Measuring and Marketing

Part thirteen of the learning about textiles technology:

To cut accurately plans are needed to show measurements, preferably in centimetres or meters, as it helps towards the quality of a garment. Textile patterns are made from two dimensional sections, that when assembled form a three dimensional textile. For measuring textiles it’s important to use the correct instruments, such as; a tape measure, tailors chalk, hand ruler, tracing wheel and set squares to keep a consistent accurate measurement. The measurements should be close but not too tight.

When making clothing, a designer uses body blocks which are usually made out of car or metal. The altered shapes will then form the pattern pieces for construction of the garment. Patterns transfer the design to the material that then allows the correct amount of material needed for the garment without waste; this is also an economical way.

Producing clothing on a large scale is necessary for production to make clothes affordable. Standard sizes are in place to make sure all British companies produce the same measurements; it can vary sometimes due to the population changes as a whole.

Commercial patterns are a quick and easy way to produce clothing without blocks or complex measurements.  They usually have a variation of patterns, and include the instruction sheet and the pattern pieces. Is changing the measurements of a set pattern it’s important to remember the industry standard sizes and the economical way to saving waste of material.

 

By Abigail Stephenson

Photographs provided by fashion Capital.



For other articles in the learning about textiles technology, click below:



Part one: what are textiles?

Part two: The inspiration behind the ideas of design

Part three: drawing and modelling

Part four: planning

Part five: influences on design

Part six: fibres

Part seven: construction

Part eight: properties of fabrics

Part nine: care of fabrics

Part ten: components

Part eleven: disassembly

Part twelve: application of colour

Part thirteen: measuring and marketing

Part fourteen: assembly

Part fifteen: industrial production techniques

Part sixteen: systems in production

Part seventeen: aesthetics and ergonomics

Part eighteen: evaluation and quality

Part nineteen: marketing