Punjab PSEB Senior Secondary NSQF Apparel Made-Ups and Home Furnishing cheat sheet

Fibre classification: natural (cotton, linen, wool, silk) vs man-made (regenerated such as viscose, synthetic such as polyester, nylon, acrylic).

Cotton: cellulose fibre, absorbent, breathable, low elasticity, weak when wet; burns with paper smell and grey ash.

Wool: protein fibre with scales and crimp; hygroscopic, insulating, felts under heat, moisture and friction; burns with burnt-hair smell.

Silk: continuous filament protein fibre, high lustre and drape, low resilience to sunlight and perspiration; degumming removes sericin.

Polyester: synthetic, strong, wrinkle-resistant, thermoplastic, low moisture regain; heat-setting gives permanent pleats.

Yarn count systems: direct systems (tex, denier = weight per fixed length) and indirect systems (Ne cotton, Nm metric = length per fixed weight).

Fabric structures: woven (warp and weft, plain/twill/satin), knitted (loop interlocking, more stretch), nonwoven (bonded fibres, no yarn).

Fabric properties to match to end use: GSM, cover factor, shrinkage, colourfastness, pilling, and abrasion resistance.

Pattern types: block or sloper (basic fit, no design ease) vs working pattern (seam allowance, notches, grain line, drill holes added).

Body measurements needed: bust/chest, waist, hip, shoulder width, back length, sleeve length, inseam; take over close-fitting clothing.

Dart manipulation: a dart can be moved to any position around a pivot point without changing fit; slash-and-spread adds fullness.

Grain line must run parallel to centre front/back; crosswise grain is stretchy and used for yokes and bias trims.

Seam allowance standards: 1 cm (3/8 in) for most seams, 1.5 cm (5/8 in) for commercial patterns, 2.5-4 cm for hems.

Grading: size increments derived from a base size using grade rules, e.g. 4-5 cm bust, 4 cm waist, 5 cm hip per size step.

Trueing: walk seams and correct dart legs, notch positions and corner angles so adjoining pieces sew to equal lengths.

Pattern layout rules: place on fold for half pieces, obey nap and pile direction on velvet and corduroy, allow fabric shrinkage.

Stitch classes (ISO 4915): 301 lockstitch, 401 two-thread chainstitch, 504 overlock, 516 safety stitch; seam classes ISO 4916.

Seam types: plain, French (enclosed raw edges, sheer/light fabrics), flat fell (denim), lapped, and overlocked edge finish.

Stitch density: 10-12 stitches per inch (about 4 stitches per cm) for woven shirting; too dense causes seam pucker and thread breakage.

Needle and thread selection: finer needle for lightweight fabric; needle size must suit fabric weight; thread should match fibre and colour.

Interlining and fusible application: temperature, pressure and time control bonding; test on scrap to avoid strike-through and shrinkage.

Pressing types: edge pressing, under pressing during construction, and final pressing; pressing differs from ironing (no sliding).

Attachments in order: plackets and pockets before side seams, collars and cuffs before sleeve setting, hem last after fitting.

Seam puckering causes: incorrect thread tension, differential feed, needle heat, mismatched thread/fabric shrinkage.

Production flow: design, pattern, sample approval, fabric inspection, cutting, sewing line, finishing, inspection, packing, dispatch.

Cutting room: marker making to maximise fabric utilisation; fabric spreading layers limited by fabric type; cutting accuracy tolerance about 1-2 mm.

Line systems: progressive bundle system, unit production system, and modular or team sewing; balancing workload reduces bottleneck idle time.

SAM (standard allowed minute) is the time for a trained operator to complete a task at defined performance; used for costing and line balancing.

4-point fabric inspection: assign 1-4 penalty points per defect by length; accept if points per 100 sq yd are within the agreed limit.

AQL sampling to ISO 2859-1 or equivalent: inspection level and AQL (commonly 2.5 for major defects, 4.0 for minor) determine accept/reject.

Defect classification: critical (safety, needle, sharp object), major (functional or visible), minor (cosmetic, within tolerance).

Seven QC tools used in apparel plants: check sheet, histogram, Pareto, cause-and-effect (fishbone), control chart, scatter diagram, flowchart.

Made-ups include bed linen, towels, curtains, cushions, table linen, quilts, aprons and bags; they are cut-and-sew textile products.

Bed linen sizing: single bed sheet roughly 90x190 cm mattress plus drop and tuck; double about 140x190 cm; always add hem and shrinkage allowance.

Curtain fullness ratio: 1.5x to 2x the rod or track width for pleats; sheer fabrics commonly use 2x to 2.5x.

Curtain heading types: pencil pleat, eyelet, tab top, pinch pleat, rod pocket; heading tape determines pleat style and fullness.

Towels: terry pile for absorbency; GSM typically 400-600 for bath towels; dobby border and twist affect durability.

Quilting: top fabric, batting and backing joined by stitching; batting weight (GSM) controls warmth and loft.

Colourfastness and shrinkage standards matter for home textiles because they are washed frequently; pre-shrink or allow for shrinkage.

Flame-retardant and care labelling requirements apply to furnishings and made-ups; fibre content and wash care must be declared.

Cost sheet components: direct material, direct labour, direct expenses (prime cost), factory overheads, administration, selling and distribution.

Fabric consumption per garment = marker length x marker width divided by garment area, plus wastage; expressed in metres per piece.

Costing formula: total cost = fixed cost + variable cost per unit x quantity; break-even quantity = fixed cost / (selling price - variable cost per unit).

Pricing methods: cost-plus, market-based, and export FOB/CIF pricing; FOB excludes freight and insurance, CIF includes them.

Mark-up vs margin: mark-up is on cost, margin is on selling price; margin % = (price - cost) / price x 100.

Government support for MSMEs: Udyam registration, PMEGP subsidy, credit guarantee schemes, and skill development incentives.

Marketing mix (4P): product, price, place, promotion; for apparel add people, process and physical evidence (7P for services).

Export documentation basics: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, and shipping bill.

Hazard types in garment units: mechanical (needles, cutters, press), electrical, chemical (dyes, solvents), ergonomic, and fire.

Machine guarding: needle guard, finger guard, pulley and belt guards must be in place; never bypass interlocks.

Needle policy: broken needles must be accounted for and recorded; metal detection at finishing prevents needle contamination.

Ergonomic controls: adjustable chair height, footrest, correct table height, anti-fatigue mat, and micro-breaks for repetitive sewing.

Chemical safety: read SDS, use gloves and eye protection for dyes and solvents, ensure ventilation, never mix chemicals.

Fire safety: extinguisher classes (A solid, B liquid, C gas, D metal, electrical CO2), marked exits, no blocked aisles, fire drill records.

Waste hierarchy: reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, dispose; segregate fabric waste, trimmings, and packaging for recycling.

First aid and reporting: know the first-aid box location, report all incidents, and record in the accident register as required by law.

Communication process: sender, message, encoding, channel, receiver, decoding, feedback, and noise as interference.

7 Cs of communication: clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete, courteous.

Active listening: pay attention, do not interrupt, paraphrase to confirm, ask clarifying questions, give feedback.

Business writing structure: purpose in the first line, facts in the body, action and deadline in the closing; keep emails short and specific.

Resume essentials: contact details, objective, education, skills, experience or projects, references; keep to one to two pages.

Interview preparation: research the employer, prepare STAR answers (situation, task, action, result), and prepare questions to ask.

Workplace teamwork: clear role allocation, punctuality, accepting feedback, and documenting instructions to avoid errors.

Digital etiquette: professional email address, correct spelling, no all-caps, attach files before sending, and respect data privacy.