Lower Key Stage 2 British Clothing 1066 to Present Day
Block Printing

Learn about the history of block printing and the block printed cottons of the 18th century. Learn about the block printing technique and print your own fabric. Study the textile industry machines of the 18th century and the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Finish the block by making an attractive wall hanging from your hand designed and block printed fabric.

Session 1 Making a print block

Objectives

History

  • Study an aspect or theme in British history (clothing) that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.

Design and Technology

  • Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high quality prototypes and products.

Lesson Planning

Learn about the history of block printing and block printed cottons of the 18th Century; design an image and convert your design to a print block.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • Learn the early history of Block Printed textiles, how British printers took up the craft from the 1600s and how this led to the fashion for printed cotton clothes from the 18th century onwards.
  • Design and make a print block from craft foam and card that reflects their interests and personality.

Children will:

  • Learn the history of block printing and how block printed cottons came to be used for clothes in the 18th century.
  • Design an image for a print block that reflects their interests and personality.
  • Convert their design to a print block using craft foam and mount it on cardboard ready to use for printing next session.

You Will Need

  • Sheets of craft foam
  • Drawing paper
  • Blunt pencils or pencil crayons
  • Variety of circular objects (e.g. lids of pots, tubs and jars)
  • Thick cardboard
  • Undiluted PVA, glue pots and brushes

Session 2 Block printing on fabric

Objectives

History

  • Study an aspect or theme in British history (clothing) that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.

Design and Technology

  • Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high quality prototypes and products.

Lesson Planning

Find out about the mass production of printed cottons in the 18th Century; learn about the block printing technique and print your own fabric; learn about the craft of patchwork and design a patchwork block; evaluate your fabric block print.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • Learn how hand block printing gave way to machine roller printing in the 18th century and how this led to mass produced printed cottons which became more affordable.
  • Learn the craft of block printing through practise on paper and then print their own fabric rectangle using the foam print block they created last session.

Children will:

  • Recap on their learning on block printing by doing a word puzzle.
  • Discover how new inventions in roller printing enabled mass production of printed cottons in the 18th century.
  • Learn the technique of block printing and print their own fabric using the foam print block they created last session.
  • Learn how the craft of patchwork evolved as cotton prints became more affordable in the 18th century.
  • Design a patchwork block using paper “fabric prints” and tessellating shapes.
  • Discuss and evaluate their fabric block prints.

Provided Resources

  • Managing fabric printing in the classroom,
  • Fabric printing word puzzle grid,
  • Paper patchwork design task
  • Patchwork template
  • Fabric printing word puzzle
  • Block printing on fabric

You Will Need

  • Painting overalls for half the class
  • Fabric paint
  • A large selection of plain cotton or polycotton rectangles in different colours
  • Paint brushes
  • Print blocks (created last session)
  • Old newspapers
  • A4 scrap paper
  • Art sponges
  • Selection of paper printed with fabric prints
  • Selection of coloured paper

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

Session 3 Making a block print wall hanging

Objectives

History

  • Study an aspect or theme in British history (clothing) that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.

Design and Technology

  • Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high quality prototypes and products.

Lesson Planning

Discover the textile industry machines of the 18th Century and the onset of the Industrial Revolution; make an attractive wall hanging from your hand designed and block printed fabric.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • Discover the textile industry machines of the 18th Century and the onset of the Industrial Revolution; make an attractive wall hanging from your hand designed and block printed fabric.
  • Learn how to hem fabric by first pinning and then sewing a folded raw edge and to use this skill to make an attractive wall hanging from a piece of hand designed and block printed fabric.

Children will:

  • Learn how the invention of machines in the textile industry in the 18th century led to the onset of the Industrial Revolution and how this change affected the lives of textile workers.
  • Learn to pin and hem the raw edges of their fabric in running stitch.
  • Sew a casing for a wooden rod to hang the printed fabric and attach a length of yarn to complete the project.
  • Reflect on the making process and the outcome.

You Will Need

  • Named plastic zip wallet for each child
  • Fabric printed by the children in session 2
  • A sewing needle and thread for each child
  • Sections of 1 x 1 cm spar wood
  • Lengths of thick woollen yarn or string (approx. 60cm)
  • Long pins with plastic ends (at least 12 per child)
  • A small container to store pins (e.g. petri dish or jam jar lid)

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.