Blind Tucks
Technique: Blind Tucks
"Tucks are parallel folds pulled up from the surface of the fabric and held by stitching from one end of the fabric to the other. Blind tucks overlap each other covering the stitching and the intervals between them." (Wolff, p.150, 151, 155)
Materials: Cotton print cloth (Testfabrics) 400M, bleached, not washed
Spacing/Size: Parallel tucks 3/4” apart across the fabric
Folding Methods: Ironing along the fold in the correct direction
Anchoring methods: Machine stitching, size 80 needle, white cotton thread,1/4” from fold
Notes and Reflections: Advantages, Disadvantages, Ideas, Evaluations
• Blind tucks are actually harder to get straight and parallel than the pin or spaced tucks
• My tactic of ironing all of the folds first, and then re-folding each one in turn to stitch it, did not work perfectly at all—the lines wobble and the overlaps clearly vary
• This requires a better strategy—maybe mark directly on the fabric first?
Advantages:
• Makes the fabric thick and sturdy
• Offers great opportunities for twisting
• Makes stripes three-dimensional
Disadvantages:
• Requires a lot of fabric (most is taken up in the very close set tucks)
• Difficult to control and make straight
• Requires extra time and attention for more tucks
Ideas for Exploration:
• Potential for using with striped fabric and pressing the tucks to stand out perpendicular to the fabric surface for an interesting three-dimensional effect
• Could create marks or images hidden underneath or peeking out from beneath the tucks
• Make larger tucks and use on larger scale
• Make tucks more uneven
• Use contrasting thread to add lines