Aimee White AQA Textiles GCSE 2009-2010 Candidate Number: 6207

1. Aimee White AQA Textiles GCSE 2009-2010 Candidate Number: 6207

2. Task Analysis! Design Brief Designing for children’s fun The local education authority has been given a large sum of money to invest in early learning centres for young children. Therefore, you have been asked to design a new range of early learning educational toys for this group. They have also requested that a cultural theme could be included. How do children play? There are various different ways that children play, from 6month to 3 years there is a rapid change. I am going to find out the information by going on the internet and analysing several different sites which will give me the different information. What safety aspects have to be built into children’s products? The safety aspects are a main thing whilst producing a child’s product. I am going to look up the information about this on the internet. This information will help me understand more how I should make my product. What physiological benefits do toys have? The benefits the toys have are big. I will research these benefits more by browsing the internet, and looking on children’s websites explaining physiological things What sounds, vision, touch, smells do young children enjoy? There are all different sounds, visions, touch; smells that young children enjoy, each child will enjoy different ones. I am going to research this on the internet so I have a good idea of what they like. How do children develop? Children develop in many different ways. To find out all the different ways I will browse the internet looking at different websites on Child Development. I will also and read a range of books to help me develop my knowledge on child development. Where would parents go to buy children’s products? Parents buy children products from a lot of places, I will look about the town for different shops that sell children’s products and also I will search the internet and look at sites such as the ELC and Argos. What products are already on the market that you feel are already successful? I am going to look on the major children products websites and have a look at their best sellers and their least sellers so I have an idea which products sell well and which don’t. I am then going to decide which product I feel are already successful

3. Task Analysis Continued! What type of materials are used for children’s products There are a load of different materials used on children products so I am going to look on the internet at the most common material used and the least common and compare the differences between them. What type of colour palette is used? I am going to research colour palettes on the internet as I don’t yet know what a colour palette is, but once I know I will find out what type of colour palette is used on children products. How do children play, on the ground? Look around them? The way each child plays is different; many children would prefer to play on the ground or many at a table depending on the age of the child. I am going to look into how different children plays by searching the internet and looking at different investigations people have done looking into the subject. How do they respond to there environment? The way a child responds to their environment is different, every child is different. I am going to look again on the internet at different peoples answers to this question and their reasoning behind the answer so I get a better understanding of how a child plays. What brand leaders of children products are out there that are successful and why do I think that they are successful? There are many brand leaders that are successful such as Graco and ELCs own brand. I need to look at more different brands to get a better idea of who is more successful and then I can then decide why I think they are successful by looking at all there products. What techniques, materials, what modern technologies that are safe could I use to make a child’s product? I am going to research this on the internet so I can have a better idea of what I can use and what I can’t and what I think will most suit my product and the one that is the most safe to use. Once I have researched this I am going to try some of the techniques out to find out which one I prefer and which ones I don’t. What type of book characters, poems, and nursery rhymes do children respond to? I am going to look at the website “Cbeebies” as they have a range of nursery rhymes which children like, I am also going to ask small children in my family and on my street what is the favourite nursery rhyme, book character and poems. I am going to take this into account and research more to do with those characters, poems and nursery rhymes so I get a better idea of why they like them. What famous children’s writers are out there and why are they famous? I am going to browse the internet and libraries in my local area at children’s books and see what children writers are out there. I am also going to ask the librarian if she has an idea of which writers children like the most and why she thinks they like them. I am then going to research why they are famous and how they became famous.

5. Product Analysis This product looks like it has been made from textiles apart from the wheels which are wooden. The three characters look like they are what a child would really like because of their bright colours and patterns. These characters look like they are stuffed either with polythene balls or fluff to give them a shape and a nice feel when touched. They look like they are made in different parts all sewn together at the end to make it whole. What is interesting about this toy is that it has a piece of fabric which it can be pulled along and it seems like someone has put lots of thought into making this. It is all a perfect shape, and sewn together very well as the different pieces of fabric just blend together where sewn together. This toy, I think, has been made for children around the age of 6 month to 2 years old as it has a pull string on it so, the infant may have to walk or crawl to be able to drag it along with them. This product, I think has a nature theme to it. With the greens and the animals like the frog. I like the look of this product as it is stacking cubes and every child likes these. This product, I think, has been made for children aged 6 month to 3 Years old. Also this product looks like it has got polystyrene cubes in it, so that the product looks square. The sewing on this product cannot be seen as it looks like the sewn all the material together before adding the polystyrene cube in the centre. Parts of this product looks as if it has been made out of fleece which is normally used on children’s products. Also, it looks like they have appliquéd on the frogs and letters for an added effect and for them to look neat. These cubes are all a perfect shape, and all the pieces sewn together perfectly making sure they are in the right place. I think that this product has either been massed produced using a machine as it is rather unlikely that someone will sit at a sewing machine making them when it is easier to do them by the help of a computer.

