Fullness Techniques II – SS1 Fashion and Garment Making Lesson Note (Second Term)

Fullness techniques control extra fabric in a garment. This lesson covers three of them: pleats, which are neat folds pressed or stitched into place; smocking, which holds small gathers with decorative embroidery; and shirring, which uses elastic thread in the bobbin to pull fabric into stretchy rows.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• describe knife pleats, box pleats and inverted pleats;
• explain how smocking is done and where it is used;
• explain how shirring is done with elastic thread in the bobbin;
• compare pleats, smocking and shirring by stretch, use and appearance;
• apply the practical tips for each technique.

What are pleats?

Pleats are folds made by doubling the fabric over on itself and then stitching or pressing it into place. Unlike gathers, which are soft and loose, pleats are neat and organised.

Types of pleats

• Knife pleats: These are single folds all facing the same direction. They look like the edge of a knife. You see these most often on school uniforms.
• Box pleats: These are made by two knife pleats facing away from each other. They look like a raised “box” on the fabric.
• Inverted pleats: These are the opposite of box pleats. Two knife pleats face toward each other, meeting in the centre. The “fullness” is hidden inside the fold.

Pro tip: To make pleats look professional, you must use an iron to press them while they are tacked down. A pleat that isn’t pressed looks like a mistake!

What is smocking?

Smocking is a beautiful technique that was used long before we had elastic. It involves gathering fabric into very small, even folds and then “locking” them with decorative embroidery stitches.

• How it works: You create rows of tiny, even gathers. Once the fabric is “bunched up,” you sew patterns (like diamonds or honeycombs) across the top.
• The result: The fabric becomes stretchy and very pretty at the same time.
• Where to use it: It is most common on the chest area of baby dresses and traditional English-style blouses.

What is shirring?

Many people confuse smocking with shirring. While they look similar, shirring is much faster because it uses elastic thread.

• The secret: You wind thin elastic thread onto your bobbin by hand (don’t stretch it too much!). You use regular thread on the top of the machine.
• The process: As you sew straight lines across the fabric, the elastic thread in the bobbin automatically “pulls” the fabric together, making it stretchy.
• Where to use it: The “boob-tube” style dresses, elasticated waistbands, and the cuffs of sleeves.

How do pleats, smocking and shirring compare?

Which one should you choose for your garment? It depends on whether you want the fabric to move, stretch, or just look fancy.

Practical tips for success

Working with these techniques can be tricky for a beginner. Here is how to avoid common problems in the workshop:

1. For pleats: Always use a hem gauge or a ruler. If one pleat is 2cm and the next is 2.5cm, the whole skirt will look crooked.
2. For smocking: You need a lot of fabric! Usually, you need 3 times the width of the finished garment. If your chest measurement is 30cm, you need 90cm of fabric to smock it properly.
3. For shirring: Always do a “test run” on a scrap of fabric first. If the bobbin elastic is too tight, the fabric will bunch up too much; if it’s too loose, it won’t stretch at all.

Evaluation

1. Name the three types of pleats and describe how each one is made.
2. State two differences between smocking and shirring.
3. Why should pleats be pressed with an iron while they are tacked down?
4. How much fabric do you usually need to smock a garment?
5. Which of the three techniques stretches the most, and where is it used?

Assignment

Look at the clothes you are wearing or the clothes in your bag. Can you find any pleats or shirring? Why do you think the designer chose that technique for that specific part of the cloth?