Lesson video

Hello and welcome to today's design and technology lesson.

My name is Mrs. Fletcher and I'm here to help you through this lesson today.

Today's lesson is called Select and Make a Fabric Pattern and it's part of the Textile Pattern Pieces Hats and Caps unit.

In this lesson, we'll be looking at using paper pattern pieces to create fabric pattern pieces to make a prototype hat design.

So let's have a look at what we'll be learning about today.

The outcome of today's lesson is I can create a prototype from fabric using pattern pieces.

So a prototype is a model version of a final product and we can make it out of fabric to see exactly how our final hat product is going to look and exactly what size it's going to be.

There are some key words and phrases that we're going to see in today's lesson.

So let's have a look at those together before we get started.

So first of all, we've got that word prototype.

Can you repeat that? Prototype.

Well done.

And a prototype is a model version of a design.

So it can be a smaller version or it can be the same size as a final product but maybe made out of a less expensive material.

Then we've got the phrase pattern pieces.

What do we mean by that? Can you repeat it after me? Pattern pieces.

Well done.

And pattern pieces are paper shapes that shows you how to cut fabric into the same shape.

And then we've got the word adjust.

Can you repeat that? Adjust.

Well done.

And adjust means to make changes to something.

So we might need to do that to our pattern pieces in the lesson today.

The lesson is going to be broken down into two parts.

First of all, we're going to be looking at using pattern pieces to create the shapes that we need.

And then we're going to be looking at assembling and adjusting a design prototype to make that prototype hat product.

So let's get started with using pattern pieces.

Fabric products are made by joining separate pieces of fabric together.

The separate pieces are cut from fabric using pattern pieces.

And those pattern pieces are made from paper.

A pattern piece is a shape used as a guide to cut fabric.

So you can see there that the fabric is being cut using that pattern piece, that paper guide, to make sure that it's cut to the exact size.

A prototype hat design can be made from recycled fabrics, from off cuts or scraps of fabric, or from pieces of less expensive fabric.

They can even be made from cheap fabric products such as cleaning cloths.

So because it's not going to be the final product, we can use a less expensive fabric just to help us see how it's going to work.

Whichever fabric you choose to make the prototype from, it should be large enough to place your pattern pieces on.

So you can use scraps of fabric as long as they're large enough for your pattern pieces.

You may need to think about how many fabric pieces you will need to cut from each of your pattern pieces.

So if you think about the pattern pieces that you need for a baseball cap, so here they are, you need a side panel piece and a peak shape piece.

But you're going to need six side panels cut out from fabric.

So you need to make sure you've got enough fabric to cut six of those out.

And you may even need two pieces of the peak pieces if you want to insert card to strengthen it, or if you want to do it as a double thickness to make it a little bit stiffer.

So think about how many pieces you're going to need when you're selecting the fabric you're going to use.

Pattern pieces need to be placed very carefully onto the fabric to make the most of the space that you've got.

Good pattern placement leaves as much fabric as possible to use again.

So either for you to cut out any extra pieces you need later, or for someone else to use for another project.

Bad pattern placement creates what we call wastage.

And wastage refers to any small or irregular shape pieces of fabric that are difficult to use again, either because they're not large enough or because the shape doesn't allow for a pattern piece to be added on.

A quick check then before we move on, who do you think has got the best pattern placement here? So remember, we're thinking about leaving as much space as possible to use again and not creating wastage.

Have a look at Jun, Izzy and Sam's placement and decide who you think has done the best job.

Pause the video while you have a think about that.

Welcome back, what did you think? Well, Jun has definitely placed his pattern pieces in the best place possible to leave as much usable fabric as possible.

Izzy has put them right in the centre of a large piece of fabric, which means it leaves irregular shapes around the outside.

And Sam has placed one piece quite well on the edge so it doesn't use too much fabric.

But then she's placed the second piece right in the centre of the piece that was left.

So that means that everything around it becomes unusable.

So well done Jun for good pattern placement there and well done if you got the right answer.

There are a few different ways to attach pattern pieces to the fabric before we cut it out.

