What is manipulation of fabric?
There are many ways to play with fabric and manipulatel it so that it becomes more dimensional. Throughout history, people have developed different ways of altering fabric to provide contrasts, to create a sense of fullness, and create surface effects.
What is smocking?
This method is an embroidery technique to gather fabric and securing finely pleated or folded fabric with a decorative stitch.
Materials needed:
Fabric (felt)
Pencil (anything to indicate the outlines)
Ruler
Thread
Sewing needle
How to do it:
With a pencil, mark out the grid system/template on the back side of the felt where it would not be showing. (Making sure the grid is even)
Based on the grid/ smocking template, stitch the points together with the needle and thread
Repeat the process until the whole grid is completed.
What is shirring?
Shirring is a method of gathering cloth along two or more parallel stitched lines to create a sense of wavy dimension. It can be done with regular or elastic thread in patterns that might include zigzags or waffle patterns.
(A related method is ruching, in which layers of fabric are gathered on parallel sides and then sewn to a layer underneath. You sometimes see this fabric technique on the tiers in the sides of prom and party dresses.)
How to do it:
Wind the bobbin with the elastic thread and load the top thread as you normally would. (Do not use your machine to wind the bobbin.)
Instead, wind the bobbin carefully by hand without pulling tightly on the elastic and insert the bobbin into the machine as usual.
Get sewing, ensuring even spacing between the stitch lines.
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