Acrylic- A man-made material that is sometimes blended with natural fibers, such as cotton.
Baffles- Within down comforters, these are barriers sewn between the top and bottom panels to prevent shifting of the down. This prevents pockets of fill from accumulating in one area and leaving others empty.
Bed Skirt- Decorative material that goes under the mattress and over the boxspring of a bed. It touches the floor on three sides and often coordinates with the bedding. It can also be called a dust ruffle.
Bedspread- Cover for the bed that touches the floor on the sides. It is usually thinner than a comforter and decorative.
Binding- Decorative embroidery or trim on sheets and/or pillowcases that can be seen when the bed is made.
Blend- Refers to the combination of fibers that make up a fabric. Some fabrics are comprised of polyester and cotton or linen and cotton, among others.
Brushing- A process, like combing, that mechanically finishes the fabric to raise the nap. This gives the material a softer feel.
Combing- This is similar to "carding" fibers but done more efficiently. It removes debris and imperfections from the yarns to give the fabric a smooth, high quality texture.
Comforter- A bed covering that is usually filled with either down or other fibers. It is often thicker and not as large as a bedspread. Many comforters come as sets with matching pillow shams and bed skirts. Also called a duvet.
Cotton- This is a plant used to manufacture fabric. It is processed into clothing and bedding, among other household items. Cotton can be extremely soft and durable. It has varying degrees of quality--Egyptian, Pima and Supima are the most common.
Damask- This is a weaving style created on fabric that involves elaborate patterns, similar to brocade.
Down- This comes from the feathers and tufts of ducks, geese and sometimes other birds. It is an extremely warm insulator and is often used to fill jackets, coats, comforters and pillows.
Down Proof- Fabrics which will not bleed down through the fibers are considered "down proof". The weave of the fabric must be at least 230 thread count in order to be a tight enough to qualify.
Dupioni Silk- This comes from silkworms who spin their cocoons closely to one another.
Duvet- This comes from the French word for comforter. It is simply a cover for a bed.
Duvet Cover– This is similar to a pillowcase for a comforter or duvet. It is often made of cotton and can be simply or elaborately decorated. Closures often include a flap, ties or buttons.
Egyptian Cotton- This is the highest quality cotton due to the length of the cotton fibers. The longer the fibers, the higher the quality.
Fill Power- This refers to the ability of the down, or filling, of a coat, pillow or comforter to regain it's shape once pressure is released. The higher the fill power, the warmer the item.
Fitted Sheet- The bottom sheet that has elastic sewn around the corners to keep the sheet in place.
Flannel- This material is brushed and lightly woven, giving the surface a raised texture that is soft and warm. It comes in many patterns and is often used for clothing and sheets. It is often made of cotton or wool.
Flat Sheet- This is the "top sheet" that goes on top of the fitted sheet and is used as a cover. It has no elastic and is instead tucked in to keep it in place.
Hand- Refers to how a material feels to the touch, ie smooth.
Hemstitch- A method of embroidery that is used on linens.
Hypoallergenic- This means something is relatively to allern-free and generally a better choice for those who are highly allergic.
Jacquard- A material made by weaving designs directly into the fabric. Designs are often extremely intricate.
Matelasse- This is a material with a soft, quilted surface. Often made on a Jacquard loom and used as a coverlet.
Percale- This refers to the weave of a fabric. It is a tight weave of 180 thread count or higher. It does not refer to the material used and can be a polyester/cotton blend, 100% cotton or a combination of other materials.
Pilling- When fibers work loose from the material and create little balls on the surface. This happens more frequently with lower quality fabrics. Those with thread counts over 180 usually do not pill.
Pillowcase- This is the covering for your pillow. It is usually open on one end entirely and the pillow slips inside. It often matches the sheets and can come in various sizes including, standard, queen and king.
Pillow sham- A decorative cover for your pillow, which usually matches the comforter and bedskirt.
Pima- Refers to high quality cotton grown mostly in the Southwest United States. Due to slightly shorter fibers, it is considered slightly inferior to Egyptian Cotton.
Plied Yarns- These fibers are entwined after spinning to increase the dimension of the yarn, but it does not increase duability.
Pre-Shrunk- This is a mechanical process that shrinks cotton so it will retain its shape once washed. Any additional shrinkage is minimal.
Sateen- Gives cotton, or sometimes rayon, a silk-like appearance. Often used in sheets.
Supima- A trademarked brand of cotton certified by the Supima ASsociation. They promote the use of pima cotton worldwide.
Synthetic- Any man-made fibers, such as polyester or microsuede.
Thread Count- This refers to the number of threads woven into one square inch of fabric. Anthing less than 200 thread count is considered inferior and over 250 is a high thread count. Some thread counts take into account the ply rather than actual threads, which is deceiving. Generally, the higher the thread count, the softer and more durable the material. A high thread count, and high quality cotton, is especially desireable in sheets.
Wool- Comes from the coats of animals such as lambs and sheep. Wool is a particularly warm material and well insulated. Lamb's wool must come from an animal less than 8 months old. The more crimps per hair, the higher the quality of wool. Merino wool is some of the world's softest and finest and contains up to 100 crimps per inch.
