Definition
Nap
The direction in which a fabric pile or surface texture lies, such as on velvet, corduroy, fleece or brushed cotton. The same piece of fabric looks lighter or darker depending on which way the nap runs.
Cut every piece with the nap running the same way, and allow extra fabric for it, because laying pieces in opposite directions produces panels that visibly differ in shade.
Tools that use this term
Fabric Calculator
Work out how much fabric to buy for a project from its finished size, the seam allowance you are cutting and the width of the bolt you are buying.
Fabric Yardage Calculator
Yardage from finished measurements for a garment, adding seam allowance, hem, layout waste and pattern repeat matching.