Association of British Scrabble Players

Culture > Arts & Crafts > Sewing


Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.


alencon (Fr.) a needlepoint lace.
arpillera (Spanish) a pictorial Peruvian wall decoration consisting of colourful threads and scraps stitched on to a sackcloth backing.
backstitch a stitch made by setting the needle back of the end of the last stitch, and bringing it out in front of the end; (verb) to stitch in this way.
bargello (Ital.) a type of zigzag needlepoint stitch named for Bargello Museum.
broider (Arch.) to embroider.
broiderer (Arch.) one who embroiders.
broidery (Arch.) embroidery.
chainstitch a stitch in knitting or sewing resembling the links of a chain.
chainwork work looped or linked like a chain.
coppin a cop of thread.
cordonnet a type of thread.
crewelist one who embroiders with crewel.
crewellery crewelwork.
crewelwork embroidery done with crewel.
crochet to do a type of needlework.
crocheter one who crochets.
cutwork openwork embroidery.
dentelle (Fr.) lace, lacework.
drawnwork ornamental needlework done by pulling out some of the threads of a fabric.
dressmake to make dresses.
embroider to ornament with designs in needlework.
embroiderer one who embroiders.
embroidery the art or process of forming decorative designs with hand or machine needlework.
fagoter one who does fagoting, a kind of embroidery.
fancywork ornamental needlework.
featherstitch an embroidery stitch consisting of a line of diagonal blanket stitches worked alternately to the left and right; (verb) to stitc with featherstitch.
filagree (Fr.) a kind of ornamental metallic lacework; (verb) to execute this lacework.
filature (Fr.) the reeling of silk from cocoons; an establishment for this.
filigrain (Fr.) a kind of ornamental metallic lacework.
filigrane (Fr.) a kind of ornamental metallic lacework.
filigree (Fr.) a kind of ornamental metallic lacework; (verb) to execute this.
fillagree a kind of ornamental metallic lacework; (verb) to execute this lacework.
fillagreed wrought in fillagree.
guipure (Fr.) a kind of lace having no ground or mesh.
handsewn sewn by hand.
hemmer one who, or that which, hems with a needle.
hemstitch a stitch used to hem a garment etc; (verb) to stitch using this stitch.
inlace to work in, as lace; to embellish with work resembling lace.
knop a loop or tuft in yarn.
knopped having knops or knobs; fastened as with buttons.
lacet a kind of braidwork.
lockstitch a sewing-machine stitch formed by the locking of two threads together; (verb) to sew by lockstitch.
millefleur (Fr.) having an all over pattern of small flowers and animals.
millefleurs (Fr,) having an all over pattern of small flowers and animals.
needle a slender, pointed instrument for sewing (verb) to irritate
needlecraft the art of sewing.
needlepoint to do a kind of embroidery.
needlework work executed with a needle.
needleworker one who practises needlework.
oop to bind with thread, join.
openwork any work showing openings through it, eg in embroidery.
oup to bind with thread, join.
overcast to sew stitches over a raw edge; to cover with stitches.
overcasting stitches sewn over a raw edge.
overhand to oversew.
overlock to oversew a hem or fabric edge to prevent fraying.
overlocking oversewing a hem or fabric edge to prevent fraying.
overplaid a textile design consisting of a plaid pattern superimposed on another plaid.
overplaided covered with a textile design consisting of a plaid pattern superimposed on another plaid.
oversew to sew with short vertical stitches.
patchwork needlework formed of patches or pieces sewed together; (verb) to sew patchwork.
pintuck a very narrow fold of fabric; (verb) to tuck with a pintuck.
pintucking the act of tucking with a pintuck.
pinwork a type of embroidery.
pirn (Scots) a reel, a bobbin.
plainwork plain needlework, as distinct from embroidery.
pointelle (Fr.) an openwork design, as in knitted fabric.
purfle to ornament the edges of, esp with embroidery.
quatrefeuille a four-petalled flower or leaf of four leaflets; an openwork design or ornament divided by cusps into four lobes.
quatrefoil a four-petalled flower or leaf of four leaflets; an openwork design or ornament divided by cusps into four lobes.
reembroider to outline a design, as on lace, with embroidery stitching.
rehem to hem again.
reseau (Fr.) a fine-meshed ground for lacework.
resew to sew again.
restitch to stitch again.
reticella an early form of needlepoint lace produced in Italy.
rickrack a decorative braid in even zigzag form.
samplery sampler-work.
seamstress a woman whose occupation is sewing.
seamstressy (Sterne) sewing, needlework.
sempstress a seamstress.
sempstressing sewing.
serger a sewing machine attachment for finishing seams.
sew to work on with a needle and thread.
sewability the ability to be sewed.
sewable that can be sewn.
sewn (PaP.) SEW, to work on with a needle and thread.
spiderwork lace worked by spider-stitch.
sprang a weaving technique to form an openwork mesh.
sprig a shoot, twig, or spray of a plant, shrub, or tree (verb) to embroider with representations of twigs
steek (Scots) to stitch.
stitch a complete movement of the needle in sewing, knitting, surgery, etc; (verb) to join by making in-and-out movements with a threaded needle.
stitchcraft the art of sewing.
stitcher one who stitches.
stitchery needlework.
stitchwork embroidery.
stumpwork a type of embroidery featuring raised figures, padded with cotton, wool or hair.
sutile done by stitching.
tambourer one who embroiders on a tambour.
tapet (Spenser) a piece of tapestry; (verb) to decorate with tapestries.
tat odds and ends of little real value (verb) to touch up
tatt to make (anything) by tatting; to work at tatting.
topstitch to make a line of stitches on the outside of a garment close to a seam.
trapunto (Ital.) a decorative quilted design.
unhemmed not hemmed.
unsew to undo, as something sewn; to take out the stitches of.
unstitch to remove the stitches from.
untailored not tailored.
whipstitch a small overcasting stitch; (verb) to sew with a whipstitch.
wholestitch weaving stitch that fills in a pattern.
woolwork needlework done in wool.
zari (Urdu) a type of thread made of fine gold or silver wire used in traditional Indian and Pakistani garments.