It was fantastic to welcome a group of students from Nottingham Trent University to the FCFTA Leicester on Thursday 8th December for a technical residency.
Technical residencies are a great way to combine a mix of practical sessions and education. These sessions can be tailor made to suit the needs of the learners.
This 3-hour residency kicked off with an overview of sourcing strategies provided by Fashion-Enter Ltd Deputy CEO Jackie Bertram, this covered topics such as; Made in the UK, setting a sourcing strategy and key considerations.
Following this the group went on to the practical element. The Academy is fully equipped with cutting tables and a great assortment of industrial sewing machines. Under the careful instruction of Sewing Tutor, Zarina, the students learnt how to sew using the overlock and lock stitch industrial machines.
They were provided with the option to make a tote bag, top, sweatshirt or joggers – and were shown how to expertly construct them using a multiple of machines. The results were fantastic and it’s incredible to see what can be achieved in just a few hours.
Feedback from the group included:
“I learnt how sourcing strategies work and how factories work.”
“I learnt how to use the machines – flatbed and lock stitch.”
“I found out about sourcing methods – it was a fun day.”