Spaced Tucks
Technique: Spaced 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. Spaced tucks are identical in width and visibly spaced an identical distance apart." (Wolff, p. 150, 151, 155)
Materials: Cotton print cloth (Testfabrics) 400M, bleached, not washed
Spacing/Size: Parallel tucks 1” apart from fold to fold. Stitching ¼” from the edge of the folds
Folding Methods: Ironing along the fold in the correct direction before stitching
Anchoring methods: Machine stitching, size 80 needle, white cotton thread, 1/4” from fold
Notes and Reflections: Advantages, Disadvantages, Ideas, Evaluations
• Tucks need to be measured accurately and line up with the grain of the fabric, or they will begin to distort the fabric by pulling along the bias
• Since the spaces and the tucks are of equal size in this sample, the impression of equally sized alternating bands of transparency and opacity result
• Could be paired with lighting to emphasize the effect
Advantages:
• Spaced tucks are exceedingly regular in appearance, but since they are larger than pin tucks, they have strong presence on the fabric surface—and their three-dimensional potential is greater
• They are easier to fold and stitch than pin tucks
• The ¼” spacing is easy to gauge on the sewing machine because the presser foot’s edge is ¼’ from the needle
Disadvantages:
• Preparation and execution both still require attention to accurate measurement if the tucks are to remain straight, parallel, and aligned with the grain
• Spaced tucks work best with lightweight fabrics
• Heavier fabrics will require deeper tucks to take into account the thickness of the fabric
Ideas for Exploration:
• This could be used with back lighting for drama
• This scale is better for larger works