Definition
Selvedge
The finished, tightly woven edge that runs along both sides of a length of fabric, where the weft thread turns back. It does not fray, which makes it useful for orienting a piece of cloth.
Do not include the selvedge in a seam: it is denser than the rest of the fabric and will pucker. Trim it off, and use it to tell the lengthwise grain direction when laying out a pattern.
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.