Understanding Sewing in Design and Technology
This week we’re learning about how we can use sewing to make fabric look more interesting and to join pieces of fabric together. In Design and Technology, sewing can be super useful for creating patterns, adding decorations, and making our fabric projects sturdy.
How Sewing Embellishes Fabric
Think of sewing as a way to add creativity and personality to our fabric projects. Just like when you draw a picture, sewing can be used to add patterns, shapes, and even words to fabric. For example, imagine if you have a plain pair of jeans, you can sew on some colourful patches or add a cool pattern using different coloured threads. This makes the jeans look much more exciting and unique.
Attaching Fabric Together with Sewing
Sewing is not just for decorations; it’s also a great way to stick fabric together. Let’s say we’re making a bag. We can’t just use glue to stick the fabric together, it won’t be strong enough. Instead, we can use sewing to stitch the fabric together. It’s like making a chain with tiny loops that hold everything in place. This makes our bag strong and durable.
Practical Exercise
To help you understand how sewing can be used to embellish and attach fabric, we can do a simple hands-on activity. Each class will use Binca (a special fabric for sewing), embroidery thread and darning needles to learn how to sew.
Understanding how to use sewing to embellish and attach fabric is a really important skill in Design and Technology. With sewing, the possibilities are endless!
Years 1 and 2:
Starter:
Begin the lesson with a discussion on different types of fabrics and their uses in everyday life. Show examples of fabric samples and ask the students to describe them.
Input:
Introduce various methods of attaching fabrics, such as gluing, sewing, or using fasteners. Discuss the different effects that can be achieved with each method.
Activity:
Provide students with a range of fabric swatches and ask them to choose a few and attach them to a piece of paper to create specific effects, like texture or pattern. We used the fabric to create a bird we would see in the outside classroom
Key Concept and Retrieval Questions:
What fabric did you choose and why?
How did you attach the fabric?
What effect did you want to create with the fabric?
Years 3 and 4:
Starter: Show examples of simple sewing techniques and discuss with the students what they know about these techniques.
Input: Introduce running stitch as a basic sewing technique, demonstrating the process step by step and emphasising its purpose and applications.
Activity: Provide students with fabric, needles, and thread to practise running stitch under supervision. Guide them through the process, providing support and feedback as they work.
Key Concept and Retrieval Questions:
What is running stitch and where have you seen it used before?
Why do you think running stitch is a useful technique in creating textile products?
Can you explain the steps involved in creating running stitch?
Years 5 and 6:
Starter
Begin the lesson by showing examples of running stitch and cross stitch, and discuss the different purposes for using each stitch in textile projects. Ask students what they know about each type of stitch.
Input
Provide a demonstration of running stitch and cross stitch, using visual aids such as diagrams or video clips. Explain the step-by-step process for each stitch, including how to start, stitch, and finish.
Activity
Divide the class into small groups and provide each group with a piece of fabric, a needle, and different coloured threads. Instruct them to practice both running stitch and cross stitch on the fabric, ensuring they pay attention to the quality and neatness of their stitches.
Key Concept and Retrieval Questions:
What is the purpose of running stitch? How is it different from cross stitch?
How can you create a pattern using both running stitch and cross stitch?
Why might different patterns require different types of stitch?