Lesson video

Hello, and welcome to what is our eighth lesson in the design and technology textiles unit of work.

My name is Mr. Wicken, and it's great to see you here today in our lesson.

In today's lesson, we're going to look at actually what is the most suitable way in which to join our bits of fabric together that we created and cut last lesson.

So, let's go and have a look at today's learning objectives for this lesson.

Now, before we go into the learning objectives, as always if you haven't yet done the intro quiz, if you could pause the video here now and go and get that done for me, that would be fantastic.

Great.

Now that's done.

Let's have a look at what we're going to learn about in today's lesson.

So the first thing we're going to look at is actually how we pin and tack our fabric together so that we are setting up ready to do the proper stitching that's going to be required to actually fit it all together professionally.

The second area of learning in today's lesson is actually creating the stitch in the fabric.

So those bits of fabric that you cut out last lesson, in today's lesson we're going to stitch it together using one of the three different stitching techniques that we've looked at in a previous lesson.

Then we're going to look into what quality control means, and actually why we need to put that into practise when we're looking at our finished, stitched together mobile phone protector.

And as always, we're going to finish off with the exit quiz just to conclude all the learning that you've done in today's lesson.

Now, obviously like last lesson, there's quite a lot of equipment and in today's lesson, it's exactly the same.

But the same as last lesson, there are some bits of equipment that we need to be very careful of when using and whenever you are using them, please could I ask that you have a parent or carer with you when you're doing it, just in case, so that you're safe and nothing harmful could happen to you.

So the equipment that we're going to need today is a pair of scissors.

Make sure we've got those scissors to hand.

And again, that's one of those bits of equipment we need to be careful of.

We're also going to need a needle and thread in today's lesson.

Doesn't matter what colour the thread is.

It's up to you what you want to use for your mobile phone protector, but make sure you've got that ready.

You're going to need the fabric that we had from last lesson that you cut out, and maybe some spare bits of fabric, just in case.

You never know.

You might need an additional piece of fabric if anything goes wrong or you want to add some more detail to it.

We're also going to need some bits of paper just to jot down some notes, maybe from where I'm talking to you in today's lesson.

And also we're going to need some straight pins for what we're going to be starting off with in today's lesson.

So, if you haven't got those bits of equipment, pause the video here now, go and get them for me, and then come back and we'll carry on.

Okay, now you've got the equipment.

Let's have a look at today's key words.

We've got two key words that we need to be aware of in our lesson today.

The first one is temporary.

So let's say that together: temporary.

Temporary; temporary.

Excellent, well done.

So if something is temporary, it means it's something that is only going to last for a limited period of time.

It's only going to be a short used thing.

And in this case, it's going to be a short used stitch that we're going to fix together some bits of fabric, which we'll then remove at a later point.

Temporary is the opposite to permanent.

So the actual finished stitch that we're going to be doing in our fabric is going to be a permanent stitch, but actually we're going to start by just doing a temporary one, just to hold the fabric together to then help us when we're stitching things together.

The other key word in today's lesson is quality control.

So let's say that: quality control.

Quality control; quality control.

Excellent.

Really well done.

Now quality control is a system of maintaining standards in a manufactured product.

So what I mean by that is by going and checking the fit and finish of a completed product, you are guaranteeing that what you are manufacturing and what you're then hopefully going to be selling is actually suitable and built to a high standard.

Because if it's not, obviously the person that used it in the end, isn't going to be happy with the finished product if it starts to fall apart or it doesn't work as it's intended.

So a quality control allows us to test and ensure that what we've manufactured is suitable and ready to be used for its end purpose.

So those are the key words in today's lesson.

Let's go straight into our first learning objective.

So our first learning objective for today's lesson is actually how we pin and tack the fabric that we've cut last lesson together.

Now, for our mobile phone protector we want to allow the seam that we create to be on the inside of the actual fabric.

So what we're going to be doing is we're actually going to be taking our bits of fabric that we've cut from last lesson and actually having the fabric that we want on the outside facing inwards for when we are actually stitch this together.

But what we're going to do is we're going to put a running stitch and that hopefully, is something that you're recalling from our previous lessons.

We are going to put a running stitch very quickly, through the fabric just so that we can hold the bits of fabric together, quite loosely.

And that way, then we can use that running stitch, which is a temporary stitch, just holding the fabric together to then be able to create our actual permanent stitch in the fabric that we've cut.

What we're also going to do is have a little knot at the end of the thread so that the running stitch doesn't come out, but you can also use a up and down technique to create a knot at the start of the stitch itself.

So let's go and have a look at how we do that very quick tacking together of the fabric.

So, I've got my two pieces of main fabric here underneath the camera.