6. Child Development Introduction As I am making a child’s product, I need to understand about a child’s development and to do this I am using a Health and Social care book. This sheet is going to have information about how a child develops and what a child does at what age. Firstly at birth an infant is helpless, with little or almost no control over parts of their bodies. They have certain reflexes in their body which helps them to do certain things Such as the sucking reflex, which is exactly what it says. Grasping reflex, which an infant with curl their fingers around anything placed in their hand. Every child is unique; they develop at their own pace. Like normally for a 3 month old infant they can sit with their head held steady for a few seconds, if supported. A 9 month old can sit unsupported for ten minutes, start to move independently by rolling around or squirming, they can pull themselves into the standing position whilst holding onto something for a few moments. A 12 month old infant can get from the laying position to sitting position with no help, they crawl rapidly and they can walk by holding on to furniture and stand alone for a few moments. A 15 month infant can walk and crawl upstairs and also get to their feet alone. Intellectual development in infancy Infants are egocentric at first, this means that they see the world from their own point of view as they can’t talk or understand language so they can only learn from sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. This is why young infants around the age of 6 month to 12 month put things in their mouths. A 6 month infant that drops a toy out of its cot forgets about it as they don’t know it still exists because they can’t see it. But a 9 month old learns that objects that they cannot see are still there. Learning to talk is an important intellectual development in infancy. Frustration is common in infants and before they learn to talk they find it difficult to get their message across as they have to use eye-contact and smiling. Emotional development in infancy Emotional development relates to the way a person feels about themselves and them around them. An infant can experience a wide range of emotion by the age of two, such as a 2 year old showing jealousy to a new brother or sister. A new born enjoys having a cuddle from their parent or carer and moves whole body to express enjoyment. A 6 month old, cries and laughs when other do this, also laughs when enjoying an activity. A 2 year old, has the ability to express their feelings and become angry if they cannot express these feelings, enjoys trying out new activities and sometimes be confident and independent.

7. While I have been studying textiles I have found out that it has a lot of affect to the environment in a bad way. I have looked into these issues further and here what I have found out. Manufacturing abroad is a lot cheaper. Why? Manufacturing abroad is a lot cheaper because the people who make the products abroad are getting paid less than the people who get paid fairly in our country. When people move there factories abroad they are leaving thousands of people out of a job which will make it hard for the communities to survive . • Here are some of the designers I have found that recycle: • Luisa Cevese • Katherine Hamnett • Sally Vreseis (Fox Ltd) • Sarah Rutty • Amanda Ercol • Miguel Androver • Deborah Lindquist • Treehuggers • Pollution • From the early days of the industrial revolution, the textile industry has been seen as a major polluter of rivers. 'Dye houses at one time could easily be identified by the rainbow colours drifting downstream in the rivers which many of them still use for their water supply. Or the smell of chlorine from the bleach works. The streets of Castleford in Yorkshire were often covered in foam produced by the local scouring operations.' However, in the first decade of this century local authorities encouraged the textiles industry to connect to municipal sewerage systems. • Future legislative action will have severe consequences for industry. This will include: • wider enforcement of pollution controls; • greater chance of prosecution; • high fines and clean up costs. Organic Cotton Organic cotton is cotton that is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilisers. Organic cotton is now successfully grown in many countries with the largest producers being Turkey, India and China. 265,517 bales of organic cotton where produced in 2007 from 24 different countries. The chemicals used in producing none organic cotton pollutes the air and surface waters. • Here are some websites that have recycled products on them: • www.nixieclothing.com • www.gogreen.cellande.co.uk/direct • www.graziolin.com Evaluation In evaluating this page I have realised that the textiles industry has a big impact on the environment, Pollution is a big issue now a days and we should take it seriously. I have also realised that many people abroad get paid unfairly and should get paid fairly as it is not fair on their communities, I have also come to the conclusion that we should do something to help those people who don’t get paid fairly to get them paid fairly like Fair Trade. Also I have found a range of designers that use recycled materials which is also helping the environment, so the textiles industry isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. Environment and the Textiles Industry

