Sewing Word Search

Press New puzzle for a fresh grid of sewing words, then print the sheet and its answer key.

Name Date

Sewing Word Search

Find every word hidden in the grid. Words go across and down.

0 of 16 words found

DADENIMRBHAOOSS

USRPECXDLIFTBNI

CLBTOEFEEAGROBO

NEEDLEATAPFEBBP

HEMDQYUUBRRABCB

JVIIUIFRVODDIOS

SEFZIPPERNMLNTC

HPOILZNHBSEEQTI

TSLRTYELNSEAMOS

WDIDTELNSTJYRNS

ENDBHSAIEDIHHTO

EVANRISELVAGEXR

QTRDEMTOSYEEVFS

TOTBAOIHNNOOSTD

SGQBDECINNSTRCG

This grid is wider and taller than its box. Slide it to see every letter.To drag, hold the first letter for a moment, then slide.Keyboard: Tab to the grid, arrow keys to move, Enter on the first and last letter.

NeedleNEEDLE
ThreadTHREAD
ScissorsSCISSORS
BobbinBOBBIN
TreadleTREADLE
SeamSEAM
SelvageSELVAGE
DartDART
CottonCOTTON
DenimDENIM
ZipperZIPPER
ElasticELASTIC
HemHEM
SleeveSLEEVE
ApronAPRON
QuiltQUILT

16 of 24 words from the Sewing Key Terms list.

Name something you would like to sew and the tools it needs. Use three of the words you found.

Start from a list

Easy: words go across and down.

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Word list

Large print Lower-case letters Name and date line on paper

The puzzle changes as you go. See the puzzle

Answer key: Sewing Word Search

DADENIMRBHAOOSS

USRPECXDLIFTBNI

CLBTOEFEEAGROBO

NEEDLEATAPFEBBP

HEMDQYUUBRRABCB

JVIIUIFRVODDIOS

SEFZIPPERNMLNTC

HPOILZNHBSEEQTI

TSLRTYELNSEAMOS

WDIDTELNSTJYRNS

ENDBHSAIEDIHHTO

EVANRISELVAGEXR

QTRDEMTOSYEEVFS

TOTBAOIHNNOOSTD

SGQBDECINNSTRCG

NEEDLE, THREAD, SCISSORS, BOBBIN, TREADLE, SEAM, SELVAGE, DART, COTTON, DENIM, ZIPPER, ELASTIC, HEM, SLEEVE, APRON, QUILT

Next step Print the woodshop word search Make a word search from your own project list

All 139 words

Tools and Notions 16

Chalk It marks cloth and brushes off later.
Cutting mat It protects the table under a rolling blade.
Iron A heated flat tool that presses wrinkles out.
Marker A washable pen for drawing guide lines on cloth.
Needle A thin steel sliver with an eye at one end.
Notions Small supplies such as snaps, ribbon and elastic.
Pincushion A small firm pad that holds sharp points until they are needed.
Rotary cutter A rolling round blade that slices cloth.
Ruler A straight strip marked for measuring short lengths.
Scissors Two blades joined by a pin, for snipping.
Seam ripper A small forked blade for taking out mistakes.
Shears Large, heavy scissors for cutting cloth.
Tape measure A soft, flexible strip marked in inches.
Thimble A hard cup that guards the finger that pushes.
Thread A fine twisted cord that holds the pieces together.
Tracing wheel It rolls over the paper and copies its lines onto cloth.

Show all 139 words (123 more)

Machine Parts 14

Bobbin A small reel that holds the lower thread.
Cam A shaped wheel that turns round motion into side-to-side motion.
Feed dogs Toothed bars that move cloth along under the needle.
Flywheel A heavy wheel that keeps a machine turning smoothly.
Gear A toothed wheel that passes motion along.
Lever A bar you lift or push to work a part.
Motor The part that turns electric power into motion.
Needle bar The upright rod that carries the sharp point up and down.
Presser foot It holds cloth flat while the needle works.
Serger A machine that overcasts raw edges so they will not come apart.
Shuttle The part that carries the lower thread through a loop of the upper one.
Tension How tightly the thread is stretched.
Treadle A foot-worked lever that drives a wheel.
Walking foot It moves the top layer along when the cloth is thick.

