A Home-Sewing Revival: The Return of Clothkits – IELTS Reading

IELTS applicants who practise consistently can earn the highest possible scores on the IELTS Reading module. To do so successfully, you must be able to approach and respond to various question types, such as those found in A Home-Sewing Revival: The Return of Clothkits in IELTS Cambridge 18 Academic Reading Test 2

The IELTS General passages, A Home-Sewing Revival: The Return of Clothkits are reading passages that are part of the latest Cambridge IELTS series. Try to find the answers to get an idea of the difficulty level of the passages in the actual reading test. If you want more passages to solve, try taking one of our IELTS reading practice tests.

There are 13 questions in total in the Reading Answers of ‘A Home-Sewing Revival: The Return of Clothkits.’ You must comprehend the subject, identify important terms in the IELTS reading passages, and then respond to the instructions.

The question types found in – A Home-Sewing Revival: The Return of Clothkits passage are:

• Matching information (Q. 1-4)
• Multiple-choice questions (Q. 5-8)
• Summary Completion (9-13)

Reading Passage 

A Home-Sewing Revival: The Return of Clothkits

In the 1970s, Clothkits revolutionised home sewing. Later, a woman from Sussex, England, revived the nostalgic brand and brought it up to date.

1. ‘I can’t remember many of the clothes I wore before I was six, but I have a vivid memory of a certain skirt whose patterns I can still trace in my mind. It was wraparound, with a belt that threaded through itself, decorated with cats in two shades of green. I wore it with a knitted red jersey my mum bought in a jumble sale, and brown sandals with flowers cut into the toes. It was 1979, and I was not yet five. I forgot about that skirt for a long time, but when a girlfriend mentioned the name Clothkits while we were chatting, it was as if a door suddenly opened on a moment in the past that resonated with vivid significance for me.’ The brand, founded in 1968, had by the late 1980s mostly vanished from people’s lives, but by a combination of determination and luck Kay Mawer brought it back.
2. Clothkits was created by the designer Anne Kennedy, who came up with the ingenious idea of printing a pattern straight on to coloured fabric so that a paper pattern was not needed. It was accompanied by instructions that almost anyone could follow on how to cut the pieces out and sew them together. ‘I was rebelling against the formulaic lines of textile design at that time,’ Kennedy says. ‘My interest was in folk art and clothes that were simple to make as I had lots of unfinished sewing disasters in my cupboard.’ Clothkits has always embodied the spirit of the late 1960s and 1970s. Its initial design was a dress in a geometric stripe in orange, pink, turquoise and purple. It cost 25 shillings (£1.25), and after it was featured in the Observer newspaper, Kennedy received more than £2,000 worth of orders. She ran the company from Lewes in Sussex, where at its peak it employed more than 400 people, selling to 44 countries worldwide. Sew-your—own kits formed the core of the business, supplemented by knitwear. Kennedy’s children demonstrated the patterns by wearing them in photographs.
3. Kennedy sold the company in the late 1980s. There had been a few administrative problems with postal strikes and a new computer system, which back then took up an entire room, ‘but the times were changing as well,’ she says. ‘More women were going out to work and sewing less for their children.’ She sold the company to one of her suppliers, who then sold it on to Freeman’s, which ran Clothkits alongside its own brand for a while, using Kennedy’s impressive database, but its ethos as a big, corporate company did not sit well alongside the alternative and artistic values of Clothkits. In 1991, Clothkits was made dormant, and there the story might have ended, were it not for Mawer’s fascination with discovering what happened to Clothkits.
4. Mawer’s mother bought her a sewing machine when she was ten and taught her basic pattern-cutting and garment construction, encouraging her to experiment With colour and design by trial and error. The first garment Mawer made was a pair of trousers, which she made by tracing around an existing pair of trousers. in her late twenties, she spent five years working on digital and sculptural installations. ‘It was an amazing, mind-expanding experience, but I knew it was unlikely I could make a living as a practising artist. I was definitely looking for a way that I could work in a creative industry with a commercial edge.’ The experience inspired Mawer to return to education, studying for a degree in fine art at the University of Chichester. Her passion for vintage fabric, which her mother had encouraged her to start collecting, led her back to Clothkits, and from there to a journey into the heart of Freeman’s. Negotiations with the company took 18 months, but in October 2007 Clothkits was hers.
5. The ethos of Clothkits remains the same, and Mawer is proud that her fabric is printed either in London or the north of England, and that packaging is kept to an absolute minimum. ‘I wanted to feel that everyone involved in the brand, from design to production, was part of a process I could witness. I couldn’t see the point of manufacturing on the other side of the world, as that’s not what Clothkits has ever been about.’ The revival of Clothkits has also, of course, coincided with a growing sense of dissatisfaction at our disposable society, and the resulting resurgence of interest in skills such as sewing and knitting. Making your own clothes gives you a greater appreciation of the craftsmanship in the construction of a garment,’ Mawer says. ‘When you know the process involved in making a skirt, you treasure it in a way you wouldn’t if you’d bought it from a mass-producing manufacturer.

