I hope you aren’t sick of seeing how you can make pleats in your doll clothes, or other projects, because I have a few more to show you…
Dorothy reminded me September is National Sewing Month… just trying to do my part to keep the sewing community informed about things like using forks for pleating! :o)
Did the title catch your attention? It was meant to! Here is a short video showing you how it works…
I tried it and it really works…
I pleated this black and white fabric in less than 2 minutes… it could get addicting…The trick is to line up your second pleat with the edge of the pleat before it.. you can feel a ridge or even see the pleat edge if your fabric is thinner.
I’ve seen videos rolling the fork toward you and others rolling it away from you…
I think the pleats came out remarkably even…
Here is another video of the fork pleating…an ad will pop up before it starts but you can hit the skip ads when it pops up… down on the right hand side.
I might have to make a few more samples to show you. I tried to take some pictures as I was doing it, but finally just decided to use the videos..
I decided to use my 2 tined fork for meat and see if it would work… (thinking outside the box, you know…) and look how great it worked…
I didn’t notice until I was pressing it, but LOOK… my flower print “almost” matches up…
Look how evenly spaced the pleats are! I’m SOLD on making pleats this way… :o)
Also, I wanted to add this picture in here because it goes PERFECTLY with the subject we’re talking about… PLEATS. Susette sent Rebecca and I some face masks… I was waiting to show them with something and thought this was truly the perfect thing…Aren’t they pretty? Rebecca grabbed the black one with the birds for herself… thank you Susette!! :o)
I wondered if there were any videos of people making face masks with forks…and YES, Yes, there were… there you go Susette!!! Just for you! :o) There is an ad from Michaels before this video too… you can again hit the skip ads when it pops up in the bottom right side.
Face mask pleating with a fork
Well, that does it for today’s lesson on pleats… Tomorrow will be another way that keeps you from having to make those little slits at the top and bottom of your pieces…and matching them up… curious? come back and see…
Blessings, Jeanne
Wow, I am impressed! Seems like an easy enough way, and you can get such nice-looking pleats doing it this way!! Thanks for the links, too; I will watch them tomorrow. (It’s getting late and I’m tired!)
Barbara and Laura, I answered your questions on yesterday’s blog, if you want to go back and look
Thank you so much for your help, Charlotte. I will check out the smocking guild website. As I said, I do like intricate embroidery. I’ve done cross-stitch, of course, but also regular embroidery, ribbon embroidery, Brazilian embroidery, and I crochet ( I have done some with yarn and even a bit of 3-D for cat toys, but I much prefer the filet crochet my grandmother taught me. I figure smocking something small like the front of an AG doll dress will be quite manageable and they can wear it forever. 🙂
I’ll have to get acquainted with my mom’s sewing machine as soon as I can, probably when the weather cools off. I’ll have her find the 1/4 foot for me and then spend time reading the manual.
Thanks so much for the information on smocking Charlotte. I live in the Houston area so getting together would be a problem but I would love your e-mail address. We might have a smocking chapter in the area because the woman that teaches the classes has a fabric store that sells smocking plates and anything else you need as well as pre-made items ready to smock and does a good business. There were a couple ladies that smocked here in Sealy when I moved here. One of them did the most beautiful picture smocking for her two girls and the other one made the prettiest Bishop smocked clothes. What surprised me was that they had staked out their territory and they really did not want me to participate. I thought it would be great to learn from their expertise. They were having none of it and one of them went to church with me and was my son’s first grade teacher so it was a bit of a surprise. Never did understand it.
Barbara, SAGA is having a picture smocking smock-along, with instructions, right now! You can find more on their website, smocking.org. Looks like it’s a members-only thing at the moment; perhaps soon they’ll have it available as a class that anyone can purchase.
Hi Charlotte,
It IS an easy way to make pleats and I’m going to use it instead of ordering a Perfect Pleater in the 1″ size…which I was considering doing…
Thanks Charlotte,
Hope you got some rest
Blessings, Jeanne
Using a fork is a great idea, and an “attachment” everyone has! No need to buy something extra to keep track of!
I am getting anxious to see you make somethng pleated for a AG doll, Jeanne! I just love pleated skirts, and always wanted a doll that had one. I remember going downtown in St. Louis when I was little, with my mother during the holidays to pick out a doll that I would like Santa to bring me for Christmas. There she was, high on a shelf behing glass doors, weating a pleated skirt!! I never did get her, too expensive my mother said, but I never forgot her. I guess I’m still waiting!
Love those beautiful masks that Susette sent!
School has started, and soon I will send a couple of pictures of my girls!
Hi Linda,
I will definitely be using my meat fork again…because it was longer, I think it kept my pleats straighter. I just need to find one that I can cut the handle off…it was kind of tight trying to twist it around with the right side end of the fork sticking into my sewing machine.
I remember you talking about that little doll before…do you think you might remember her if you saw her again?
I got your school girls pictures!! Thanks so much!
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m glad you like the ðŸŽ. The fork looks like a good idea. However each pleat is a different size on my masks, the first one deeper to fit over the nose, the second one brought down closer to the third one for a better fit over the mouth and then fits better under the chin. I’ll certainly try the fork method on a dress for a doll. They have always scared me!
