4-H Clothing Project
Level III

Objectives

1. Learn to accomplish more difficult tasks.
2. Develop better judgment and creativity in planning and selecting patterns and fabrics for garments.
3. Develop increased knowledge in planning, purchasing, constructing, and using accessories to enhance garments.
4. Develop confidence and poise through improving your personal appearance and inner self.
5. Learn more about the characteristics of natural and human made fibers related to clothing and its care.
6. Learn how to evaluate progress made in your clothing project and to share with others newly gained knowledge and skills.
7. Learn more in-depth information about clothing career areas.
8. Use your skills to help others.

This booklet will serve as a guide for Level III. Now that you are older and more experienced you will need to rely more on your own good judgment as you make decisions. Part of the excitement of designing and doing your own project will be finding references to help you. You can enlist the help of your Extension agent and others as you determine your needs and goals.

Keep your 4-H clothing materials from the three levels plus the Clothing Reference Guide and information sheets in a notebook. This will be very useful to you. A self determined project in clothing gives you an opportunity to gain new learning experiences that have not been included in the project, to investigate other areas of clothing in depth, and to spark your imagination in creating your own individual 4-H clothing project!

Possibilities for Techniques

1. bound buttonholes
2. hand worked key buttonholes
3. lined garment
4. underlined garment
5. thread eyes and belt loops
6. cording
7. applique
8. machine embroidery
9. machine darning
10. continuous bound placket
11. covered buckle and belts
12. couturier finishes
13. welt pockets
14. other types of pockets
15. hand picked zipper
16. zipper shortcuts
17. tape, lace, braid trims
18. quilting fabrics and garments
19. knitting, crocheting

Possibilities for Fabrics

1. wool, wool blends
2. linings
3. "silk-feel" fabrics
4. plaid, stripe, one-way designs
5. napped, such as corduroy

Possibilities for Garments

1. party or evening wear
2. lined suit or coat
3. unlined suit
4. reversible garments
5. 3-piece suit
6. child's garment
7. lingerie or sleepwear
8. bathing suit or coverup
9. accessories

Suggested Activities

Select several special fabrics such as velveteen, suede, or corduroy.

• Experiment with scraps of each fabric.
• Study pressing techniques of each.
• Study care procedures for each.
• Make one or more garments from these fabrics.

Make some pressing tools that you do not already have and use them in your clothing construction:

• Pressing ham
• Seam roll
• Clapper
• Point presser

• Survey your wardrobe and evaluate your needs.
• Visit with student(s) about your clothing needs for campus.
• Make a spending plan for clothing purchases.
• Compare ready-to-wear and home-constructed garments to fill your needs.

Work on clothing problems with a special group, such as the handicapped or elderly. (You may choose a neighbor or family member.)

• Learn their interests, abilities, and needs.
• Study clothing adaptations for these special groups.
• Assist them in making clothing adaptations.
• Teach them sewing skills, care of clothing, or features to make dressing easier.
• Adapt a pattern and make a garment to fit their special needs.

Work with a beginning 4-H clothing group.

• Work with an adult 4-H leader in teaching a clothing project using 4-H materials.
• Help by making visual aids.
• Assist members who have special problems.
• Train members in modeling and judging clothing.

Do pattern alterations to learn more about fit.

• Take measurement of another 4-H'er or family member.
• Alter a pattern to fit another person.
• Show a 4-H group how to measure for pattern type and size.
• Work with a 4-H group as they make alterations on very simple patterns.
• Alter a pattern for yourself and make a muslin copy to check corrections.

Design your own fashions.

• Construct your fashion design by changing the pattern or combining several patterns.
• Make and fit a basic dress of muslin or checked gingham.
• Use the basic dress as a pattern for making your own designer fashions.
• Make design changes such as change a neckline, move darts, change openings, change sleeves, add or change collars, add or remove flare.

Study the clothing of an ethnic group or culture.

• What is or was the native costume?
• Why were their costumes designed that way?
• What fabric did they use?
• How were the garments constructed?
• How has today's fashion market been influenced by costumes of this group?

Select three of your favorite fashion designers. Study the following:

• Background (what country they live in, education, etc.)
• What they design
• Style characteristics
• How they influence fashion changes today
• Make a designer fashion

Select a time period from the past and study costumes of that period. (Examples are Medieval, Egyptian, Renaissance.)

• What were main features of men's and women's costumes?
• What fabrics and colors were used?
• How did politics or world events of the time influence costumes of the day?
• Who were some fashion leaders of the time and how did they influence costume?
• What styles do we wear today that show some influence from the time period studied?