We can use pins, we can use double-sided tape or we can use fabric clips.

Pins are quick and accurate to apply so you can get them exactly where you want them but you need to use them very carefully because they are quite sharp.

Pins should be placed near the edge of the pattern pieces to keep it in place.

That's in the seam allowance that you allowed on your paper pattern piece.

Double-sided tape is tape that's sticky on both sides but it may not stick very well to some types of fabrics.

If you want to use this to attach your pattern pieces then you put lay pieces all the way around the edge, peel off the backing and then press it into place on the fabric that you're going to be cutting it out from.

The only difficulty with using this method is quite difficult to remove from paper so you might not be able to use those pattern pieces again after you finish this project.

Fabric clips are very quick and safe to use.

They can be moved easily and they don't damage the pattern pieces in any way so you could use them again to make another hat in the future.

They are best used though for joining pieces after they have already been cut when they are ready to sew because they can only be used on an edge.

You can't use a fabric clip in the centre of a piece of fabric like you can do with a pin so you need to think about when you are using those.

A quick check then before we move on, can you match those joining tools to the drawback, the negative, the thing that might stop us from using it? Pause the video while you have a look and come back when you're done.

Welcome back, what did you think? Let's have a look if you managed to match them correctly.

So the drawback of using pins is that they are sharp.

The drawback of using double-sided tape is that it's difficult to remove from the paper afterwards and the drawback of using the fabric clips is that it can only be used on an edge so you can't use them to securely put your paper pieces onto fabric if you're using a large piece of fabric especially.

Well done if you managed to get those right.

Once you have secured your paper pattern pieces onto the fabric you're going to use, the pattern pieces need to be cut accurately to make sure that they're going to fit together when we come to assemble our prototype hat.

Sharp fabric scissors should be used to get that nice, clean, accurate cut along the edge of the pattern piece.

Just like a jigsaw, those pattern pieces are designed to fit together in a certain way.

It's important to cut those pieces accurately so the sizes do not change.

If the pieces don't fit together then you won't get the product outcome that you want so the hat might not look or work in the way that you wanted it to.

Sophia has been making the pattern pieces for her prototype hat that she's making for Jacob.

She places her pattern pieces, those paper pattern pieces with the seam allowance drawn on, onto the fabric that she's going to use and she's chosen to secure them using pins.

She then very carefully cuts around each of those pattern pieces making sure to follow the edge exactly so she doesn't change the shape of the fabric pattern piece that she spent a long time making sure is the right size.

So it's time for you to complete your task in this first part of the lesson.

You're going to do exactly what Sophia has done.

You're going to place a set of pattern pieces, the paper pattern pieces onto a piece of fabric that you're going to use to make your prototype hat.

You may need to use more than one piece of fabric if you're using scraps or smaller pieces.

Then you're going to secure each of those pattern pieces using a suitable method.

So choose whether to use pins, double-sided tape or if you're using a small piece of fabric you might be able to use those fabric clips as well.

Once you've secured each of those pattern pieces in place you're going to carefully cut out each fabric pattern piece using sharp scissors.

You may need to get an adult help with that.

If you need more than one fabric piece cut from the same paper pattern piece then you can unattach it, reposition it and then cut another shape out until you have all the pieces that you need.

Pause the video while you complete those tasks and come back when you're done.

Welcome back, how did you get on? Well, Sophia has used her paper pattern pieces to make the fabric pieces that she needs for her prototype hat.

The pattern pieces were pinned into place then the fabric was accurately cut to the correct shape and she's got those fabric pattern pieces now ready to join.

And she's reminding us that her pattern pieces are correct for making a brimmed hat.

So that's why she's got that long fabric piece which is for the side panel circular pattern piece for a crown and she's got that wide circular with the centre missing which will form her brim.

You may have different size or shape pattern pieces than that but you should have the ones that are correct for your hat design.

Well done if you've managed to complete that task.

So now we move on to the second part of the lesson and this is where we'll be assembling and adjusting our design prototypes to make sure they're going to work for our final product.

