Using A Vintage Sewing Machine: Smocked Tucking

My 1950's Singer reference book has several pages of Fashion Details using the various attachments. Not all the feet have these details, but when a foot I'm using does I'm giving it a try. The Tucker foot from yesterday along with the Edgestitcher has a Fashion Detail called Smocked Tucking.

It helps to remember that this book is from the 50's. If you've looked at vintage patterns or clothes from that time you'll notice lots of little details. The smocked tucking is "especially suited to yoke treatments for dresses and blouses of plain fabric. It provides a texture contrast that, in itself, is rich and smart." Well, who wouldn't want to try that?

To make it you will need to make the tucks on the lengthwise grain of the fabric. The tuck scale on the Tucker will be set on 1 and the space scale will be set on 2. You'll be making lots of tucks.

Tucks:

When you are through making all those tucks you'll need to get out your vintage Edgestitcher and attach it to the machine. Set the Edgestitcher so that the needle comes down in the center of the foot. You'll be using its edges as a sewing guide. Mark a straight line across the tucks. Sew across the tucks stitching them down flat. At the end of the row take the fabric out of the machine. Turn it around so you are sewing the tucks down in the opposite direction now. Use the Edgestitcher's edge to line up against the previous stitch line.

When you are completely finished steam the fabric from the back. Here is a shot looking straight down on the smocked tucks:

This technique is done before the pattern is cut out. After the steaming lay out the fabric with the pattern and cut. I made a small sample. To actually use it I would need to make a larger piece.

This photo is from a slight angle so you can see the textural effect:

Is that not neat? Yes, it is!

The only trouble I had making it was when the Edgestitcher caught the tucks on the edge of Slot 4. I put a piece of tape over and around the slot and stopped the problem. And removed the tape from my foot when I was done.

If you don't have a Tucker or Edgestitcher but make tucks in a different way you can still try this out. You might have to mark for each row the Edgestitcher makes though. The tucks are about 1/8 inch and 3/8 inch apart.

I was in Target the other day and stopped to look at some throw pillows that had a tucking detail that was similar to this one. That's the fun of trying out all these things--you start noticing more details and coming up with new ways to use them--and new ways to use the feet.

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.

Late 20's Nightgown

I think this is the oldest pattern I have in my collection. It looks to be late 20's, maybe early 30's. Notice the slight stooped posture of the model. Standing like this was in style for a bit. If you watch old movies, especially those with Constance Bennet, you can see it. In the book, Complicated Women, Mick LaSalle calls it "the collapsed posture that in those days spelled easy grace."

Vintage Albert Nipon

Yes, I'm showing a vintage pattern on Friday--not my usual Monday, but it's for nostalgia. I wore this outfit twenty years ago today on a luncheon date.

I made the skirt out of a black linen blend. It's actually flat at the top (a yoke) with the pleats sewn on lower so that the top comes down smoothly without any bulk. I made the top out of cotton that was warm tan with pink and orange chrysanthemums on it. It was one of my favorite outfits that I've ever made--quite possibly my top favorite.

And as for the date, I ended up marrying him.

Lazy Daisies for Lazy Embroiderers

One of my favorite embroidery stitches has always been the lazy daisy. So easy to make with nice results.


I like to make leaves with it and simple flowers like the blue one. If I feel like doing more I make circles of them radiate out like the top one or close together in a circle. I've tried them with different shades of floss in one flower.
No, my embroidery isn't perfect. Back when I strained my shoulder/neck I reached in my embroidery box and pulled out a scrap of fabric and scraps of floss and embroidered this piece while watching a movie. I hate not being able to work on something.

Using A Vintage Sewing Machine: The Edgestitcher cont'd.

Let's continue with the edgestitcher. It can be used to make tucks in fabric with a width up to 1/4 inch.

Pin Tucks To make pin tucks you need to fold the fabric on the straight grain. You can draw a thread to find the straight grain of the fabric. If you've never done this before you just grab a thread at the edge of the fabric and gently pull it out of the fabric. Sometimes cutting a tiny notch will help you get hold of the thread. I usually use muslin for my demonstrations but I'm using batiste for the pin tuck because it's easier to pull its threads. Here is a photo of a thread starting to be pulled:

I managed to pull the thread all the way out of this piece of fabric. If yours breaks you can usually still see the grain where the thread came from. If you can't pull a thread try and measure from the selvage or straight edge at several points and mark them. See the line in the fabric where the thread was?

Fold your fabric on the pulled thread line. Press. Put the fold in the edgestitcher--Slot 1 is the easiest to use. Adjust so the stitching makes a very narrow tuck in the fabric. A pin tuck is "as wide as a pin."

Here's a pin tuck:

You can pull threads for each tuck or start with one and mark the others.

Tucks are usually made on the lengthwise grain of the fabric because it's more firm (but you can make cross tucks with them going in both directions.) For tucks the tension should be perfect and short stitches used. If you are making them on fine fabrics use a fine thread.

Here are a lot of pin tucks:

For this sort of thing you would make the pin tucks in the fabric first and then put the pattern on it and cut it out. Also if your pin tucks stop in the middle of the fabric you must pull the stitching thread ends to the back and tie them in a knot before clipping them. Don't reverse stitch and don't put a drop of glue on them to hold them--if you do, don't tell me about it, I refuse to listen.

The edgestitcher works well for this but if you have a zig zag machine and want to make pin tucks you can do it much faster with a twin needle. Add a pin tuck foot to go with the twin needle and it's even faster.

Straight Tucks The edgestitcher can make 1/4 inch tucks in Slot 5. Adjust the lug some and you can make them narrower. Quarter inch tucks with quarter inch spacing are a good measurement for making tucks. Fold the fabric on the straight grain and sew with it in Slot 5.