Explore the fashion industry and how it works. Study the following:

• Development of the industry
• Location of garment centers
• Apparel production (from textile to garment)

• Fiber content and its use
• Garment styles suitable for the fabric
• Finish applied
• Advantage and disadvantages of sewing and/or wearing the fabric
• Care procedures

Learn the design techniques of dyeing methods.

• Experiment with batiking, tie dyeing, or block printing.
• Apply design to fabric or accessories.
• Investigate ways of making your design colorfast to light and laundry.

Study cotton from farm to fabric. Learn about the following:

• Spinning fibers into yarns
• Weaving yarns into fabrics
• Finishing process
• Visit a cotton related industry in your area if possible.

Investigate flammability characteristics of various fabrics.

• Federal and state flammability laws
• Flame retardancy in fibers and finishes
• Fabric construction effect on flammability
• Flame-retardant finishes used
• Test flammability of fabrics by burning samples - record burning time, amount of flame, kind of ash or residue.
• Care of garments with flame retardant characteristics

You and the sewing machine:

• Use your sewing machine manual and practice until you are familiar with all the features of your machine.
• Help some younger 4-H'ers learn how to use their sewing machines.
• Shop and collect advertisements to learn about several different brands of sewing machines.
• Make a list of features to consider in purchasing a new sewing machine.

Update your accessories.

• Study fashion magazines to learn new ways to add sparkle to your wardrobe.
• Survey your wardrobe and make a plan for necessary accessories.
• Shop to compare quality and price of ready-made accessories at various kinds of stores.
• Make a plan for purchasing and constructing accessories.
• Construct some accessories.

Improve your overall appearance and grooming.

• Study more about color, lines, and texture that are good for you.
• Train other 4-H'ers in modeling and good grooming.
• Train other 4-H'ers in clothing selection for their figures/builds.
• Analyze your appearance. Set definite goals and make a plan for improvement.
• Study values and how they influence the clothing we choose to wear. Write down some of your personal values.

Make the most of the clothes you have.

• Study ways to reinforce new ready-to-wear for longer wear and use some of these techniques on garments you buy.
• Repair your own clothes as needed and assist other 4-H'ers or family members in learning to do the same.
• Recycle -- make new-looking clothes for yourself or other family members from garments not being used.

Improve your sewing skill.

• Make a list of construction techniques you would like to learn.
• Make a list of new fabrics you would like to use.
• Choose patterns and fabrics for garments that let you learn these new techniques.
• Evaluate your garments and model for a group.

Investigate different careers in clothing and textiles.

• Compile a list of all job or career titles you can find related to clothing and textiles.
• Select some of these careers and find out the type of work done, skills and abilities needed, education or training required, and availability and location of jobs.
• Investigate vocational or college programs in clothing and textiles in your area or state and the training they provide.

Plan Your Project

1. Set your goals. Identify what you want to learn and do.
2. Develop and carry out a plan for completing your project. You may want to use this format for your plan:

   Approximate Date To Be Done	Work To Be Done	My Responsibilities	Materials Needed, Cost, Help Needed

   Have your proposed plan checked by a volunteer leader or Extension agent for their suggestions. Make any necessary changes to improve your plan and make it a worthwhile experience. Then begin carrying out your plan.

3. Evaluate your experiences: accomplishments, learning experiences, satisfactions, money value, and other.
4. What displays, exhibits, demonstrations or other means did you use to share with others what you learned?
5. What references and/or resource people were especially helpful?
6. What would you do differently if you did this project again?
7. Complete a clothing record sheet at the end of each year.

4-H Review

1. What is the emblem of the 4-H club?
2. How many Extension (4-H) districts are there in Mississippi?

   My county is in the ________________________________ district.

3. My volunteer leader's name is ______________________________.

   What does a volunteer leader do?

4. What does a teen leader do?

   Some teen leaders in my club/county are ___________________________.

5. Special sewing or modeling contests that I may enter in my state:
6. What is National 4-H Week?

Developed by the State 4-H Clothing Curriculum Committee

Ann Jarratt, chairman;	Patty Sanders
Caroline Booth	Melissa Clanton
Marguerite Davis	Vicki Smith
Catherine Boyd	Alma Armstrong
Robert McNeil

Prepared by Catherine Boyd, Associate Professor, Home Economics

Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status.

Publication 1301
Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brown, Director

This document may be copied and distributed for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University Extension Service.