Stitches 16

Backstitch A sturdy hand stitch in which each step overlaps the last.
Baste To sew loosely with long stitches that come out later.
Darn To fill a hole by weaving thread across it.
Embroider To decorate cloth with needle and colored thread.
Gather To pull cloth into small folds along a thread.
Lockstitch What most machines make: an upper and a lower thread that interlock.
Mend To repair a tear.
Needlework Any work done with a needle, such as embroidery.
Overcast To sew over a raw edge so it will not come apart.
Piecing Joining small patches into one larger cloth.
Quilting Stitching through padded layers to hold them together.
Running stitch A plain hand stitch that goes in and out in a line.
Seam The line where two pieces are sewn together.
Sew To join with a needle and thread.
Tack A large, loose stitch that holds a piece for now.
Zigzag A machine stitch that swings from side to side.

Pattern and Cutting 18

Alter To adjust a garment for a better fit.
Bias A line running diagonally across the weave.
Bolt A large roll of cloth as it comes from the mill.
Dart A tapered tuck sewn in to shape a garment.
Dress form A padded shape that clothes are fitted on.
Dressmaker A person who makes dresses and gowns to order.
Ease The extra room a garment allows beyond the wearer's size.
Fold To bend cloth over so one part lies on another.
Fray To come apart into loose threads at a cut edge.
Grain The direction the threads run in woven cloth.
Interfacing A hidden layer that stiffens a collar or a cuff.
Measure To find a size with a tape or a ruler.
Notch A small V-shaped cut on an edge for matching two pieces.
Pattern The paper shapes you cut the cloth by.
Seam allowance The strip between the stitching and the cut edge.
Seamstress A woman who sews for a living.
Selvage The finished edge of cloth that will not come apart.
Tailor A person who makes, repairs and alters clothes.

Fabrics 21

Batting The fluffy layer stitched inside a quilt.
Broadcloth A closely woven cloth with a smooth finish.
Burlap Strong, coarse cloth made from jute or hemp.
Canvas Heavy, coarse cloth once used for tents and sails.
Cheesecloth Thin cotton gauze with a loose weave.
Corduroy Sturdy cloth with raised ribs running down it.
Cotton Cloth from the soft white fibers around a plant's seeds.
Denim The sturdy twill that jeans are made of.
Fabric Cloth made by weaving, knitting or felting fibers.
Felt Cloth made by pressing fibers into a mat, with no weaving.
Flannel Soft woven cloth of wool or cotton.
Fleece Soft, warm cloth with a deep pile.
Gabardine A sturdy, tightly woven twill.
Linen Cloth woven from the fibers of the flax plant.
Muslin Sturdy cotton cloth of plain weave, used for test garments.
Polyester A synthetic fiber made into light, strong cloth.
Satin Smooth cloth with a glossy face and a dull back.
Silk Smooth cloth from the thread that silkworms spin.
Tweed Rough, sturdy wool cloth.
Velvet Soft cloth with a smooth, dense pile.
Wool Warm cloth from the coat of sheep.

Fasteners and Trims 18

Bias tape A narrow strip cut on the slant and folded to wrap an edge.
Binding A strip sewn over an edge to cover it.
Braid A narrow trim of strands woven over and under.
Button A small disk that slips through a slit to close a shirt.
Drawstring A cord run through a tunnel of cloth and pulled to close a bag.
Elastic A stretchy band that pulls a waist snug.
Eyelet A small hole for a cord, often rimmed with metal.
Fringe A border of hanging threads.
Grommet A metal ring that strengthens a hole.
Hook A bent metal catch that slips into an eye or a loop.
Lace Delicate cloth made of thread in an open, weblike design.
Piping A narrow tube of cloth sewn into a seam as trim.
Ribbon A narrow strip of fine cloth for tying or trimming.
Rickrack Flat, narrow trim woven in a zigzag.
Ruffle A gathered or pleated strip sewn on as a frill.
Snap A two-part fastener that clicks shut.
Trim Decoration added to clothing.
Zipper Two rows of teeth joined by a sliding tab.

