Pin tucks & tucks are used in many garments as decorative features. They look beautiful, delicate and can really add a nice detail to a garment. The best part is sewing tucks is easy! Tucks also can be used in place of a traditional gathering which is exactly how we use them in our pdf pattern the Felicity Dress & Top. By the end of this tutorial, you will master sewing tucks.

Sewing Tucks: A New Way to Gather

Tucks are folds in the fabric that are secured with stitching. Pin tucks, gathers, and pleats are all types of folds. Pin tucks are formed by folding fabric on the right side and stitching a pin width away from the fold. They are one of many different types of tucks out there.

Today we are going to show you how to form the tucks that just lay close to each other when pressed the traditional way.

For this project you need:

1. Fabric
2. Pencil/markers
3. Pins
4. Tuck markings
5. Scissors

Let's Start Sewing Tucks!

For this tutorial I am going to show you step by step on how to form the first tuck. We are going to use the tuck marks provided from the Felicity dress pattern to mark them on the right side of the fabric. The photos below show you the right side (left) and the wrong side (right) of the fabric.



First, fold you fabric in half WST.



Place your pin tuck marks piece on top of the right side of the fabric and transfer all the markings including the length of the pin tucks.



This is how it will look like after transferring all the tuck marks. For the purpose of this tutorial I only transfer three tuck marks on each side of the fold.



To form the first tuck, place your pin into the first solid line on the left, then you are going to miss the dotted line and bring your pin through the third solid line. This is the pinching process.



After pinching your tuck should look like this



Next, take your tuck to your sewing machine and stitch along the solid line. I used 1/4" seam allowance with stitch length of 3 mm. This is how the tuck should look like after sewing on the solid line.



Repeat this process for all the pin tucks. This is how they should look like on the right side of the fabric before and after pressing them well.



And this is how they should look like on the wrong side of the fabric.



You did it. You have created traditional tucks AND used them as a way to gather your skirt! Sit back and enjoy the results.