I only made a couple of quarter inch tucks for show, but you get the idea. Again, you would mark for each tuck.

Would I buy an Edgestitcher if I didn't already have one? No...Yes...I don't know! I can and do all of these techniques without an edgestitcher because I didn't have one for years. Some of them I find easier with a different foot because that is what I'm used to, but I found edging the facing was very easy and that gave me ideas of other ways I might want to use this foot. I mentioned I would never sew lace again with it. I had fun playing with the edgestitcher. If you have one go ahead and give it a try; you might really like it.

Using A Vintage Sewing Machine: The Edgestitcher

This is the Edge-Stitcher.

If you are looking at it and thinking, "That is not an edgestitcher." Then you are probably familiar with the modern foot called an edgestitcher. This is a vintage edgestitcher.

The slots in it are guides for sewing together lace and insertion, as well as, seams, piping or braid. These slots are numbered in the next photo. Near the back of the foot is a little curve that sticks up on the left--this is called the lug and is marked A in the photo.

Hold your edgestitcher and see if you can slide the front piece back and forth with the lug. If you can't, put a drop of sewing machine oil under the blue steel spring at the back of the foot. Wipe any excess oil off. Because the edgestitcher front can slide slightly to each side you can adjust where the stitch line hits the fabric.

Edgestitched Facings and Seams Facing and seam edges can be finished with the edgestitcher. Pink the edge first, press under 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Put the edge in Slot 1 of the edgestitcher and move the lug slightly to the left. The stitching should be near the edge of the fold. Lower the foot and sew. Easy.

French Seams The edgestitcher can make small French seams. Put fabric wrong sides together with seam edges even and put in Slot 1. Push the lug to the left so the stitching is a mere 1/8 inch from the edge. Sew. Here is a shot of it going through the foot and the first half of the seam.

Press the seam open (says the book, but I prefer to press it to one side) and then turn the fabric right sides together (pressing the seams together here helps). Push the lug to the extreme left and put the seam back in Slot 1. Sew so the raw edge is concealed within the seam. Following are photos of the seam being stitched for the second pass and the finished seam.

A tiny French seam like this is for very fine fabrics. Its suggested uses are sheer blouses, slips, negligees, and sheer curtains.

Seams with Piping In the middle of the edgestitcher is Slot 3. You can run a fold of bias strip that is the same size through it to pipe the edge of a seam.

A note here about piping. In many vintage sewing books a piece of flat bias cut fabric folded in half is called piping. There was no cord in it. If it had cord in it, it was called cording. If you look at prepackaged piping today it's called piping cord. So if some of you are wondering why I'm calling flat bias piping, now you know. (We'll try out a cording foot in a few weeks).

Back to the seam- Insert the bias into Slot 3 with the folded edge to the right. I'm using a prepackaged piece of pink bias for this demonstration. Fold under the seam allowance on one piece of fabric and put that into Slot 1.

It should look like this:

Place the other seam (piece of fabric) in Slot 5 which is near the front on the right. Adjust the edgestitcher lug so the stitching is very close to the fold. Try and keep the fabric edges against the slot edges as you sew. The bias seems to feed in by itself rather easily.

The result is a seam with piping peeking out. (You do know I'm using dark thread for demonstration purposes only don't you? Normally I would match my thread to the fabric).

This next photo shows the beginning of the piped seam where I stopped a few times and moved the lug. The stitching goes off the edge of the seam, so I stopped and readjusted it to hit on the edge.

Sewing Lace Together Take two pieces of lace insertion and put one in Slot 1 and one in Slot 4. These two slots overlap, but make sure the lug is adjusted so the stitching is down the center. I have the two laces at an angle in this next shot so you can see where they are in the edgestitcher.

To sew them hold them straight and slightly overlapping.

Here you can see my dark thread running down the middle attaching them.

Sewing lace together like this is shown in the older Singer manual but is not in the 1950's Singer reference book. More about sewing lace this way after the next section.

Joining Lace with Fabric or Ribbon Lace insertion can be alternated with bands of fabric or ribbon. Press the edges of the fabric under; you don't have to do anything to ribbon edges. Slots 1 and 4 of the edgestitcher will be used; Slot 1 will be the topstitched one. For this demonstration I put the fabric in Slot 1 and the lace in Slot 4. The lace I'm using is really too small for this--it's some scrap I have on hand though. Sew together with the stitching very close to the edge.

When done repeat down the other side.
Let me stop here and talk about sewing with lace. If you have never sewn with lace and are wanting to try do not use these two methods I've just described unless you don't have a zig zag machine or don't want to hand sew. Sewing lace like this would have been done back when our grandmothers wanted to use the sewing machine for lace sewing and didn't have a lot of options. Frankly I'd rather sew lace by hand any day to sewing it like this. I mentioned last week that I use my Elna with a zig zag for lace. The difference is amazing. The tiny zig zag is easy to use; this edgestitcher was not. I'm wanting to try out the mutiple uses of the feet, but I won't be sewing lace with an edgestitcher again. This is my opinion though--try it and let me know what you think.

Applying Bias Folds Folded bias tape or what the book calls military braid can be sewn onto fabric using the edgestitcher. Place the fabric under the edgestitcher (the same as with a regular presser foot) and place the tape in Slot 1 or 4. Sew it down. When done go back and sew down the other side. Preferably with a different foot (the regular presser foot) or else your stitches might be as sloppy as mine.
Enough of the edgestitcher today--I'll show a couple of easy things to do with it tomorrow.

A practice lesson with the Edgestitcher: Divide a 7 by 8 inch piece of fabric into thirds. Pink and edgestitch one side. Join this piece to another with a French seam. Join the third section on with a piped seam. If you have some lace scraps go ahead and try them out with the edgestitcher.