Questions 1-4

1. mention of Mawer’s desire to oversee all the stages of her business
2. reference to changing employment patterns among the general population
3. the date when Clothkits was originally established as a product
4. the benefits of sewing a garment and then wearing it

Questions 5-8

5. in Paragraph A, the writer says that Kay Mawer was reminded about Clothkits by

1. a shop she visited.
2. a purchase she made.
3. an outfit someone was wearing.
4. a conversation with someone she knew.

6. What does the reader learn about Clothkits in the 1960s and 1970s?

1. its designs represented the attitudes of the time.
2. its products were only affordable for the wealthy.
3. its creator tried many times to launch her company.
4. its management was spread across numerous countries.

7. Why did Clothkits close in 1991?

1. There were unexpected staffing problems.
2. The funding for sewing activities was inadequate.
3. Freeman’s was an unsuitable partner.
4. Records on Kennedy’s database were lost.

8. What point does the writer make in Paragraph E?

1. Clothkits will reach more markets than in the past.
2. Clothkits will need bigger premises than in the past.
3. People are more concerned about throwing away items than in the past.
4. People do less sewing now than in the past.

Questions 9-13

The early days of Clothkits

Clothkits was started by a designer named Anne Kennedy. Her clothing company specialised in selling 9_______ with a pattern printed on it. This came with 10______, which meant that buyers were able to make their own garments. The very first garment Anne Kennedy made was a multi-coloured striped dress with a 11______ pattern. A 12______ article led to many orders for this from around the world. As the company grew, she increased her workforce and also sold 13______ as part of her business. She exhibited her designs using her children as models.

Answers For A Home-Sewing Revival: The Return of Clothkits IELTS Reading Passage With Location and Explanation 

Read further for the explanations and location of the responses in A Home-Sewing Revival: The Return of Clothkits IELTS reading answers!

1. Answer: E

Question type: Matching Information

Answer Location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: The paragraph states that Mawer wanted to feel involved in every aspect of the Clothkits brand, from design to production, to ensure that everyone involved was part of a process she could witness. Hence the answer is E.

2. Answer: C

Question type: Matching Information

Answer Location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: This is mentioned in paragraph C, where it discusses how more women were entering the workforce in the late 1980s, leading to fewer of them sewing for their children. Hence, the answer is B.

3. Answer: A

Question type: Matching Information

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: In this paragraph, we can find the information on the year that Clothkits was founded, which is in 1968. Hence, the answer is A.

4. Answer: E

Question type: Matching Information

Answer Location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: Here, Mawer talks about the greater appreciation people have for handmade garments and the craftsmanship involved when they are involved in the process of making their own clothes. Hence, the answer is E.

5. Answer: D

Question type: Multiple choice questions

Answer Location: Paragraph A

Answer explanation: The paragraph A, mentions that Mawer remembered Clothkits when a girlfriend mentioned the name while they were chatting. Hence the answer is D

6. Answer: A

Question type: Multiple choice questions

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: The reader learns that Clothkits embodied the spirit of the late 1960s and 1970s, as mentioned in paragraph B. Its designs represented the attitudes of the time. Hence the answer is A.

