Sewing with elastic
Sewing an elastic thread onto fabric is a way to create new textures and forms.
Materials needed:
- Fabric (e.g. leather)
- Elastic thread
- Flat elastic
- Sewing machine
Steps:
Stretch the elastic thread over the fabric and sew it on. Stretching the elastic thread allows for more fabric to be gathered together.
Applications:
Pillow cover, scarf, cinched dress
Documentation
Smocking
Smocking produces various pleats or gathers in a piece of fabric to form beautiful patterns and textures.
Materials needed:
- Fabric
- Needle and thread
- Ruler
- Marker
Steps:
Draw lines to form a grid. Mark out the places to be stitched together. Different smocking patterns have different stitching patterns, and may require the grid to be dotted rather than lined.
Applications:
Scarf, clothing, wallpaper, pillow cover
Documentation:
drawing a grid with indications on where to sew. This is the arrow pattern.
finished product
trying out the flower pattern. This ended up being a fail because the black lines could be seen. Remedy: draw dots instead of lines.
Wave pattern
Bonus: these cute dumpling-looking things Galina taught us how to sew:
Reflection:
I really enjoyed experimenting with the smocking technique. I used quite a thick fabric, which meant that it was quite hard to stitch, but the stiffer fabric also meant that the finished pattern showed up better. When I used the thin cotton fabric, it held its shape well when I first finished it, but after storing it away for a few weeks, I discovered that it lost it shape. When using thinner fabrics, it’s important to store it flat so it doesn’t lose its shape.
