{"id":175,"date":"2026-09-03T05:50:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T21:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gibornapparel.com\/knitwear-sampling-process-explained\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T05:50:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T21:50:36","slug":"knitwear-sampling-process-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gibornapparel.com\/th\/knitwear-sampling-process-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0e01\u0e23\u0e30\u0e1a\u0e27\u0e19\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e17\u0e33\u0e15\u0e31\u0e27\u0e2d\u0e22\u0e48\u0e32\u0e07\u0e1c\u0e49\u0e32\u0e16\u0e31\u0e01: \u0e08\u0e32\u0e01 Tech Pack \u0e2a\u0e39\u0e48\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e2d\u0e19\u0e38\u0e21\u0e31\u0e15\u0e34"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sampling is where most knitwear projects are won or lost. A sample that is approved too quickly produces a bulk run full of surprises. A sample that drags through six revision rounds burns a season. Understanding what actually happens between sending a tech pack and approving a sample lets you move faster without giving up control.<\/p>\n

Here is the process from the factory side, with the parts that usually cause delay flagged.<\/p>\n

Stage 1: Tech Pack Review<\/h2>\n

Before anything is cut, the factory reads your tech pack looking for gaps and contradictions. Common ones: measurements that do not close, a fabric specified by a name that maps to three different qualities, trims with no supplier or colour reference, and construction notes that are physically possible but not repeatable at volume.<\/p>\n

This review takes a day or two and is the highest-value step in the whole process. Every question resolved here saves a revision round later. If a factory sends your tech pack straight to the sample room without comment, that is not efficiency — it means nobody read it critically.<\/p>\n

What speeds this up:<\/strong> a tech pack with a measurement chart including tolerances, a fabric spec with GSM and composition, and photographs or a physical reference for anything ambiguous.<\/p>\n

Stage 2: Fabric Sourcing and Preparation<\/h2>\n

If the required fabric is in stock, this stage is short. If it needs to be knitted or dyed to your specification, it is often the longest single element of the sampling timeline — mills run to their own schedules.<\/p>\n

The fabric then has to be relaxed and pre-shrunk before cutting. Skipping this is a common shortcut at sample stage, and it is why some samples fit perfectly and the bulk does not: the sample was cut from unrelaxed fabric.<\/p>\n

What speeds this up:<\/strong> accepting a stock fabric base for the first sample and reserving custom development for the second round, once fit is settled. At Giborn Apparel<\/strong> core fabric bases are held in inventory precisely so first samples do not wait on a mill.<\/p>\n

Stage 3: Pattern Making<\/h2>\n

A pattern maker converts your measurement chart into pattern pieces, accounting for the specific stretch and recovery of the chosen fabric. This is craft work and it is where in-house capability shows: a factory that outsources patterns adds days to every revision.<\/p>\n

Knitwear patterns are not directly transferable between fabrics. The same measurement chart in a stable interlock and a soft brushed fleece needs different pattern allowances, which is why changing fabric after fit approval usually means re-checking fit.<\/p>\n

Stage 4: Prototype Sewing<\/h2>\n

The first physical garment. It is sewn by sample-room machinists rather than the production line, which means it can be made to a higher standard than bulk. Good factories flag this rather than hide it — if a construction detail is only achievable in the sample room, you need to know before you order 3,000 pieces.<\/p>\n

Typical duration to this point:<\/strong> 5–10 days for a standard sample using an available fabric base. 10–20 days where custom fabric, complex construction or unusual trims are involved.<\/p>\n

Stage 5: Review and Revision<\/h2>\n

You receive the sample and assess fit, hand feel, colour, construction and finishing. Then the revision rounds begin. Realistically:<\/p>\n