Comprehensive Revision I – SS3 Fashion and Garment Making Lesson Note (Third Term)

This revision note covers the main areas tested in SS3 Fashion and Garment Making: fabrics and tools, seams and managing fullness, necklines and sleeves, pricing and customer care, and exam troubleshooting. It gives the key points students should remember and tips for writing short, clear theory answers that earn marks.

Behavioural objectives

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

• Distinguish natural fibres, synthetic fibres and blends, and name the use of common tools.
• Identify the plain, French and flat-felled seams and say where each is used.
• Explain how darts, pleats and gathers manage fullness.
• Describe how facings, understitching and set-in and raglan sleeves are used to finish a garment.
• List what a price must include and what an order book must record.
• Give the causes of skipped stitches, puckered seams and breaking thread.

What fabrics and tools should you know?

Before you can build a house, you need to know your bricks. In tailoring, your “bricks” are your fabrics and your tools.

Fabric knowledge (the “hand” of the cloth)

• Natural fibres: Cotton, silk and wool. They “breathe” well but wrinkle easily.
• Synthetic fibres: Polyester and nylon. They are strong and do not wrinkle, but they can be hot and “sweaty” to wear.
• Blends: A mix of both (like polycotton). These are the best for school uniforms because they are strong and easy to wash.

Tool identification (the “must-knows”)

• Pinking shears: These are for finishing edges so they do not fray, and they should not be used for cutting patterns.
• Tracing wheel and carbon paper: Used to move markings from your paper pattern to your fabric.
• Thimble: It protects your finger when hand-sewing thick fabrics like denim.

How are garments constructed?

Construction is simply how we join pieces of flat cloth to fit a curvy human body.

Seams (the glue)

• Plain seam: The most basic. Used for almost everything.
• French seam: A “seam inside a seam.” It suits thin fabrics (chiffon, lace) because it hides the messy raw edges.
• Flat-felled seam: Very strong. You see it on the side of jeans or on men’s “Senator” shirts.

Managing fullness

• Darts: Used to make a flat cloth fit the bust or waist. Always sew from the wide part to the point.
• Pleats: Folds of fabric. They must be ironed very sharp to look professional.
• Gathers: Used for “puffy” sleeves or full skirts.

How do you finish necklines and sleeves?

A garment is often judged by how the neck and the sleeves look. These are “high-mark” areas in the theory exam.

Facings

A facing is a piece of fabric used to finish a raw edge.

• Rule: Always “clip” your curves. If you do not snip the seam allowance, the neckline will “jump up” and look tight.
• Understitching: This is the row of stitches that holds the facing inside so it does not “peek out” to the front.

Sleeves

• Set-in sleeve: The most common. It must be “eased” into the armhole so there are no puckers at the shoulder.
• Raglan sleeve: The sleeve extends all the way to the neckline (common in sportswear).

How do you price work and deal with customers?

Modern exams also ask about money and customers.

Pricing your work

If you only charge for the fabric, you will go hungry. Your price must include:

• Direct costs: Fabric, thread, zip, buttons.
• Overheads: Shop rent, fuel for the generator, transport to the market.
• Labour: Your time and your skill.

Customer relations

• The order book: Always record measurements, style and the “date of delivery.”
• Honesty: If you cannot finish a dress by Friday, do not tell the customer it will be ready on Thursday.

Why do common machine faults happen?

The theory paper often asks “Why is this happening?” Here are the common answers:

• Why is the machine skipping stitches? The needle is blunt, bent, or put in the wrong way.
• Why is the fabric puckering (gathering) at the seam? Your tension is too tight or your needle is too thick for the fabric.
• Why is the thread breaking? The machine is threaded wrong, or the thread is poor quality.

How should you answer theory questions?

Final revision tip: Do not write long stories. Use bullet points and simple diagrams. The examiner has thousands of papers to mark, so make yours easy to read and easy to give marks to.

Evaluation

1. Name one natural fibre and one synthetic fibre. Why is a blend good for school uniforms?
2. State the use of pinking shears and of a tracing wheel with carbon paper.
3. Which seam suits thin fabrics such as chiffon, and why?
4. In which direction should a dart be sewn?
5. List the three things a price must include.

Assignment

1. Explain the difference between a set-in sleeve and a raglan sleeve.
2. Give two possible causes each for skipped stitches and for a puckered seam.
3. State what an order book should record, and why a tailor should be honest about the delivery date.