Once those fabric pieces have been cut they are ready to be assembled.

That means they're ready to be put together.

So those are the fabric pattern pieces that we saw Sophia cut.

Now those fabric pattern pieces can be joined together using fabric clips and they're a good way to secure our fabric pieces because they are easy to adjust.

They're much easier and quicker than using pins.

Sewing is a method of joining two pieces of fabric together creating a seam.

And you can sew a very simple straight running stitch by repeatedly passing a needle and thread to the back and front of a piece of fabric that's in and out create what we called a running stitch that you can see there in that image.

Before we start sewing our fabric pieces together you need to thread the needle by passing the thread through the eye of the needle.

Now this can be quite tricky so you could use a needle threader if you wanted to help you do this.

That can help you just pass that thread through the eye of the needle.

You also need to secure the thread with a knot and this means that it will stop the thread coming loose when you start sewing.

Now this can be quite tricky but here's a technique that hopefully will help you tie a knot in the end of your thread.

Hold the end of the thread that's not being threaded through the needle wrap it around your index finger that's your pointy finger three times.

Wrap the thread three times around your finger.

Then you're going to roll that thread off the end of your finger using your thumb making sure the loose end of the thread goes through the loop.

You may need to use your other hand to make sure it pulls through that loop.

Then you can pull the knot tightly which will keep it in place and snip off any excess thread.

A quick check then before we move on what do we call a simple stitch that runs in and out of the fabric? Is it A, a thread stitch? Is it B, a running stitch? Or is it C, a seam stitch? Pause the video and have a think.

Welcome back, what did you think? Well done if you said it was B, a running stitch.

Exactly, well done if you got that right.

Now seams, that's the joined edge that we're sewing together can be straight or curved and pattern pieces that have a curved edge will need to be sewn with a curved seam.

So for example around the brim or the crown we have a curved edge it's cut in a circular curved shape so that means we're going to have to sew a curved seam so we're not sewing in a straight line we're sewing around a curved seam.

Curved pieces can be joined to straight pieces using a curved seam.

So for example on our hats we're going to have a curved piece for a crown which is going to be joined to that straight edge of the side panel band that we've made.

So by pinning it carefully into place we can make sure that that seam is going to be accurately sewn together.

The straight edge needs to be pinned to the edge of the curved piece curving that straight edge as you go and by pinning it into place it means that it will stay in that position ready to be sewn.

To follow the curve of a pattern as you sew you need to rotate which means turn the fabric as you go.

So we start to sew around the curve of our fabric piece as we reach the point where we need to move our arms in a different position instead of doing that we rotate the piece of fabric so we can keep sewing in that same position.

We don't want to be making our arm make that movement around the fabric we want to turn the fabric so that we can continue to sew in the same position.

So we rotate it a little bit and sew a bit more rotate it again sew a little bit more and we keep on going until we've rotated and sewed around the whole of that curved edge.

So your hands will stay in the same position for sewing which will mean you'll be able to sew much more accurately.

Sophia is making her prototype hat for Jacob and she starts to assemble the hat by clipping the short edges of her side panel together.

So she's got a long rectangular fabric piece and she's clipping those shorter side panels side edges together using fabric clips.

She checks before she starts sewing that it fits on Jacob's head so she puts it onto his head keeping the clips on the outside so that it doesn't get in the way of the fit on Jacob's head and checks that it fits in that position.

If it doesn't she can adjust the clips at this point to make sure it fits accurately on Jacob's head.

And she's reminded us here that clipping it on the outside does make it easier to adjust.

Sophia then needs to clip the crown piece onto the long edge of the side panel so this is where we've got that curved edge joining onto the straight edge of the side panel which has been curved round into that shape.

And she's saying here that she has to adjust the position of the clips a few times in order to make it fit so we need that crown fabric piece to fit exactly around the edge of that side panel or band.

She checks again that it fits on her partner's head once she's done this with the clips on the outside to make sure that nothing's changed while she was adjusting that crown piece.

