Class: Senior Secondary School 1 (SS1 / SSS1)
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 10
Age: 15 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Garment Making
Curriculum Theme: Trade
Previous Lesson: Disposal Or Arrangement Of Fullness: Gathers Darts And Pleats.
Topic: FULLNESS IN GARMENTS
Subject Matter: Tucks, Shirring, Smocking, Decorative fullness

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain:

Define ‘fullness’ in garment making.
Identify different types of fullness in garments.
Explain the purpose of fullness in garment design.

Affective Domain:

Appreciate the aesthetic value that fullness adds to garments.
Develop an interest in exploring various techniques of adding fullness.

Psychomotor Domain:

Demonstrate how to create basic tucks on a fabric sample.
Demonstrate how to create shirring on a fabric sample.
Demonstrate how to create simple smocking on a fabric sample.

Share ideas on how to incorporate fullness into garment designs.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

9 Years Basic Education Curriculum for Home Economics.
State Unified Scheme of Work for Senior Secondary Schools.
Ojo, J. (2018). Clothing and Textile for Senior Secondary Schools. Lagos: University Press Plc.

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

Fabric pieces
Needle
Thread
Scissors
Measuring tape
Pins
Sewing machine
Tailor’s chalk
Charts showing examples of fullness

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils understand how extra fabric can be used creatively in garment making. It enables them to add style, improve fit, and enhance the overall appearance of clothing items, which is important for practical skills and design.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils have basic knowledge of hand and machine stitching, and an understanding of simple garment construction techniques.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

FULLNESS IN GARMENTS

Definition of Fullness

Fullness in garments refers to the extra fabric incorporated into a design to create shape, style, comfort, or decorative effects. It allows garments to drape well, fit different body shapes, and add aesthetic appeal.

Types of Fullness

The following are common types of fullness in garments:

Tucks
Shirring
Smocking
Gathers
Ruffles
Pleats

Tucks

Tucks are folds of fabric stitched down at a regular distance from the fold line. They can be narrow or wide and are used for decoration or to shape a garment.

The following are types of tucks:

Pin Tucks: Very narrow tucks, often used in groups.
Wide Tucks: Broader tucks, giving a bolder design effect.
Spaced Tucks: Tucks that are evenly spaced apart.
Blind Tucks: Tucks where the fold of one tuck just covers the stitching of the next tuck.

Steps to make a basic tuck:

Mark the fold line and the stitching line on the fabric.
Fold the fabric along the fold line, right sides together.
Stitch along the stitching line from the top to the desired length.
Press the tuck flat, usually towards one direction.

Shirring

Shirring is a decorative technique where multiple rows of gathers are made parallel to each other to create elasticity and fullness, often at waistlines, cuffs, or bodices.

Steps to create shirring:

Mark several parallel lines on the fabric where shirring is desired.
Use a long stitch length on the sewing machine (or hand stitch).
Stitch along each marked line without backstitching at the ends.
Pull the bobbin threads from each row simultaneously to gather the fabric to the desired fullness.
Secure the threads.

Smocking

Smocking is an embroidery technique used to gather fabric so that it can stretch, and then holding the gathers in place with decorative stitches. It is often done on the wrong side of the fabric to pull the fabric into folds, then decorative stitches are added on the right side.

The following are common types of smocking stitches:

Honeycomb Smocking
Diamond Smocking
Wave Smocking

Basic idea for creating smocking:

Mark a grid of dots on the fabric.
Gather the fabric by connecting adjacent dots with temporary stitches (gathering threads).
Work decorative embroidery stitches over the gathered fabric to hold the folds in place.

Decorative Fullness

Decorative fullness refers to any method of adding extra fabric to a garment for aesthetic appeal rather than solely for fit or shaping. It includes techniques like gathers, ruffles, and decorative use of tucks, shirring, and smocking.

The following are examples of decorative fullness:

Gathers: Fabric drawn together along a seam to create soft folds.
Ruffles: Strips of fabric gathered or pleated and attached to a garment edge.
Pleats: Folds of fabric pressed or creased into place.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Lecture, Demonstration, Question and Answer, Visual Aids

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Set Induction
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to observe various clothing items worn by their classmates or shown in pictures, drawing their attention to parts of garments that have extra fabric for decoration or shaping (e.g., puffed sleeves, gathered skirts). The teacher then asks what these extra fabric elements are called.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe, respond to questions, and share their observations.
Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and aware that garments have extra fabric for various purposes.

Step 2: Presentation of Topic and Objectives

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Introduction
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the topic “Fullness in Garments” and writes it on the board. The teacher then states the specific learning objectives for the lesson, explaining what pupils are expected to learn and be able to do by the end of the period.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and copy the topic and objectives into their notebooks.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the focus and goals of the lesson.

Step 3: Explanation of Fullness and its Purpose

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Illustration
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher defines fullness in garment making, explaining that it is the extra fabric used to create shape, style, and comfort. The teacher uses examples from charts or ready-made garments to illustrate.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, ask questions for clarification, and identify examples of fullness shown by the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the definition and general purpose of fullness in garments.

Step 4: Tucks

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Practical
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what tucks are, their types, and their uses. The teacher then demonstrates step-by-step how to create a basic tuck on a fabric sample, guiding pupils through the marking and stitching process.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the demonstration, ask questions, and practice marking and stitching a basic tuck on their fabric pieces.
Learning Point: Pupils learn the definition of tucks and gain practical skills in creating them.

Step 5: Shirring

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Practical
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains shirring and its applications in garment design. The teacher demonstrates how to create shirring using a sewing machine (or by hand, if machines are unavailable), showing how to pull threads to gather the fabric.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the demonstration, follow instructions, and attempt to create shirring on their fabric samples.
Learning Point: Pupils understand shirring and its creation for decorative and elastic effects.

Step 6: Smocking

Time: 6 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Practical
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces smocking as a decorative gathering technique, explains its basic principle, and briefly demonstrates a simple smocking stitch or explains the process using visual aids.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the demonstration and visual aids, and may attempt simple gathering for smocking.
Learning Point: Pupils understand what smocking is and how it adds decorative fullness.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

Define fullness in garment making.
Mention three types of fullness used in garments.
Explain how to create a basic tuck.
State two uses of shirring in garment design.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes
Teaching Skill: Summarization/Assignment
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes the key points of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of fullness in garment design. The teacher assigns homework, asking pupils to find and draw examples of garments featuring tucks, shirring, and smocking.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and copy the homework assignment.
Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and are given tasks to reinforce understanding.

Lesson Keywords

Fullness – Extra fabric incorporated into a garment to create shape, style, comfort, or decorative effects.
Tucks – Folds of fabric stitched down at a regular distance, used for decoration or shaping.
Shirring – Multiple rows of gathers made parallel to each other to create elasticity and fullness.
Smocking – An embroidery technique used to gather fabric and hold the gathers in place with decorative stitches.
Gathers – Fabric drawn together along a seam to create soft folds.
Ruffles – Strips of fabric gathered or pleated and attached to a garment edge.

Differentiation

For pupils who grasp concepts quickly, the teacher can encourage them to experiment with different widths and spacings of tucks or more complex smocking patterns. For those who need more support, the teacher will provide closer supervision during practical sessions and simplified instructions, focusing on mastering one basic technique at a time.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Ensure sufficient fabric scraps are available for all pupils to practice the techniques. Emphasize safety when using needles and sewing machines. Encourage creativity in applying these techniques. Practical demonstration is key to effective learning in this subject.