A continuous piece of newly manufactured textile that has not yet been cut or pieced together. In quilting, a whole cloth quilt uses a single large piece of fabric for the top rather than a patchwork design, relying entirely on the stitching pattern for visual interest and texture.
Heard on the job
We ordered a whole cloth of muslin to drape the new slopers for the fall collection.
Insider tip
The phrase 'made out of whole cloth' became a common idiom for a complete fabrication, referencing something spun up entirely from raw materials rather than assembled from existing pieces.