You asked one time what kind of business we would go into if we could. I accidentally kind of ended up in business at 79 years of age! My DIL who is Chinese wore one of the masks to the Santa Barbara Art Museum where her gift cards featuring her paintings are sold. The director asked her if I’d be interested in selling masks through their gift shop. Not interested as it would have required a business license, bookkeeping and taxes. So my DIL sells them, all with Asian designs, on her website where she teaches Chinese brush painting for SB City College and clients across the country. My share of profits go to a children’s charity. My favorite thing about it is finding the fabrics. I got a package from France the other day. I got a kick out of the grown men who chose the masks with the toy trucks from fabric left over from a shirt for my grandson.
That would be Michael!
Michael thought it was for him. I made another one for your grandson, Willie. We had a good laugh over that.
Dear Susette, I would love to support your business and purchase a mask. Can you please ask Jeanne to give you my contact information? The masks are lovely.
Thank you again Susette,
So you’ve become an entrepreneur at 79!!! Congratulations!! You’re probably the only one hoping the mask wearing continues!! Just kidding!!
I will send Dorothy your information about getting a mask from you.
Blessings, Jeanne
Thank you, Dorothy from PA and the World. It’s a perfect excuse to buy fabric. I figured children need help more than the art museum right now. Can’t wait til we don’t need masks 🎠anymore!
A new use for that meat fork that we rarely use anymore. Love it. Can’t believe that woman sewing with maybe chiffon and actually making pleats. Chiffon terrorizes me.
And the last note, slits at the top and bottom of fabric and matching them up? I’ve never done that. Anxiously awaiting the next edition. 🙂
I would love to know more about that special doll and dress that Linda wanted for Christmas. What did the dress with the pleats look like? Style? Color? And the doll? Wouldn’t it be fun to find a photo of one?
And Susette has a new business. Great idea to go through your DIL. Donating the profits is such a philanthropic idea. Your masks are all lovely.
CA update. It has not been pleasant here. So many fires all over the state. The one in our county jumped the containment lines the other day so more had to evacuate, but they got that under control promptly. They were able to airlift most of the hikers/backpackers out of the central mountains the last couple of days. Terrifying being stuck with fire all around you. Then new fires started up north a couple of days ago. One very near where the Camp fire destroyed Paradise. No word on how these all started, but I have my suspicions. The aftereffects have been awful. Very heavy smoke. Yesterday was the worst I’ve ever seen. We had a layer of fog with thick smoke so everything was orange and dark all day. Kind of apocalyptic. No walking or doing anything outside to avoid smoke exposure. Might be slightly better today. Hoping the air clears soon, but Oregon and Washington are also having awful fires which are blowing down our way too. In the midst of all of this, we had some wind in the mountains so PGE turned off power to many thousands to prevent possible fires. Fortunately, ours remained on. Now people are complaining about generator noise. Crazy times. Bring on the rain.
Please stay safe, Joy. It is very scary to watch the fires. I thought the baby party was to blame for the one. So very sad. I do hope you get some rain soon. We had a terrific storm the other night and then the tornado sirens went off over and over. We had some limbs down, but in other areas trees came down. One fell across the top of the heliport at the hospital.
Dear Joy, you are in my prayers. I was watching some of the news coverage of the fires. It is awful.
Hi Joy,
I DID like using the meat fork because it kept the pleats straighter all the way from top to bottom…I was pretty impressed!!
I just was asking Linda if she thought she’d recognize the doll from her childhood memories…
I can’t even imagine how scary it must be to live in CA or the surrounding states right now…please stay safe… do you have things sort of packed up or ready to load up if you get the orders to evacuate?
Blessings, Jeanne
I think of you often. I live in Southern California about ten miles back from the beach. The closest fire is 33 miles inland but we’re getting ashes dropping here and the sun is blocked by some smoke, not too bad, though. Stay safe and with some things packed just in case. My folks lived in San Bernardino during several really bad fires and they did that sometimes.
Joy
Please stay safe and hope this is all over soon. Very scary for everyone and you are all in my thoughts. Having survived a fire I know that feeling all too well.
I live on the east coast so can only imagine what you are all going through and the images are overwhelming and very sad.
Blessings.
Joy, I was about 7, so remembering that doll from 70 years ago is not the easiest! All I remember is that she came with braids, wearing a blouse and skirt, the skirt was a red plaid pleated skirt with straps. She came with a trunk full of clothes. I believe she was a Madame Alexander doll, but not sure, maybe a Sweet Sue? She cost somehting like $75.00, my mother told me later, which was very expensive back then, but of course, Santa was going to bring her, so who cared about the price, said my young self! I do look at antique dolls on Ebay, and try to remember her, but so far have not found her. But I did get a doll with braids much later,…Molly! And she has a lot of clothes, but no pleated skirt!
Please stay safe! It looks and sounds scary looking at the fires in California.
Hi Linda, Well, now that you have the fork technique, you can whip up a pleated skirt for Molly as I’m sure you have her school outfit and can borrow the white blouse to go with it.
I figured you would be dressing your girls for school soon. I can’t wait to see them and then it will be costume time.
