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Year 5

Fabric seams and curves

I can sew seams and a curved edge.

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New
New
Year 5

Fabric seams and curves

I can sew seams and a curved edge.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Practice seams can be sewn on scrap fabric.
  2. Seams need to have allowance which is extra fabric, usually 15mm.
  3. Practice curved edge seams can be sewn on scrap fabric.
  4. To sew curved edges, the template needs to be attached accurately.

Keywords

  • Seam - a join between fabrics

  • Seam allowance - additional fabric allowed for joining

  • Curved - a rounded bend, not straight

  • Piece - an individual section of pattern or fabric

Common misconception

Curved seams require different stitches to straight seams.

The same stitches can be used on a curved edge as those used on a straight seam.


To help you plan your year 5 design and technology lesson on: Fabric seams and curves, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Pupils should be using sharp, metal needles and cotton thread (not embroidery thread) at this stage.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Fabric scraps, needles, thread and paper for templates. Pre-made paper templates can be found in the additional materials document if required.

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is an action plan?
a list of the stages of making
a list of materials
a list of equipment needed
Correct answer: stages, equipment and materials list
Q2.
Order these stages of making a fabric product.
1 - Draw a diagram.
2 - Cut out pattern pieces.
3 - Sew pattern pieces.
4 - Use finishing techniques.
Q3.
In the design process, what is the name for an accurate drawing that shows information?
Correct answer: diagram
sketch
table
specification
Q4.
What do we call the join between two pieces of fabric?
An image in a quiz
seem
Correct answer: seam
seen
scene
Q5.
How big is a typical seam allowance?
Correct Answer: 15 mm, 15 millimetres, 1.5 cm, one and a half centimetres
Q6.
What word could be used to describe this line?
An image in a quiz
straight
linear
zig-zag
Correct answer: curved
wavy

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What is a seam used for?
to cut separate pieces of fabric
Correct answer: to join separate pieces of fabric
to add decoration
to make a paper template
Q2.
Which image shows a typical seam allowance?
150 mm
Correct answer: 15 mm
15 cm
Q3.
Which pattern piece has a curved seam?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q4.
Which describes the best method to sew a curved seam.
Use straight lines on all the edges.
Sew a zig-zag pattern.
Correct answer: Sew in small sections and turn the fabric.
Sew large stitches across the curve.

Additional material

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