Centered Tucks
Technique: Centered 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. Centered tucks are “tucks with two folds made by centering each tuck over its seam.” (Wolff, pp. 150-1, 155-6)
Materials: Cotton print cloth (Testfabrics) 400M, bleached, not washed
Spacing/Size: Parallel tucks 1” apart across the fabric
Folding Methods: Ironing along the fold in the correct direction
Anchoring methods: Machine stitching, size 80 needle, white cotton thread, 1/2” from fold
Notes and Reflections: Advantages, Disadvantages, Ideas, Evaluations
• After stitching the tuck, finger press it in each direction, insert a knitting needle to open the “tunnel”, then flatten with an iron aligning the original fold with the stitched seam
• This can be left pressed (as in the left hand three tucks on this sample) or top-stitching in place with the stitching sitting atop the original seam
Advantages:
• Highly structured
• Makes the fabric really thick when placed close to each other
• Looks like vertical window blinds
• Would allow for a lot of material to be taken up but then pressed very flat, distributing the thickness across the surface more evenly
Disadvantages:
• Requires a lot of fabric when placed closely
• Difficult to press in place accurately at the ends where the fabric tends to draw in
Ideas for Exploration:
• Test on striped fabrics to place color differentially underneath/behind the tucks