And what I've also done is I've set up my needle and thread ready for this running stitch.

Now, I've shown you in a previous lesson what to do with that.

I'm not going to go back over it.

It's a good recall activity for you to remember what we've learned in our previous lessons.

But here's what we need to do with the running stitch.

Now because what we want is this lovely pattern, for me, to be on the outside.

So effectively what we want is it to be showing both sides, the dotted design on the fabric.

What that means is when we're creating the stitch we actually need to start off with the design of the fabric facing inwards, like so.

And that's going to then allow us to put the running stitch through plus put our permanent stitch at a later point.

And then what we will do in that seam allowance, that's where the seam allowance comes in.

And then what we'll do is we will fold it back out of itself.

And then the stitch that we create here actually is on the inside of our final phone protector design, okay? The running stitch is just going to hold these bits of fabric together for the time being so that when we come to do the permanent stitch, later in today's lesson, it just makes it a little bit easier and not so difficult when we're using the needle and the thread.

So what I'm going to do, I'm going to take my needle and thread.

Now I have got already at the end a knot that I've placed into the thread.

If you can just see under the camera there.

What you can do, if you don't want to do that.

So if I just, very carefully, remember, must be careful with that needle.

So I'm going to pull the thread through, and then it's going to stop because of that knot that's at the back.

If you want to, you could keep going up and down, crossing over each itself there at the top, just to create a knot if you find it a bit fiddly.

Putting a knot in the thread is entirely up to you, what you want to do, but that's just the way that I've done it in this situation.

And all I'm going to do, I'm not going to be too neat with the running stitch because it's only a temporary stitch, but I'm keeping it a decent distance away from the edge because obviously I don't want it too close.

And what I'm going to do is I'm just going to go around the curve of my fabric.

And I'm just going to put in a running stitch like so, so that it's holding, tacking, the fabric together in a temporary way that we can then, along the edge here, we can then create our permanent actual stitch that we need.

So, I've now gone tacked together, with a running stitch, my two bits of fabric with the pattern design facing inwards so that now I can do the permanent stitch going around the outside so that it then holds it together in a permanent way.

Whereas this is just a temporary stitch, which we'll take out at a later point.

What might also be really advised to do this point.

If you think about my fabric, along the edge, we need to fold over the fabric like so and put a permanent stitch going along the edge, because what we're going to do is we do what's called hemming the fabric.

Because what can happen, if I don't hem the fabric, as you can see here, I've got bits of the fabric actually easily just pulled out.

And over time, if we don't hem along these edges what's going to happen is it's just going to fray and then slowly wear away and ruin the end product.

So what I would strongly recommend that you do along on any open edges that you've got, like I've got on mine, is actually whilst you've got the tacked stitch in, before you do the permanent one for your design, I would go and hem any edges of your design, just so they're done.

And then you can move on to the permanent stitching to hold your two pieces of fabric together.

So, with that demo on how to tack your two bits of fabric together, or any bits of fabric together with a running stitch, I want you now to pause the video here and go and do that for your mobile phone protector.

Remember, make sure if you've got a design on the fabric, like I have with that pattern, make sure that's facing inwards when you're doing that running stitch, just because obviously we're going to then pull that out of itself, once we've got that permanent stitch in.

Also, if you've got any edges like I showed you that need hemming, I would go and do that now.

That hemming that you're doing needs to use a permanent stitch.

It's up to you what type of stitch you want to use.

You might want to use a running stitch that's probably closer and tighter together.

You might want to use a backstitch that we've seen, or you might want to use a cross stitch.

It's entirely up to you what you think is going to be most suitable for the design of your mobile phone holder.

So pause the video here, go and get tacking, and any hemming that needs doing as well.

Welcome back, and I hope you got on really well with tacking your bits of fabric together and doing any hemming that you might need on certain areas of your mobile phone protector design.

Now let's move on to actually the main thing which is the stitch, the permanent stitch that we're going to put onto our fabric.

With it now pinned and tacked in place, we need to start actually stitching the fabric together in a permanent way so that it stays in shape that we can then fold it back in on itself and have the actual pattern of the fabric facing outwards and the stitch on the inside.

Now you need to select what stitch you want to choose.

We've obviously gone over three in our sessions in this unit of work.

You may know other stitching techniques or you may have somebody in your household that knows other stitching techniques that you could use, which is great.

But obviously, we've looked into a running stitch, a backstitch, and a cross stitch, as ways in which to permanently sew the two bits of fabric together.

So if you want to use one of those three, please, please do.

But actually, if you know other stitching techniques or you've been shown other stitching techniques, do that as well.

