, such as creating entredeux. Available as single or doubles.
Wonder-Under
A fusible product by Pellon which allows for the application of a fabric design upon another fabric, paper, wood, etc., utilizing an iron. See the projects area of this site for some examples of Wonder-Under use.
Wool
A fabric woven from the soft, wavy or curly hypertrophied undercoat of sheep. The chief advantages of wool include its insulating properties; and due to the tightness of its weave, its tendency to repel water. The insulating property of wool helps preserve the wearer's body heat, an advantage in winter. It also does not support combustion, meaning that it will burn so long as a flame is held to it, but will cease to burn as soon as the flame is removed from it. For that reason soldiers were required to wear wool clothing, especially the No.1 and No.2 positions on a cannon.
Worsted Wool
Long-staple wool fabric made of well-twisted yarn that has been combed to lay the fibers parallel to one another.
Wrong Side
The wrong side of the fabric is the side upon which there is no design. There are instances of fabric with no wrong side visible, and the determination and appropriate markings are then made by the person doing the pattern cutting and sewing.
