Using A Vintage Sewing Machine: The Tucker

Since I finished last week with making tucks on the Edgestitcher I thought I would continue on that theme with the Tucker attachment. Plus tomorrow I'll show how to use both feet together to make a Fashion Detail. (If you don't have either you can still do the detailing).
I don't know if the Tucker was standard in a box of attachments. I rather think it had to be bought separately as a specialty foot. The Tucker can make tucks (obviously) of various widths while marking for the next tuck--that's the neat part about it. It has two scales: one for the tuck width and one for the width between the tucks. It may seem a little confusing at first but give it a try and see that it's not. In fact, it's one of those feet that takes longer to explain than it does to sit down, set the thing up, and get sewing with it.

The Singer book says the only place the Tucker needs oiling is the marking lever. That's the lever crossing back over the scales. Pull it up and see if it moves. Put a tiny drop of oil on the stud holding it on. The reason it needs oiling is that the needle clamp pushes it down with each stitch so that it pushes the space scale down onto the spur blade (not a sharp blade!); this in turn makes a tiny crease in the fabric to mark for the next tuck. You don't need to know all this to sew with the Tucker--it's just a little explanation of how it works.

Basically vintage attachments are like vintage sewing machines: if it moves, oil it. I found the space scale adjusting screw (the one on the front) was so stuck on mine I had to oil it to get it to move. Wipe the foot off after oiling.

The small back scale is the tuck scale. It's numbered 1 to 8 and indicates the width of the tuck in eighths of an inch. Loosen the screw, set the scale using the tuck guide, tighten the screw. For a half inch tuck I set it on 4. Notice in the next photo that it is the guide you are moving--not the scale (it doesn't move).
The larger scale in the front shows in quarters of an inch the spacing between the tucks. Again loosen the screw, set the scale using the needle hole in the foot as the guide, and tighten the scale. This time it is the scale that moves. I'm setting mine at 6 for a half inch between tucks. If you wanted no space between tucks (blind tucks) make the numbers the same on both scales. It might seem natural to set this scale against the marking lever, but that's wrong--use the needle hole.

Here's a table for help with these settings:

Generally set the tuck scale and then the space one. I do this before putting the Tucker on the machine. Go ahead and attach it, making sure to check that the needle comes down through the needle hole alright.

Fold on the straight grain for the first tuck on the right hand side of the fabric. Press for the entire length of the tuck (you can do it by hand if you want). You'll be making tucks from right to left across the fabric. Put the fold in the Tucker from the left between the two blades of the tuck scale and between the grooved blade and the spur blade of the space scale. See the little piece of metal sticking up on the bottom blade? I'm touching the tip of my fingernail against it in the next photo. That's the spur blade. Just put the fabric on it and under the part sticking out above.

The fabric will feed against the tuck guide. As I said this takes a lot of explaining--put the fabric in there and you'll see how it goes. Sew. Try and keep the fabric evenly against the guide. You can see faintly how the mark (crease) for the next tuck is being made in the fabric in the next photo while the tuck is being sewn. (This photo was taken when I was trying out other tucks, so the settings are not the same as I stated above--just ignore that and look at the crease!)

When done with the first tuck, fold the fabric on the crease the Tucker made for the next one. In this photo you can see the sewn tuck and the faint crease. It helps to press it.

Put the fabric back in the Tucker and sew again. Continue across the fabric for as many tucks as you want. So simple! If you don't want a mark made while sewing the last tuck pull the marking lever up--put it back down when you're done. You don't have to do this; you're choice.

In the next photo I'm folding the fabric back to show the previous made tucks underneath the one being made.

I'm using muslin for my demonstration so the crease shows up well. Some fabrics won't crease as well. Also, you need to make sure you're using the right size needle and thread with the proper tension or your tuck will be puckered.

Here are unpressed tucks.

Here are the same tucks pressed. Half inch tucks at half an inch apart.

Where would you use all these tucks? Anywhere you can think of--they do add some nice detail. My 1920's book suggests collar and cuff sets, baby bonnets, lingerie frocks, dresses, bands for blouses and underwear, tucked medallions for underwear, pin tucked ruffles on underwear, and more underwear. I wonder if some people had fancier underwear than outerwear back then.

Would I buy a Tucker if I didn't have one? I don't think I would. I just don't make that many tucks in things. If you do, you might want to find one.

For practice get a square or rectangle of fabric and make tucks to your heart's content.

No, plain tucks aren't very exciting, but come back tomorrow to see some that are far more interesting.