The other thing I would also just say now, obviously I have been showing you hand stitching techniques which are perfectly acceptable for what we are doing, but if you have access to a sewing machine, then I would really strongly urge you, if somebody at home can show you how to use that sewing machine in a safe and correct manner, I would urge you to have a go with a sewing machine.

If you don't have access to one, don't worry.

It's not a problem.

That's why I've been showing you the hand stitching techniques.

But if you do have access to a sewing machine, I would recommend having a go.

Maybe do a little bit of hand stitching on some parts, but then have a go with a sewing machine in others.

Because again, it's just giving you more skills, more understanding within the textiles product design area that can really help you lead forward with any future design work.

So, let's go and have a look at how we're going to stitch together our pieces of fabric.

So here is now my tacked together piece of fabric and my hemmed edges of the fabric as well at the top.

My hemming has been very rushed and very basic.

Yours, I'm absolutely certain, will be far, far, far more professional.

A far tighter stitch as well.

And you never know, you may have also used a sewing machine if you've had access to one as well at home.

I would recommend, if you can, do it.

But I have done it, very quickly, along the top.

Just for what I need to demonstrate this, 'cause mine's incredibly rough and just a practise one.

Yours is going to be far more accurate.

So what we're going to do now is we're going to put that permanent stitch going all the way around the edge of your design.

Now obviously I've got this one continuous curve.

You might have different sides, edges.

It's obviously up to however you've designed your final product as to how much stitching you've got to do.

So, we've got three different types of stitches we can use: a running, back, or a cross stitch.

Now what I'm going to use for mine is I'm going to use a backstitch, because as I said in my previous lesson, that that is a very strong stitching technique.

But actually, it's quite a thin stitching technique, so it will run quite nicely along my seam allowance.

Whereas a cross stitch, whilst it's strong, would actually take up quite a bit of room.

So I'm not going to use it for mine.

Yours, you might have the room in your seam allowance to do that, and I would encourage you to do it, absolutely, if you think that's the right stitch for you.

Some of you might find actually, you know the backstitch is just a little bit too difficult, and actually you want to use a running stitch.

Again, it's your product.

You manufacture it in the way that you are confident with doing it.

Just remember that when you're doing the running stitch, that it's a nice even, tight stitching going all the way around.

Try and keep it nice and tight and strong.

I will do the same with my backstitch as well.

So as always, I'm going to take my needle and thread that I've already got set up, and I'm going to start up in the top corner and I'm going to poke the needle through.

Again please, please, please, please, please be careful.

And I'm going to pull the thread through and then I'm just going to start by going off and creating my backstitch.

Now obviously, we have gone over at what backstitches are and if you can't remember how to create the different types of stitching, can I recommend you go back to my lesson that taught us about stitching just to remind yourselves as to what to do? So I'm going to go round the whole of my design, creating the backstitch, so it's nice and strong, and nice and tight, and then I will have it sewn together and I'll show you what to do with it next.

Okay, so I've now gone round the seam allowance of my fabric, putting in my backstitch all the way around.

Mine is a little bit rough in places.

It's not perfect by any stretch of imagination, 'cause I've rushed it quite quickly.

You'll take far more time, and you'll be far more accurate than I am.

I'm absolutely certain of it.

Now I've got my actual permanent stitch in.

What I do want to do is get rid of the tacking that we put in earlier.

So I'd need to go round and I need to just take out that running stitch that we put in originally from our needle, because we don't need it anymore.

That was, as we said, a temporary stitch.

So I'll go round.

I'll take that out.

And then what I'll be left with is just my backstitch going all the way round.

It's looking, I think, pretty good.

Could be better.

Absolutely.

I've rushed it, definitely towards the end, but that's because I was just trying to get things done.

You take far more time and far more accuracy with it.

So, now I'm going to ask you to pause the video here.

I want you to get your fabric, which you've put the tacking stitch in, and I want you to now create the permanent stitch for your bits of fabric.

So you may have more than just the two pieces of fabric that I've got here because you've got a more complex design, which is great, well done, but make sure that what you are stitching together you are doing it with care, consistency, and you have got a really good, strong, robust stitch in place that's going to hold a mobile phone within those bits of fabric that you're stitching together.

Make sure as well at the end, once it's stitched together and you're happy with it, take away that tacking stitch that we put in originally, and it should just leave you with whatever stitch you hope used to permanently fix all of your fabric together.

So, pause the video here, get sewing.

Good luck, have fun.

I'll see you in a bit.

Welcome back, and I hope you had lots of fun creating your permanent stitch, now, in your bits of fabric and that they are now working at holding your bits of fabric together to create the shape that you have designed.

Now let's move on to our third and final area of today's lesson, which is quality control.

