– Lin Clements
WHAT ARE PLEATS AND TUCKS?
When we talk about pleats and tucks at first glance it looks like we are talking about the same thing. Strictly speaking, however, a pleat is defined as a folding or doubling of fabric, which is creased or pressed into place, whereas a tuck is a pleat that is sewn into place. In dressmaking, pleats are often arranged vertically, for example in a pleated skirt, where the pleats are secured by sewing at one (1) end. If using pleats in patchwork, they can be in any direction. Tucks can be vertical, horizontal or both.
Pleats and tucks fit well with other patchwork and quilting techniques and are an excellent way to introduce texture and a three-dimensional quality into our work. For example, an otherwise bland, unpieced border can be given a more interesting look by being pleated. The two (2) samples shown below illustrate two (2) different techniques, pleats formed and pressed directionally and sewn tucks that were ‘twisted’ by directional pressing. I made the samples using similar fabric colours to give an idea of how a sampler of different techniques could be created. Framing borders