7. Answer: C

Question type: Multiple-choice questions

Answer Location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: The closure of Clothkits in 1991 is explained in paragraph C. It closed because its ethos as an alternative and artistic brand didn’t align with the big, corporate values of Freeman’s, its new owner. Hence the answer is C.

8. Answer: C

Question type: Multiple-choice questions

Answer Location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: The revival of Clothkits coincided with a growing dissatisfaction with our disposable society, leading to a resurgence of interest in skills like sewing and knitting. This reflects a concern about throwing away items rather than treasuring them, which is emphasized by Mawer’s statement about the appreciation of handmade garments. Hence the answer to this question is C.

9. Answer: Fabric

Question type: Summary completion

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: The word ‘fabric’ is implied in the sentence ‘printing a pattern straight onto colored fabric’ in the mentioned describes the innovative method used by Clothkits to provide patterns directly on fabric for sewing. Hence the answer is fabric.

10. Answer: Instructions

Question type: Summary completion

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: The answer is mentioned in the sentence ‘It was accompanied by instructions that almost anyone could follow’. This describes the guidance provided along with the fabric patterns by Clothkits. Hence, the answer is instructions.

11. Answer: Geometric

Question type: Summary completion

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: The word ‘geometric’ is mentioned in the sentence ‘Its initial design was a dress in a geometric stripe.’ This describes the design of one of Clothkits’ early products. Hence the answer is geometric.

12. Answer: Newspaper

Question type: Summary completion

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: The word ‘newspaper’ is mentioned in ‘after it was featured in the Observer newspaper’ in paragraph B. This refers to the media coverage that led to a surge in orders for Clothkits’ products. Hence, the answer is newspaper.

13. Answer: Knitwear

Question type: Summary completion

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: The answer is found in paragraph B in the sentence ‘after it was featured in the Observer newspaper.’ This refers to the media coverage that led to a surge in orders for Clothkits’ products. Hence, the answer is knitwear.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in A Home-Sewing Revival: The Return of Clothkits IELTS Reading Passage

Let us check out some quick tips to answer the types of questions in – A Home-Sewing Revival: The Return of Clothkits Reading passage.

Matching Information: 

Matching Information is a type of IELTS reading question that requires you to match a list of information to the correct people, places, or things in a passage.

To answer matching information questions, you can use the following strategies:

• Read the given information first: This will give you an idea of the types of information that you are looking for in the passage.
• Read the passage quickly: This will give you a general understanding of the content of the passage.
• Match the information to the people, places, or things: As you read the passage, look for the information that matches each feature.
• Check your answers: Once you have matched all of the features, double-check your answers to make sure that they are correct.

Multiple Choice Questions:

You will be given a reading passage followed by several questions based on the information in the paragraph in multiple choice questions. Your task is to understand the question and compare it to the paragraph in order to select the best solution from the available possibilities.

• Before reading the passage, read the question and select the keywords. Check the keyword possibilities if the question statement is short on information.
• Then, using the keywords, read the passage to find the relevant information.
• To select the correct option, carefully read the relevant words and match them with each option.
• You will find several options with keywords that do not correspond to the information.
• Try opting for the elimination method mostly.
• Find the best option by matching the meaning rather than just the keywords.

Summary Completion:

Summary Completion is a type of IELTS reading question that requires you to fill in a gap in a sentence with a word or phrase from the passage.

To answer these questions, you can use the following strategies:

• Read the sentence carefully: This will give you an idea of the type of word or phrase that is missing.
• Scan the passage for the keywords: The keywords in the sentence can help you to identify the correct word or phrase.
• Read the sentence with the missing word or phrase: This will help you to see how the word or phrase fits into the sentence.
• Check your answer: Once you have filled in the gap, make sure that your answer makes sense in the context of the sentence.

Great work on attempting to solve the ‘A Home-Sewing Revival: The Return of Clothkits’ IELTS reading passages! To crack your IELTS Reading in the first go, try solving more of the recent IELTS Reading passages.

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