Clothes—How Things are Made Class 5 Evs Chapter 8 CBSE Notes 2025-26

Look closely around you and you will notice that nature is full of skilled artists, from birds building nests to spiders spinning webs. Animals, birds, and insects weave, stitch, and design various things in their environment. Humans have learned from these natural artists and developed their own ways to create patterns with threads. This chapter helps us understand weaving, stitching, the origins of fabrics, and crafts passed down through generations.

The baya weaverbird is famous for weaving strong, pouch-shaped nests from grass strands. The nests are made by carefully moving strands over and under each other, creating secure homes for their eggs. Nature also gives us examples like the tailorbird, which skillfully stitches leaves together using plant fibres or even spider silk, much like a tailor uses a needle and thread.

Weaving is the process of combining strips or threads of material to create a fabric. It involves two sets of threads: one placed vertically (warp) and the other horizontally (weft). These threads cross each other to form items such as mats, baskets, and cloth. Many traditional objects are woven from coconut fibre, palm reeds, bamboo, grass, jute, cotton, or silk.

• Mats and baskets use weaving of natural materials.
• Old muslin from India was so fine it was called ‘woven air’.

India has been known for its weaving skills for over 4,000 years. Traditional weaving is done on handlooms, making unique fabrics called handloom fabrics. Famous weaving traditions include Kanjeevaram from Tamil Nadu, Pashmina from Kashmir, and Ikat from Odisha and Gujarat. The handloom sector employs millions and is crucial for many rural artisans and families.

Threads are made from fibres. Cotton balls can be pulled and twisted to make a strong strand. This twisting is known as spinning. Spinning wheels, or charkhas, are used for this purpose. The thin strands before spinning are called fibres. Mahatma Gandhi promoted spinning and weaving khadi (home-spun cloth) as a step towards self-reliance during the Independence struggle.

Fibres can come from natural or synthetic sources.

• Natural fibres: bamboo, cotton, linen, silk, and wool. Cotton is grown in fields; silk is produced from cocoons of silk moths by gently pulling the thread from the cocoons; wool comes from animals like sheep and goats.
• Synthetic fibres: rayon, nylon, polyester, and terylene are made from chemicals in factories. We use objects made from both types in our daily life. India is the largest producer of jute, a key natural fibre.

Silk is made from the silk moth’s cocoon. The life cycle has several steps:

1. Silkworm eggs are laid.
2. Eggs hatch into caterpillars.
3. Caterpillars eat leaves, grow big, and then spin cocoons around themselves.
4. An adult moth emerges from the cocoon, and the cycle begins again.

Children can try weaving paper strips by the over-under method to make simple mats, then try with other materials like string or ribbon. Looking at cloth under a magnifying glass can reveal its criss-cross woven pattern. Stitching is another key skill—using a needle and thread, a running stitch is made by going up and down in a straight line through the fabric, joining pieces together.

• Running stitch is the basic form of stitching.
• Stitching can join fabrics or decorate them.

Care should be taken while stitching. Needles should be used under adult supervision and with caution to avoid injuries.

Decoration through stitching is called embroidery. India has many beautiful traditional embroideries, each telling a story of its place and people. Here are some examples:

Old clothes are rarely thrown away in India. They are reused, recycled, passed down, or even cut and stitched to make new items like quilts. Some special types of cotton, such as Kala cotton, require no chemicals or extra water, making them eco-friendly.

Handloom weaving is also environmentally friendly as it does not use electricity and supports thousands of families. The Patola saree from Gujarat takes up to one year to weave, showing the skill and patience of Indian weavers.

Students are encouraged to examine different fabric samples and note their feel, thickness, shine, stretchiness, and possible material. This helps in recognising fabric types and their qualities in everyday life.

Reflect on how old cloth is recycled at home, why every thread matters in fabric strength, and what tools are used by tailors or weavers. Finding out which local crafts and weaves are popular helps preserve India’s textile heritage and family traditions.

Class 5 EVS Chapter 8 Notes – Patterns with Threads for Quick Revision

Get all the important key points, facts, and activities from CBSE Class 5 EVS Chapter 8 – Patterns with Threads, designed to help you revise quickly and remember key concepts. Handloom traditions, types of fibres, and Indian crafts are explained in a simple way for quick understanding. These notes make last-minute revision and classroom learning much easier for students.

From life cycles of silk moths to the importance of recycling, these revision notes cover every topic with explanations, lists, and tables. Use them to make your exam preparation smoother and to get a thorough understanding of weaving, stitching, and the origins of fabrics in our daily life.