The pale outline

Original fiction extract.

The tailor drew a faint line on the dark cloth. From where I stood, I could barely see it. I asked whether she wanted a thicker piece of chalk, but she moved the lamp instead and the line became clear at its edge. She said the mark only needed to guide her; it should not compete with the finished garment. When the cloth was turned, I lost the line again. Her scissors found it without hesitation, leaving a narrow strip which still carried a little pale dust.

Use your own words to explain what the word “faint” means in this extract.