3.1 Sewing Tools, Equipment and Materials

• Classifying sewing tools, equipment and materials (cutting, marking, measuring, sewing, finishing, storage)
• Factors to consider when selecting sewing tools, equipment and materials
• Using, caring for and storing sewing tools and materials
• The sewing machine: parts, use, faults and remedies, care and storage

• classify sewing tools, equipment and materials
• select sewing tools, equipment and materials
• use, care for and store different sewing tools, equipment and materials
• appreciate the use and care of sewing tools, equipment and materials

“How would you best maintain sewing tools, equipment and materials?”

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1. Sewing tools, equipment and materials
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Classifying sewing tools, equipment and materials by function, the factors to consider when selecting them, and how to use, care for and store them so they last.
2. The sewing machine
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   The main parts of a sewing machine and what they do, how it is used, the common faults and their remedies, and how to care for and store it.
3. Measuring tools for sewing
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   How to choose and use a tape measure, ruler, metre stick and set square so garments, school uniforms and kitenge pieces come out the right size.
4. Cutting tools for sewing
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   How to choose, hold and care for dressmaker shears, small scissors, pinking shears and a seam ripper, including the golden rule about paper.
5. Marking tools for sewing
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   How tailor's chalk, a tracing wheel and carbon, pins and tailor tacks put pattern information onto fabric without staining a kitenge for good.
6. Needles, pins, thimbles and thread
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   How to match hand and machine needles, pins, a thimble and thread to the fabric so stitches hold and nothing rusts onto a school shirt.
7. Pressing and finishing equipment
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   How to press as you sew with an electric iron or a Kenyan charcoal pasi, an ironing board and a pressing cloth, without scorching kitenge or a school shirt.
8. Types of sewing machine and their parts
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Hand, treadle and electric machines in Kenyan homes and schools, the extra parts that set and drive them, and how to choose one you can keep running.
9. Caring for sewing tools and materials
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   A care cycle for shears, tapes, needles, pins and fabric in humid Kenyan weather, so tools stay sharp, true and rust-free in the work box.
10. Caring for the sewing machine
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Daily, weekly and termly care of a school or home machine: lint, oil, cover, needle, dry storage and what never to oil, so it keeps sewing for years.
11. Selecting sewing tools and sewing in Kenya
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    How to choose a basic kit for value in Kenyan shops and markets, and how the same tools support tailors, mitumba menders, uniform makers and designers.