Fashion & Textile TechnologyQ&A by dot point

Textile construction techniques: seams (plain, French, flat-felled, overlocked), edge finishes (hems, facings, bias binding), fastenings (zips, buttons, Velcro, press studs), and shaping techniques (darts, pleats, gathers, tucks), and the purpose of each.

Equipment, tools and processes for making textile items: pattern construction and layout, cutting, the sewing machine and overlocker, pressing, and how commercial manufacture (CAD/CAM, computerised cutting and sewing) scales these up, together with safe working.

Quality and testing of textile items: quality control during making (accuracy, consistency, tolerances), objective performance tests (strength, abrasion, colourfastness, shrinkage, flammability), and quality standards and symbols, and why quality matters.

Selecting appropriate construction techniques: matching the technique to the fabric type (sheer, stretchy, bulky, hard-wearing), the position and strain on the item, the standard of finish required, and the cost and time of production.

Consumer requirements and the factors affecting consumer choice of fashion and textile items: needs and wants, function and performance, aesthetics, fashion and trends, cost and value for money, quality, brand, ethical and environmental concerns, and individual needs.

The elements of design (line, shape, colour, texture, pattern, tone) and the principles of design (balance, proportion, emphasis, rhythm, harmony, contrast) and how they are applied to create the aesthetics of a fashion or textile item.

Evaluating fashion and textile items: testing and judging a finished item against the design specification and consumer needs, using objective tests and user feedback, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and suggesting improvements.

The design process and the design brief: writing a brief and a specification, researching and analysing, generating and developing ideas, planning and making, and evaluating, as the structured way of developing a fashion or textile item.

The course assessment: the question paper (knowledge and understanding applied to scenarios), the assignment (design and develop a fashion or textile item to a brief) and the practical activity (make and finish a complex item using at least eight construction techniques), and how the marks combine into the graded award.

Fabric construction methods - woven, knitted (warp and weft) and non-woven (bonded and felted) fabrics - and how each method of construction affects the properties of the fabric (stretch, strength, fraying, warmth, drape) and therefore its suitability for items.

Fabric finishes - functional finishes (waterproof and water-repellent, flame-retardant, crease-resistant, stain-resistant, antibacterial, shrink-resistant) and aesthetic finishes - applied to change or improve a fabric's properties, and how the right finish makes a fabric suitable for an item.

Natural fibres (cotton, linen, wool, silk): their origin, characteristic properties (absorbency, strength, warmth, crease resistance, durability, flammability), and how those properties make them suitable or unsuitable for particular fashion and textile items.

Selecting fabrics that are fit for purpose: matching the combined effect of fibre, construction and finish to the performance requirements of a fashion or textile item, and justifying the choice in terms of the properties needed.

Manufactured fibres - synthetic (polyester, nylon/polyamide, elastane/Lycra, acrylic) and regenerated (viscose): their origin, characteristic properties, and how those properties make them suitable for particular fashion and textile items, including the reasons for blending fibres.

Care of textiles and labelling: international textile care symbols (washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, professional cleaning) and mandatory labelling requirements (fibre content, nightwear flammability, furniture fire safety), and how correct care extends a product's life.

Ethical, social and economic issues in the textile industry: working conditions and pay in the global supply chain, child labour, fair trade, ethical sourcing, the economic role of the industry, and inclusive and culturally aware design.

Technological developments in textiles: smart textiles (reactive and responsive materials such as thermochromic, phase-change and conductive textiles) and technical textiles (high-performance fabrics for sport, medicine, protection and industry), and the impact of technology on manufacture.

Sustainability and the environmental impact of textiles: the impact of the textile life cycle (resources, water, energy, pollution, waste), fast fashion, and ways to reduce impact (reduce, reuse, recycle, repair, sustainable fibres and the circular economy).