Planning and Making

Planning

How long have I got for this section? 2
How many marks is this bit worth? 12
How many pages should it occupy? maximum 4

Thorough planning when making your product is vital to its successful completion.

Resources
Check that all resources are available. It is a good idea to buy your fabric and components as soon as you know which and how much you need in case the shop sells out in the time between looking for it in AO4 and beginning to make it in the later stage of AO5.

There are 5 parts to the planning procedures:

Lay plan
• Garment - If you are not altering your dress pattern drastically, you may be able to use the existing pattern’s own lay plan. You will need to know the width of your fabric. Otherwise, using the width of you fabric, i.e. 115cm, 150cm, work out the amount needed by laying your pattern pieces out across the tables and working out the most economical lay. Remember that you can use your fabric doubled if you have symmetrical pattern pieces.
• Furnishing or other product – you need to decide which pattern pieces are being used for each fabric and work a lay plan for each. Follow method as above – you will probably cut each piece out on single thickness.
• Draw your lay plan to scale, adding grain lines, fold lines, state single or double thickness, show right/wrong side of fabric/pattern pieces. Draw a separate lay plan for each different fabric
• Show total amount of fabric required for each fabric clearly.

Step by Step (production schedule)

Garment
• You can probably use most of the main steps from your pattern, remembering to add/take away any pattern adaptations in the correct place.
• Use diagrams, or photocopy pattern for each step

Furnishing or other product
• Think and work out very carefully the order in which you will put your product together. Write first in rough as a list, then add diagrams for each step. Wall hangings/mats etc. work well if you show a build up of the product.
• Show at correct stage all methods of embellishment
• If you have detailed all methods of embellishment in trialling and testing or modelling, refer back to them. You do not need to write out all the methods again. If not, do so here, but once only, not for each time you repeat the process.
• It will probably help if you number you pattern pieces so that you can refer to pieces when assembling.
For both
• Work out main steps, and then subdivide where necessary.
• Use diagrams next to each step, where necessary, just like a commercial garment pattern.

Quality Control
• The best way to carry out a QC checklist is at each stage
• Perhaps type/write in another colour i.e. red
• Think carefully about what you are checking for and at what points in the manufacture
• Write a general list at beginning of step by step covering everything that you are checking all the time i.e. correct seam allowance, tacking, fitting, check machine settings, etc.
• Then work out a check for each step of your manufacture. Think about gathering – even, darts – sharp, appliqué – flat, zig-zag – even width and length, etc.
• Refer to website http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_c/c-214.html

Time Plan
• Use a Gantt chart to plan your manufacturing time. This is a pictorial representation of the planned work. You will be given approximately 8 weeks lesson time to make your product.
• Once the order of work has been established, you will need to estimate the time needed to complete each stage.
• Include start and finish dates and plan to finish at least 1 week before the scheduled deadline in case of unforeseen problems i.e. illness.
• Allow time for cutting out, this is not included in your step by step, but you must allow sufficient time for this.
• Add in materials/resources needed for each stage.

Health and Safety
This section requires you to make a list of Health and Safety issues that will affect your work and working environment, i.e. equipment, personal safety and room safety. You need to assess possible hazards and ensure that you and your environment are safe to work in/with.

Remember that you will be evaluating the success of your planning at the end of the project.

Making

How long have I got for this section? 8 weeks
How many marks is this bit worth? 40
How many pages should it occupy? 0

Whilst there will be little, if any, design work to accompany your making, it is only right that you should know how and where marks are going to be awarded.

Economic use of materials, tools and equipment to a high degree of precision [12]

Worked independently and combined a range of appropriate skills and techniques [12]

Product completed to a high quality and meets specification [16]

Tips to ensure a high quality product:

• Buy a large reel of thread – buy three if you know that you will be doing a lot of overlocking
• Always test the machine of overlocker on the same number of layers of the same fabric that you are using to ensure consistency of stitch throughout your product and good condition of the machine needle.
• If you need a special size or type of needle, then keep it and replace the needle each time you use the machine.
• Press seams and sections flat before going onto the next process, but first test the heat of the iron on spare pieces of the fabric you are using.
• Finish off seams securely at each end by reverse stitching approx 6mm.
• Neaten all raw edges, as you go, that will show on the inside of your product.
• If you are making an open seam, it is easier to neaten the edges using the overlocker before stitching the seam.
• When using the overlocker on a single layer of fabric make sure the RS of the fabric is facing up.
• Use your quality control checks!