Practical Work, Portfolio and Internal Assessment
Overview
Practical work, portfolio and internal assessment test process, not just the final product. Your file must show measurements, drafts, samples, construction steps, costing and evaluation.
Portfolio contents
Include a contents page, tool list, body measurement chart, drafted blocks, a sample book with labelled seam and stitch samples, photographs of stages, a cost sheet, care label and a self-evaluation. Each sample should record fabric, needle, stitch length, thread, steps and what you would improve. A viva may ask why a seam finish was chosen or how a fault was corrected.
Worked example
For a French seam sample in cotton: record 1 cm finished seam, 5 mm first pass, 1 cm second pass, needle 80/12, stitch length 2.5 mm. Photograph the trimmed first pass and the enclosed result. Evaluation: edge enclosed, no raw threads, slight puckering at start corrected by holding threads. Reasoning: the record proves the process and explains the correction, which is what internal assessment rewards.
Traps
Missing labels, untidy samples, no dates or process notes, copied work, unsafe machine use and a final garment that does not match the draft lose marks. A beautiful garment without a file cannot show learning; a complete file with a simple garment can.