Textile tech pack freelancer in Vietnam

What construction details need to be in an apparel tech pack?

The construction page instructs the sewers how to sew the garment together. It includes pictures with a table. The pictures will have call-outs labeled with numbers that correspond to the list in the table. The pictures can be technical sketches or actual photos. The list of information includes garment construction details for seams, zippers, buttons, embroidery, velcro, flaps, collars and pockets. The information specifically addresses what type of garment technology (like stitches, bonding, etc.) are used.

The operations column in the table refers to sewing operations which means joining different parts of garments with the use of needle and thread or adhesive. An operation refers to the sewing action the seamstress will perform. For example, the call-out will point to the collar and the operation is called topstitch on collar. A call-out will indicate how two pieces of fabric should be joined together. The call-out can also indicate how trims are sewn on to fabric etc.

The stitches column indicates the type of stitch, the width of the stitch and the number of stitches per inch (SPI). There are more than 70 different types of stitches. Common stitches are:

• Chain Stitch
• Lock Stitch
• Blind Stitch
• Over-edge Stitch
• Safety Stitch
• Flatlock Stitch

If you know the width and stitches per inch (SPI) then include them too.

I recommend either letting the factory choose the stitching or hire a professional to educate you and then you tell the factory exactly what stitches you want. If you don’t tell the factory what stitches to use they will choose and you can’t complain if they choose poorly.

Vietnam Insider Tip - Coats is a brand of threads and yarns. They have a great webpage that illustrates common stitches. Check it out if you want to dig in deeper.

The next column is seams. There are four basic kinds of seams: plain seams, french seams, flat seams and lapped seams.

A plain seam joins two pieces of fabric together face-to-face by sewing through both pieces, leaving a seam allowance with raw edges inside.

A french seam joins two pieces of fabric with wrong sides together, then the seam allowances are trimmed and pressed. A second seam is sewn with right sides together, enclosing the raw edges of the original seam.

A flat seam joins two pieces of fabric edge-to-edge with no overlap and is sewn with hand or machine stitching that encloses the raw edges.

A lapped seam joins two overlapped layers with the wrong side of the top layer laid against the right side of the lower layer.

Head spinning yet? My mind shutdown after the plain seam. Point is, let the professional tech packer guide you and don’t hope that the factory will get it right. Check out this textile course if you want to DIY.

Be sure to include the seam allowances so everyone knows what will be acceptable during quality control checks.