Sophia then needs to clip the inner edge of the brim so this is the edge that's going to be attached to the hat onto the opposite side of that side panel so she's got the crown pinned on one side the brim is going to be attached on the other side of that central piece.

This is quite tricky and Sophia found it quite tricky as well and she needed a little bit of help to make sure that she got it in the correct position.

The brim of the hat will actually appear to be on the inside of the hat at this point because we're pinning on the outside it'll make your pieces sit in the wrong place until we've finished and we can turn it into the correct position so don't worry at this point the brim should be inside the hat.

Sophia then used that simple running stitch that we saw earlier that in and out stitch to sew all the seams together so all the parts that she clipped using the fabric clips are now going to be sewn together and Sophia used a bright coloured thread so that she could see where she had sewn and this is a good idea particularly on a prototype hat where the colour of the thread doesn't matter it doesn't matter if we can see it.

She secured the start and end of her stitching with a knot and that's important because we don't want that stitching to come undone once you take that needle and thread away.

Now Izzy was making a baseball cap and she had to work a little bit differently to assemble her pattern pieces and to check the size on her user's head so she followed these steps instead.

She clipped the seam allowance on each of those six side panels that you need for a baseball cap to form that cap shape.

Now again the clips are on the outside and the seam is on the outside which will make it easier to sew that will be reversed later on so don't worry if it doesn't look right at this stage we need those clips on the outside so we can sew and adjust.

She then positioned the cap on her user's head clips on the outside to check that it fit so we're checking that the whole of that crown and side panel section fits on the user's head with a baseball cap.

If you're doing this baseball cap style and you find that it's too big on your user then you can either remove one of the panels if it's really too big or you can clip those panels that you have attached slightly closer together so you can adjust how tight the panels are attached together.

If it's too small it doesn't fit on your user's head then you can either make another panel from fabric and add it into the hat design and check it again or you can make your pattern pieces slightly bigger so that they all fit together and will fit on your user's head.

A quick check then before we move on what does that word adjust mean? Does it mean A, secure? Does it mean B, check the fit? Or does it mean C, make changes? Pause the video and have a think.

Welcome back, what did you think? Well done if you said adjust means to make changes it does.

It means to make some small changes to make something work.

Well done if you got that right.

Now that leads us to the final task in this lesson where you are going to be assembling and adjusting your design prototype.

First of all you're going to follow the steps to assemble and adjust the fabric pieces for your hat prototype checking the fit on the user as you go.

Use fabric clips to secure the pieces into position.

You can use pins as well but that is a little bit trickier and a little bit more difficult to do.

If you have fabric clips those are much easier to use.

Once you've done that you're going to use a simple running stitch to sew all of those joined edges together so that they stay in position.

Once you've sewn all of those edges and you've removed all of the fabric clips or pins you can reverse the hat so that it's the right way around and those seams are on the inside and your brim is on the outside if you've got a brim on your hat and that will hide the seams as well from being visible on the outside.

Pause the video while you complete that task and come back when you're done.

Welcome back, how did you get on? Well Sophia has assembled her hat by clipping those fabric pattern pieces together.

She checked and adjusted the hat as she went on Jacob's head then she used that simple running stitch using the bright thread to join those fabric pieces together and then she reversed the hat to hide all those seams inside.

So she's done an amazing job of putting all those fabric pieces together to create that prototype hat design.

Hopefully you've managed to follow all those steps to make your own prototype hat just like Sophia.

Well done if you completed that task.

We are at the end of the lesson now so we've had a very busy lesson making, adjusting and finalising our prototype hat using those fabric pattern pieces.

We've learned that prototypes can be created from cheaper fabric pattern pieces.

We don't need to use the same fabric that we would use on the final piece.

We've learned that prototypes can be tested for size with the user so by checking the size as we go we can make adjustments so that the final product is going to fit correctly.

We've also learned that prototypes can be adjusted after fitting once we've assembled all the pieces just to make sure before we make those final stitches to put it into place.

Thank you for joining me for this lesson today.

Hope to see you again for another lesson in the future.

Bye for now.