Fashion Design Garment Construction 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'flat-felled seam' most commonly used for?
- Delicate fabrics like chiffon
- Durable garments like jeans and work shirts where strong, flat seams are required (Correct answer)
- Sheer fabrics where seam allowances must be hidden
- Knit fabrics that require stretch at the seam
Correct answer: Durable garments like jeans and work shirts where strong, flat seams are required
Flat-felled seams fold one seam allowance over the other and stitch it down flat, creating the double-stitched seam visible on jeans — strong, durable, and fray-resistant.
Question 2: What is the term for the process of using a curved seam or panel to create shape in a garment without darts?
- Pleating
- Princess seaming (Correct answer)
- Smocking
- Pintucking
Correct answer: Princess seaming
Princess seaming uses continuous vertical seam lines running from shoulder or armhole through the bust to the hem, creating a fitted silhouette without darts.
Question 3: What does 'notching' a curved seam allowance do?
- Marks the sewing line for accuracy
- Allows the seam allowance to lie flat when the seam is pressed open on a convex curve (Correct answer)
- Reinforces the seam at stress points
- Creates a decorative edge on the seam allowance
Correct answer: Allows the seam allowance to lie flat when the seam is pressed open on a convex curve
Notching removes small V-shaped wedges of fabric from convex (outward) curved seam allowances so the fabric can spread and lie flat when turned and pressed.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a 'walking foot' attachment on a sewing machine?
- To sew stretch seams on knit fabrics
- To feed multiple layers of fabric evenly through the machine without shifting (Correct answer)
- To create decorative topstitching effects
- To attach piping and cording to seams
Correct answer: To feed multiple layers of fabric evenly through the machine without shifting
A walking foot has its own built-in feed dogs that work with the machine's feed dogs, moving all fabric layers simultaneously to prevent shifting and ensure even seaming.
Question 5: What is 'haute couture' according to the official Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture regulations?
- Any high-quality, expensive fashion garment
- Custom-made garments meeting strict standards including hand-sewing and client fittings (Correct answer)
- Designer ready-to-wear collections shown at Paris Fashion Week
- Fashion designed by members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America
Correct answer: Custom-made garments meeting strict standards including hand-sewing and client fittings
Official haute couture houses must make garments to order for private clients, employ a minimum number of staff, and present collections of 50+ looks twice yearly in Paris, with extensive hand-craftsmanship required.
Question 6: What does 'serging' or 'overlocking' do to a raw fabric edge?
- Creates a decorative finish on the outside of a garment
- Encloses the raw edge with thread to prevent fraying (Correct answer)
- Fuses two fabric pieces together with heat
- Adds elastic to the edge of a garment
Correct answer: Encloses the raw edge with thread to prevent fraying
A serger (overlocker) trims the seam allowance and simultaneously wraps the raw edge in thread loops, creating a professional, fray-resistant finish used in ready-to-wear production.
Fashion Design Garment Construction 3
What is 'flat-felled seam' most commonly used for?