Garment Construction I – JSS2 Fashion and Garment Making Lesson Note (First Term)

Garment construction is the process of turning flat fabric into a wearable outfit. It has two major stages: cutting and joining.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Define garment construction and name its two major stages.
2. List the steps for preparing fabric before cutting.
3. Explain seam allowance and state the usual amount left.
4. Describe tacking and permanent stitching, and state why backstitching is done.
5. Join two pieces of fabric with a plain seam and neat the edges.

What is garment construction?

Garment construction is the process of turning flat fabric into a 3D outfit that a person can wear.

• Cutting: shaping the fabric into pieces using paper patterns, such as front bodice, back bodice and sleeves.
• Joining: putting the cut pieces together by tacking and sewing.

What is the golden rule of cutting?

The golden rule is “Measure twice, cut once”.

• Reason: cut fabric cannot be “un-cut”.
• Result of a wrong cut: expensive material is wasted.

What are the preparation steps before cutting?

There are three preparation steps: iron the fabric, check the grain and find the right side.

1. Iron your fabric: a rumpled cloth gives wrong measurements.
2. Check the grain: make sure the pattern pieces face the right way on the fabric.
3. Find the right side: mark the back (wrong side) with chalk so you do not get confused.

What is the grain of a fabric?

The grain is the direction in which the threads of a fabric run.

• Lengthwise grain: threads running along the length of the cloth.
• Crosswise grain: threads running across the width of the cloth.

How do you tell the right side from the wrong side?

• Right side: the “beautiful” side, usually brighter or with a clearer print. It is the front of the garment.
• Wrong side: the duller side, which becomes the inside of the garment.

What tools are used in garment construction?

How is fabric cut?

Fabric is cut by pinning the pattern, adding seam allowance and cutting with sharp shears.

1. Pin the pattern: lay the fabric flat on a large table, place the paper patterns on top and fix them with dressmaker pins so they do not slide.
2. Add seam allowance: leave extra cloth around every pattern piece before cutting.
3. Cut with shears: use sharp fabric shears, not paper scissors.
4. Keep the fabric flat: do not lift it into the air while cutting, or the edges will be jagged.

What is seam allowance?

Seam allowance is the extra fabric left around a pattern piece for sewing the pieces together.

• Usual amount: about 1.5 cm to 2 cm all around the pattern.
• Why it is needed: a pattern is drawn to your exact body size.
• If you cut exactly on the line: the sewn garment will be too tight, because some cloth is used up in the seam.

How are the cut pieces joined?

The pieces are joined in two steps: tacking by hand first, then permanent stitching by machine. Do not go straight to the sewing machine.

What is tacking (basting)?

Tacking is the use of a needle and thread to make very long, loose stitches by hand.

• Purpose: holds the pieces together temporarily.
• Fitting: you can try the cloth on to see if it fits.
• Correction: if it is too tight, a tacking thread is easy to pull out.

What is permanent stitching?

Permanent stitching is the use of the sewing machine to sew the pieces together after the fit is correct.

• Backstitching: at the start and end of every seam, sew backward and forward for a few stitches.
• Why backstitch: it locks the thread so the seam does not come apart when the garment is worn.

What is the difference between tacking and machine stitching?

What is a seam?

A seam is the line where two pieces of fabric are joined together.

What is a plain seam?

A plain seam is the most common seam, made with the right sides of the fabric facing each other.

1. Place the two pieces with their right sides facing each other.
2. Pin along the seam line.
3. Sew a straight line, backstitching at both ends.
4. Iron the seam open so that it lies flat.

What is neating the edges?

Neating is finishing the raw edges of a seam so that the threads do not come out.

• Where to see it: inside your school uniform, where the edges are usually zigzagged or overlocked.
• If edges are not neated: the threads pull out (fraying).
• Final result: the garment eventually gets a hole at the seam.

What is the order of garment construction?

Garment construction follows a fixed order, like a puzzle: prepare, pin and cut, tack, stitch and neat.

Class activity

1. Take two small scraps of fabric.
2. Practise pinning them together correctly.
3. Join them with a simple running stitch (tacking).

Evaluation

1. Define garment construction and name its two major stages.
2. State three steps for preparing fabric before cutting.
3. What is seam allowance, and how much is usually left?
4. Give two differences between tacking and machine stitching.
5. Why is backstitching done, and why are the edges of a seam neated?

Assignment

Write the steps for making a plain seam in your notebook, from placing the fabric to neating the edges. Then sew a plain seam on two scraps of cloth and bring it to class.