8. Analysis of Research Mood Board – I have created mood board so that it would inspire my design work and my prototype. My mood board has been collated around many images associated with child’s products. I have looked at things such as children's characters and the colours associated with children, like neutral colours and light colours. The thing I like most about my mood board is all the patterns and the colours. The images I have used all seem to me to influence my thinking and designing of a child's product. Product Analysis - I have analysed two existing child’s products which I found on the internet which are different in their own ways. Both products are aimed at the same target audience. These two products have both been made from cotton, being a child friendly and durable material. The details on these two products are excellent. I have come to the decision that they both would be suitable for a child to play with. Textiles and the Environment – I have looked on the internet at a range of sites looking at the textiles industry and the effect it has on the environment. Pollution came up quite a number of times throughout the sites which must mean it is rather a large problem. Also fair trade and people abroad not getting paid fairly is a big issue in the textiles industry as many people don’t think they are getting paid fairly. In conclusion to reading all that I think that all those people who don’t get paid fairly and work in poor conditions should get paid fairly and have better conditions, conditions like the workers have in England. Child Development – I have looked into the physiological background to the group I am designing for. I found out what a child needs to be able to develop mentally properly. I also looked into the emotional development of a child. All in all, I think I found out enough stuff to help me design my product so it would suit all the child's development needs. • My Design Specification • Essential Criteria • My product should: • Be suitable for a child aged 18 month to 4 years old. • Have no pieces that a child could choke on. • Look like the my design • Be not too big and not too small • Last for up to 3 years with occasional use but about a year with daily use • Be made out of child friendly fabric • Be made on a small budget so it could get mass produced at a small price • Tell the buyer what exactly has been used and how to care for it • Desirable Criteria • My product could: • Have components that can be added to it. • Be made so it can be stored easily • Be used for learning • Be used in a school

9. Where will I look for inspiration when choosing materials? I will look on the internet and round shops for inspiration when choosing materials. I will look on the internet because there is a whole range of fashion trends. I can look round shops because there are many charity shops and fabric shops which have a whole range of fabrics Development Planning What techniques could I use on my product? I could use CAD-CAM on my work by using the machine in the textiles workshop. Also I could use appliqué, Stitch effects, Weaving, Batiking or Patchwork. I will do all these in the textiles workshop. Development tasks I will do before I make my product I need to carry out lots of technique samples, how will I do this? I will do this by using my sewing machine which I have at home and the resources at school. I will do a range of techniques such as appliqué, stencilling, patchwork, weaving, stitch effects, weaving and beading. How will I decide which fabric to use on my product? I shall look at all the different types of fabrics either in the textiles classroom or a textile shop and then decide which one my suits my product the best. I need to research what products are already on the market, how will I do this? I will do this by looking on the internet and looking round shops. I shall look on the internet because there is a lot of on-line shops and many products which are in shops. I will also look in shops so I can have a look at how they are made and have a closer look at all the detail.

10. Initial Designs A caterpillar made out of felt and fleece with detachable felt letters and eyes appliquéd on which are made of fleece. Made from fleece, cotton and felt. Appliquéd on things. Individual parts A train which will go on a wall, and the numbers are detachable

11. From my first sheet of ideas I have narrowed my drawings down to specific elements. I have drawn them up showing a whole range of techniques. The colours used on all these products are similar. There is greens, blues, reds and purples. which are bright and eye-catching for a child. All these products are wall hangings, and have detachable pieces so that the child can interact with the product. Also, these products are made out of cotton, fleece and felt. Each one using a different range of materials so it has a nice feel and the child will like to touch them.

12. I picked this design to develop because it stood out from the three designs I choose. I liked the way it has individuality and isn’t like anything currently on the market. I also chose this design as it can also be used as a height measurer if an height chart was added to it. The leaves will either be appliquéd on or made to dangle off the tree. Also these will make a crackling noise when touched. The numbers on the design are detachable. Also they are made out of either felt or fleece. Also the ladybird and bird are detachable and have different components inside of them so they either squeak or make a noise when touched or squeezed.