Now quality control is really important, because it basically allows us to have a good product for the end user, okay? So that could be you, me, whoever it might be.

So that we are guaranteeing the quality in the manufacturing process is to a standard that allows that product to function as it's been originally designed to do.

Quality is not an accident.

You do not just stumble upon quality.

You absolutely wanted to make sure, at all steps in the process, that you have ensured that what you are creating is quality products.

And that's what we've tried to do at all stages.

From the design to the development, to the initial sketches, and all the different stitching techniques you've created.

And then going into creating the pattern and cutting it and stitching it together.

We have to make sure that we are carefully considering all those different elements so that when we come to give that product to the end user that they can ensure that that product is going to be fit for purpose.

Our quality control, or QC as it's very often known within the industry, is concerned with actually the checks that you do on the product.

So quality control is where you test the product to ensure that it will function as you want it to do.

So we need to now QC our textile product that we've created.

So those stitches that you've put into your fabric to fix all those things together.

We now need to go and quality control to ensure that it's good, strong, and robust.

So I've now got my stitched together pieces of fabric.

This is not the fit finished article, because I've still got my flap to put on and a few other elements, but quality control doesn't have to just be done at the end of all the practical work.

It should be done along the manufacturing process at different points.

We do some here.

We'll do some later on.

And we'll do some final ones when we feel that we finished the actual product.

So what I'm going to do now is I'm going to take the actual fabric that we've stitched together, and this is where that's actual seam allowance comes in 'cause what I'm going to do is I'm going to turn it inside out.

So now, the white fabric that was showing, that where we stitched together, is now on the inside.

And what's actually now coming through is the pattern that I originally wanted on the exterior.

And that's why we had the two pieces looking in on themselves.

So now, that stitch that we've created is hidden, isn't it? You can just see a small amount in some areas.

The little red seam coming through, but that's perfectly fine.

That's, allowed.

That's absolutely expected, okay? But what I've now got is a nice sort of smooth curve going round the base.

And what I want to do is I want to just test, actually, how strong is that stitch? If I give it a good pull and a tug, okay? Actually, it's not falling apart.

It's not ripping apart as I pull it.

And actually, it is staying in one piece, which is exactly what I want it to do.

Even along that very basic hems, thread that I've got there, which yours will probably be far more accurate than mine is.

It's staying good and strong.

And I could take my mobile phone and I can place it inside and I can hold it.

Maybe jiggle it around a bit, give it a shake, pull it, drop it.

And you'll notice that it's still staying quite firmly together, which is exactly what I want us to do.

I want us to check that those seams that we've created are good, strong, robust seams that are not going to fall apart if we put the phone into it, if we give it a pull, if we drop it, whatever it might be, okay? Actually it's holding it together good and strong, which is exactly what we wanted.

So this is where quality control comes in.

It's the testing of these different parts of our textile product to see if it's going to meet the standards.

So, now we've just gone through what the basic sort of quality control should be on your actual design.

I want you to go and test yours.

I want you to go and ensure that what you have stitched together is good, strong, and robust stitching that isn't going to fail when you put a mobile phone into it.

Make sure that when you are doing any quality control checks, if you find any faults, any areas that maybe aren't up to scratch, that you are going to fix them so that you are enabling the end product to be fit for purpose; ie: it will do as we originally intended from that design brief, that it will protect a mobile phone.

Don't worry if you find any fault.

That's the whole point of quality control now.

So that when we have this product completely finished, you are absolutely certain that that end product is perfect and the end users are going to be so grateful that you've done that quality control to ensure that it is ready for use.

So, go and get quality control in your work now.

Good luck, have fun.

Welcome back, and I hope you got on well with doing the quality control checks on your mobile phone protector.

And that if you did find any fault, you've been able to fix them and sort them out there and then so that you are absolutely certain that the finished product that you're creating is going to be outstanding.

And that's it for today's lesson.

What a lesson we've had, and so much learning done as well.

We started off by looking at actually how we pin and tack together the fabric itself, and put that basic running stitch to keep it together.

We've also hemmed different parts of the fabric so it doesn't fray.

We've then gone on to actually stitch the permanent stitch into our fabric to create the shape that we originally designed, which is amazing.

And I'm hoping that you are incredibly proud of what you've created.

And then lastly, we've gone on to quality control the different elements of our mobile phone protector to ensure that what we've made is absolutely, 100% fit for its end use.

I cannot wait to see what you have been creating, and if you could get your parent or carer to take some photos and if they're happy to share them online, I would be so grateful so I can see what you've been creating.

Don't forget, if they do share anything online, please ask them to use the #LearnwithOak.

I look forward to seeing you in our next lesson where we look into decorating our design.

Stay safe, take care.

Bye-bye.