Garment Parts 19

Armhole The opening a sleeve is set into.
Bodice The part of a dress from the waist to the shoulder.
Casing A tunnel of cloth that holds elastic or a cord.
Collar The part that goes around the neck.
Facing A piece sewn to an edge to finish it from the inside.
Gusset A small three-cornered piece set into a seam to add room.
Hem An edge folded under and stitched down.
Inseam The inside seam of a pants leg.
Lapel The part of a jacket front that folds back below the neck.
Lining An inner layer that covers the inside.
Neckline The edge of a garment at the neck.
Placket A finished slit that makes a garment easy to put on.
Pleat A flat fold pressed or stitched in place.
Pocket A small pouch sewn into clothes to hold things.
Sleeve The part that covers an arm.
Tuck A narrow fold stitched down.
Waistband The strip that fits pants or a skirt around the middle.
Waistline The line where the skirt and the top of a dress join.
Yoke The fitted piece at the shoulders that the rest hangs from.

Things to Sew 17

Apron It ties on over the front to keep clothes clean.
Backpack A carrier with two straps, worn behind the shoulders.
Bag A soft carrier with an open top.
Bib It fastens under the chin to keep food off a shirt.
Blanket A large woven cover for keeping warm in bed.
Curtain Cloth hung at a window.
Mitten It covers a hand, with a separate part for the thumb.
Patchwork Many small colored pieces sewn into one design.
Pillow A cloth case stuffed with something soft.
Placemat It lies under one setting of dishes.
Pouch A small soft bag, often closed with a cord.
Quilt A bed cover of two layers with padding stitched between.
Sail A large sheet of canvas that catches the wind.
Table runner A long, narrow cloth laid down the middle of a dining surface.
Tablecloth A cover spread over a dining surface for a meal.
Tent A cloth shelter held up by poles.
Towel A cloth for drying hands or dishes.

How this list was compiled: Sewing words chosen and defined for this site, in themed lists plus a key terms list, an easy list and a hard list. Every spelling and meaning was checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, https://www.ahdictionary.com/, on 2026-09-30. Which terms belong to a sewing unit, and the meanings of the sewing-only terms, were checked against the Wikipedia articles Sewing, Sewing machine and Glossary of sewing terms, https://en.wikipedia.org/, on 2026-09-30. Spellings are American. Meanings are our own wording in pupil language. No brand of machine, thread or fabric is named, and the list gives no instructions for using a tool. Licence: own work

How it works

This sewing word search opens on key terms such as Needle, Bobbin, Seam and Hem. More lists cover a first sewing unit, from Tools and Notions to Things to Sew, and every word has a clue.

Read the full guide

Lists for a sewing unit

Pick a list under Start from a list. Tools and Notions has Thimble and Seam ripper, Machine Parts has Treadle and Feed dogs, Stitches has Baste and Backstitch, Pattern and Cutting has Selvage and Dart, Fabrics has Corduroy and Muslin, Fasteners and Trims has Grommet and Rickrack, and Garment Parts has Placket and Gusset.

Clues for a vocabulary quiz

Tick Show clues, not words in the same panel, and the sheet prints meanings in place of the word list: The finished edge of cloth that will not come apart sends the class hunting for Selvage.

Hem, Seam and Dart are in Easy Sewing Words, the list of short words: a good first sheet before anyone threads a needle.
Bobbin and Feed dogs sit below the needle. Print Machine Parts and have pupils find each part on the machine.

Questions and answers

What words are in the sewing word search?

Sewing class words by theme: tools and notions, machine parts, stitches, pattern and cutting terms, fabrics, fasteners and trims, garment parts and things to sew. No brand of machine, thread or fabric is on it.

Is this the Sew What word search?

It is our own sewing word search, not a copy of a worksheet with that title. If your sheet asks for words such as Bobbin, Thimble and Selvage, the lists here cover them, each with a clue.

Is it selvage or selvedge?

Selvage in American spelling, selvedge in British. It is the finished edge of a fabric that keeps it from fraying. The list uses the American spelling, as the American Heritage Dictionary gives it.

Does the sheet teach how to use a sewing machine?

No. It is a vocabulary sheet. Machine Parts names Bobbin, Presser foot and Feed dogs, but how to thread and run a machine safely is for the teacher in the room.

Which list is the hardest?

Hard Sewing Words: the entries of nine letters or more, such as Interfacing, Cheesecloth and Seamstress. The grid grows by itself so the long words have room.

All 139 words

Tools and Notions 16

Machine Parts 14

Stitches 16

Pattern and Cutting 18

Fabrics 21

Fasteners and Trims 18

Garment Parts 19

Things to Sew 17

How it works

Lists for a sewing unit

Clues for a vocabulary quiz

Questions and answers

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