13. Final Design I have chosen this design as the one I am going to make. I chose this one because it appealed to me the most because of its bright colours and the shape and size. This product is aimed at children aged 18 month to 4 years old. This product is going to be made out of felt and fleece on the numbers which are attached to the main tree by the use of Velcro. The rest of the tree is going to be made out of dyed cotton. The leaves will either be appliquéd on or made to dangle off by another strip of fabric. I have chosen to use cotton, fleece and felt as they are child friendly materials and are durable and bits won’t come off of them. The main reason that I have chosen to make this design as my final piece is because I think it is the most suitable for my target age range, after carrying out research into child development I know that a young child learns through sight, sound, taste, smell and touch, a child would therefore be able to interact with my product through the use of these senses, as the child gets older they will still be able to use my product to help them with learning numbers and counting. My product could be used in a child’s bedroom or in a children’s playing space, it will be suitable to hang on the wall so it won’t take up a lot of space. I also feel that my product could be part of a range, some other products in a range could maybe include letters rather than numbers. Overall I feel that the design I have chosen is safe for children as all the fabrics used are soft and tactile, the product can also be cleaned. However in order for my product to meet the required standards for child safety, my care label would need to include the symbols shown on my manufacturing specification.

14. Researching Embellishment Techniques

15. Techniques Batik –Using a Tjanting tool I used hot melted wax to draw patterns onto white cotton fabric, once the wax had cooled and set I painted on different coloured dyes, I may use this technique for the reverse side of my tree. Tie-Dying – I tied a piece of fabric with rubber bands and dipped them into green dye to give this effect. I could use this effect on the main part of my product. Appliqué – I sewed some random bits of patterned fabric onto denim with a satin stitch, I could possibly use this technique on my final product although I feel it would work better with brighter fabrics. Weaving – I cut out strips of 2 different fabrics and weaved them together then ironed them onto interfacing to hold them in place. Stencilling – I used fabric paint, to create this pattern on fabric using a stencil to create a nice, neat effect.

16. Development of Techniques I am going to use these buttons on my product to attach the trunk to the leafy part of my tree. The round green buttons will also be used to hang my detachable leaves from. This is a smaller 2D version of what I would like the overall shape of my finished tree to be like. The background of this sample has been created using batik, I may decide to use this technique to decorate the backing fabric for my tree. This is a 2D appliquéd ladybird, which I may incorporate into my final product. This is the fabric I am going to use to make my 3D cushioned leaves. These leaves will also be detachable. These are a 2D versions of what the numbers on my final product may look like.

17. This page shows the process of making my paper pattern , which I then used to make my final product. Pattern Development First of all I drew out all the pattern pieces that would be needed to make my tree onto large sheets of paper. I labelled all the pieces so I knew what they were when it was time to pin them onto fabric. I laid the pattern pieces out on a flat surface to make sure they all looked good in the right place. I cut them all out neatly using paper scissors. This is what my finished paper pattern pieces looked like. I then used these to cut out the fabric for my product. I individually pinned the pattern pieces onto the correct fabrics, for example I pinned the pattern piece for the top of my tree on to fine cotton corduroy that I had dyed green and then cut around it using fabric shears.

18. Materials and Components • Green Fabric • Chequered Fabric • Brown Silk • Felt (different colours) • Red Fabric • Buttons • Velcro Manufacturing Specification Care Labels Working Drawing Front 58cm Back 61cm Product Specification 59cm 5cm 6 15cm 32cm • Machine and stitch settings - Straight Stitch - Satin Stitch - Embroidery Stitch • Costs • Green Fabric = £1 • Chequered Fabric = £1 • Brown Silk = £2 • Felt (different colours) = £3 • Velcro = £1 • Buttons = 50p • Fabric for ladybird = 30p • Overall = £8.80 Children’s Toy safety information KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE My product being aimed at 18 month year olds being the youngest, I have taken into consideration what may be harmful towards the child. So, I have got no sharp edges within my product, my product also doesn’t contain any small components which will come off easily such as buttons and the Velcro is securely attached so it will not cause any harm towards the child. All fabrics used are child friendly, such as; cotton, felt and chord. All detachable items don’t contain any small components such as buttons that may cause harm to the child, so these are definitely safe.

19. Flow Chart Of Making Are all the parts there? Check! Make a paper pattern for the product you are going to make Make sure they are the same size as the pattern pieces Assemble the tree Pin number pattern pieces onto fabric and cut them out Check that the measurements are correct Sew Velcro onto numbers Make sure they are the correct size Do they all fit together perfectly? Pin the pattern pieces for the main part of the tree onto fabric. Make sure the velcro are secure Make the leaves Pin, tack and machine sew pieces together Are they all the right way? Pin, tack and machine sew the numbers Make sure its secure Cut fabric into the size’s needed for the tree Is it the same size as the pattern piece? Check! Make sure they are the right size and shape Pin, tack and machine sew Ladybird together Check that you have all the pieces Cut the patterned fabric to the size needed Cut out fabrics for the ladybird Make sure they are the right size

