Mock Project II – SS3 Fashion and Garment Making Lesson Note (Second Term)

Mock Project II is the stage where a garment is assembled in a logical order and finished so that it looks professional. The work covers stay-stitching and darts, shoulder seams, zips, sleeves, facings, internal neatening, hemming, pressing and cleaning up. Following the set order stops you getting stuck and gives a neat result.

Subject: Fashion and Garment Making
Class: SS3
Lesson focus: Bringing the garment to life and making it look professional.

Behavioural objectives

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

• state the order of work for assembling a dress;
• set a zip and fix a sleeve correctly;
• apply a facing, clip the curve and understitch it;
• neaten the inside of a garment and trim excess bulk;
• hem, press and clean a finished garment.

What is the order of work when assembling a garment?

Do not pick up any piece and start sewing. There is a logical way to build a dress so you do not get stuck.

Step 1: Stay-stitching and darts

• Stay-stitching: Before anything else, sew a row of stay-stitching around the neck and armholes. This prevents them from stretching while you handle the fabric.
• The body shape: Sew your darts first. Always press them immediately. If you wait until the dress is finished to iron your darts, they will look “bumpy” and unprofessional.

Step 2: Joining the shoulders

• This is the “bridge” of the garment. Ensure the front and back shoulder seams match perfectly.
• Pro tip: Use a French seam if the fabric is very thin, or overlock the edges immediately after joining.

How do you set zips and sleeves?

These two areas are where examiners look the closest. If you can master them, your project will get an “A”.

Setting the zip

• The secret: Use a zipper foot on your machine. It allows you to sew very close to the teeth.
• The alignment: Before you sew, zip it up to check whether the waist seams or necklines align. If one side is higher than the other, unpick it and re-align. A lopsided zip looks careless and unprofessional.

Fixing the sleeves

• Never sew a sleeve onto a flat bodice if you want a professional look. Close the side seams of the dress and the sleeve separately, then “set” the sleeve into the armhole.
• Easing the cap: Pull your gathering thread slightly on the sleeve head so it fits into the armhole without creating pleats or puckers.

How do you finish facings and necklines?

A messy neckline ruins the whole outfit. It is the first thing people see near the face.

Applying the facing

• Pin the facing to the neckline, right sides together. Sew carefully around the curve.
• Clipping: You must snip the seam allowance every 1 inch around the curve. Without these snips, the neckline will “jump up” and refuse to lie flat.

Understitching

• Understitching is a small row of stitches on the facing side that catches the seam allowance. It forces the facing to stay inside the dress so it does not “peep out” when the person is wearing it.

How do you finish the inside of a garment?

A great designer cares about the inside of the cloth just as much as the outside.

Overlocking and neatening

• Every raw edge inside your project must be neatened. If you do not have an overlocker, use a zigzag stitch or pink the edges with pinking shears.
• Why? It stops the fabric from fraying and makes the garment last for years.

Trimming excess bulk

• Where two or three seams meet (like the armpit), the fabric can get very thick. Trim away the extra fabric so the garment looks flat and smooth from the outside.

Tacking the facings

• Use a needle and thread to tack the facings to the shoulder seams. This keeps them from flapping around when the customer is putting on the dress.

How do you press and present the finished garment?

At this point you are 95% done. The last 5% is what makes the garment look as if it came from a high-end boutique.

The hemline

• For your mock project, avoid using a machine to sew the hem if possible. Use a blind hem stitch by hand. It takes longer, but it looks much more expensive.

The final press (not ironing)

• Do not just slide the iron back and forth. Press down, hold for a second, and lift.
• Use a damp cloth for stubborn wrinkles. Press the collar, the cuffs and the hem until they are crisp.

Cleaning up

• Take a small pair of snips and go on a “thread hunt”. Cut off every dangling thread.
• Check for chalk marks and wipe them off with a damp cloth.

Your mock project is your “calling card”. It shows what you are capable of, so take your time with the finishing. A simple dress that is perfectly finished will always win over a complex dress that is messy inside. Good luck!

Evaluation

1. Why should you sew a row of stay-stitching around the neck and armholes before anything else?
2. When should darts be pressed, and why?
3. Which machine foot is used to set a zip, and what should you check before sewing it?
4. Why must the seam allowance of a neckline curve be snipped, and what does understitching do?
5. Describe how to give a garment a good final press.

Assignment

1. List, in order, the steps for building a dress from stay-stitching to joining the shoulders.
2. Explain three ways of finishing the inside of a garment and say why each is done.