20. Production plan

21. Production Plan Part 2

22. Testing and Modification From the grading of my chart I have asked several people and this is what the outcome was. It scored high on fit for purpose and it isn’t as durable as I thought it would be. The flammability of the product lets the product down as it is highly flammable, a way of making sure it is less flammable is to spray it with flammability spray. It is suitable for the age group I designed it to be for, there is no loose components or anything that could be harmful towards a child. The score given for it been folded and stored well could be improved by making it more flexible and smaller. Also the lifetime of the product could be improved by making it more economic. The value for money on this product is good as, many schools could use this in the class room to help the child learn their numbers from 1 – 10. Modification suggestions I could make my tree simpler by changing all the detail on the leaves and by not adding a Ladybird, just having numbers. The back of the tree is simple enough, as it only has two buttons on there making it simple. I could improve my tree by using different colours of fabric to give it a brighter funkier look. I could also add more different things such as birds and other creatures that live in a tree to make it look a tad more attractive. Also, I could add more decorative items onto the tree, to create a more eye-catching effect.

23. Photos of Making Here a photo diary that shows some of the different stages of making my product such as; cutting out the numbers and putting everything together.

24. Finished Product

25. Customer Appraisal Questionnaire for Public I have created this questionnaire given it to a few people who have children within the age group I have designed my product for. Here is a copy of one of the questionnaires I received back; What do you think to this product as a child’s product? I think that this product is a very good child’s product and will be suitable for a child. Would you buy this product to help your child with their learning of numbers? Yes, this would help my child to learn their numbers 1-10. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being poor 10 being excellent) what would you rate this product? 9 Do you think this product is safe enough to be given to a child? Yes, I would give this to my child as there isn’t any components that may be harmful to my child if they fell off. What are you opinions on the way the product looks? I think that this is a very attractive product. It is eye-catching and any child would want to play with it. If you saw this product in a shop, would you buy it for your child? Yes I would buy this for my child, I think that this looks like a fun product which my child will enjoy What are your overall opinion of this product? Overall, I think that this is a very good product that I would happily buy for my child. I also think my child would love this, as the bright colours which stand out against the tree make it look attractive and the children wouldn’t resist the temptation to play with it. One mother of a 2 year old said “ This product would help my child lots with learning numbers in a fun way.” Another said “ I would buy this and keep it for if I have any other children, it can help children lots in their development.”

26. Final Evaluation Whilst making my product I found the construction easier, as this was my second time making a product in this length of time. The numbers proved to be the most difficult part of my product as I kept on sewing them together wrong so they were the wrong way round. I used a sewing machine mainly to sew all my pieces together but I hand sewed parts which couldn’t be done on a machine without them looking tacky. I think that if this was applied to a manufacturing process I wouldn’t need to simplify my product as it doesn’t have that much detail on it. The samples I made before hand helped me decide whether or not to use them on my prototype because I knew if they would look good or not. I did consider changing my design whilst I was making the prototype and I did change the changes I wanted to make but they were just little things such as adding more detail to the leaves and having them hanging from buttons instead of pieces of felt. The research I did before making my product helped me as I got to see what products were already out on the market and what types of things appealed to the children the most. The bits which proved most useful was when I found out what people wanted for their children and what children liked the most. I thought that the research I did before helped improve my design work as I knew what types of things would mainly appeal to children aged 18 month to 4 years. Whilst designing my product I found it was rather easy but other parts of the designing process where hard. I drew many ideas at first and chose three that I liked the most. These three ideas I drew bigger and added more detail then chose the one that appealed the most to me and the age group I would be designing for. My final design, I drew up adding more detail and drew it against a wall as it is a wall hanging to be hung somewhere in the house. My design sheets show a resemblance to my finished product, I tried my best to keep my product as similar to my design as I could, and I think I managed it apart from I made the trunk of the tree shorter and the top part bigger so it would look more proportionate. I also changed the way the leaves looked and were attached, I ended up attaching them with buttons and the design on them were different and more decorative. Whenever I design another product I shall make my product look more like my design and try stick to my design exactly. My finished prototype, I think looks good and is really eye catching. Other people thought that my finished prototype was “really attractive and bright colours stand out” Also “the stitching is of a excellent quality”. My product is like I wanted it to be in my design specification and it suits the needs of children. I followed my specification briefly as I knew what I wanted it to be like in my head. I did research before I started my prototype in to child development and how that can be affected by the world around us. I took into consideration, what a child needs to develop mentally and then decided this was a way that would help them. It would also help them to learn as well as my product can be used as a learning tool within a school.