Linda, how big was the doll? There were a lot of the 8″ Ginny types that came with wardrobes. And the Ginger doll had braids. They also wore a lot of plaid. I’ve had fun Googling 50’s dolls this afternoon. Keeps me in out of the smoke. 🙂
Wow, who knew? I did know you can make pom poms and ribbon bows with a fork, but not pleats. What a handy and fast way of making them and they turn out perfectly accurate, too. Right up my alley as well since you don’t have to buy something new.
The pink flower print did line up almost perfectly. That is impressive. All your dolls can sport skirts on the dolly shelf now and then a piece of fabric or lace around their chests and they will be dressed.
The face masks are lovely, Susette. I’ve joked with friends and acquaintances that we don’t have to invest in lipstick or other make up right now, but it’s fun to have colorful masks and ones that coordinate well with your outfit. The only make up I’ve had on all summer is toenail polish.
Hi Laura,
I had seen videos making bows with a fork, but not the pleats. It really caught my attention…
I do have enough samples to make lots of my girls skirts…whether I do…is another story…
I have saved on makeup too…only do my eyes!
Thanks Laura,
Blessings, Jeanne
When I need gathers for clothes I make for myself, I do push pleats. Start sewing and then push the fabric to the foot. It folds over into a pleat. On a bigger scale I’m not concerned if they aren’t completely even.
Hi Julia,
I think Magalie makes all of her ruffles and pleats using the push method…
I have the pleater board and the ruffler so I do use them…but if I didn’t… I’d be okay with it…
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
I have never seen the fork technique before. I really must try it. It was pretty amazing how the flowers on the pink fabric lined up. Pretty fabric too.
I recently bought a modern Ginny doll. She only cost $15.00. She is really cute and much more slender than the 1950s version. I bought her because I had some Ginny clothes that didn’t fit my vintage Ginny. I hadn’t realized how much the vintage and modern Ginnys varied in size. The problem is that the modern Ginny is a soft plastic and dressing her is more difficult, but at least I have someone to wear the cute clothes.
Still awaiting the arrival of my FF Stella Rockstar. First it was June, then it was August and now it’s September but I still haven’t received the invoice for the final payment. The other two Fashion Friends are getting antsy. They want to meet her. Me too.
Well we had quite the surprise here today. It was 65 degrees this morning and the high for today is 84. And the humidity is way down. We weren’t supposed to get the front that brought snow to Colorado so we haven’t been paying much attention to the weather lately. Hope there will be more to closely follow.
Off from grandkid overseeing the rest of the week. Hopefully after next week they will be back to in-person. But we’ve said that before.
Praying for Joy and the people of California during all their trials. My uncle and his family lived in San Bernardino from the 1950s till my aunt and uncle passed away a few years ago. They loved it. I visited them once and it was such a lovely place. I would have moved there in a minute but my husband’s job was here. The smog from LA was becoming a problem after a few years, but there wasn’t much else they worried about.
Hi Barbara,
You really should give the fork method a try…it’s pretty fun and you can see the results quickly.
Glad you got a modern Ginny doll to wear some of those clothes you have.
I bet she fits right in with your other girls.
Maybe with your time off from the kids…you can find some time to sew!!
Blessings, Jeanne
I really like Stella Rock Star. Congrats in advance of her arrival.
Dear Jeanne, I am looking forward to seeing what all of the skirts become. You could have a skirt fashion show when you are done. I bet the children would like that.
Hi Dorothy,
I’m SURE my girls would all love to have a new skirt made for them! I’ll have to see…
Blessings, Jeanne
We lucked. Snow has helped contain the closest fire, but did not freeze the plants in the garden, which were covered.
Joy asked about the origin of the pleater attachment. I haven’t found that so far, but finding today’s pleater was easy. If you’ve seen Becket, the movie or play, you may remember the famous fork scene, which would have taken place in about 1150. An English traveler to Italy might have brought one back as a souvenir, but the fork was too subtle to catch on in England in Becket’s time. Here’s Wikipedia on today’s pleater, the FORK.
“Bone forks have been found in archaeological sites of the Bronze Age Qijia culture (2400–1900 BC), the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–c. 1050 BC), as well as later Chinese dynasties.[1] A stone carving from an Eastern Han tomb (in Ta-kua-liang, Suide County, Shaanxi) depicts three hanging two-pronged forks in a dining scene.[1] Similar forks have also been depicted on top of a stove in a scene at another Eastern Han tomb (in Suide County, Shaanxi).[1]
“In Ancient Egypt, large forks were used as cooking utensils.[2]
“In the Roman Empire, bronze and silver forks were used, many surviving examples of which are displayed in museums around Europe.[3][4] Use varied according to local customs, social class, and the type of food, but in earlier periods forks were mostly used as cooking and serving utensils.
“Although its origin may go back to Ancient Greece, the personal table fork was most likely invented in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, where they were in common use by the 4th century. [5][6] Records show that by the 9th century in some elite circles of Persia a similar utensil known as a barjyn was in limited use.[7] By the 10th century, the table fork was in common use throughout the Middle East.[2]
“By the 11th century, the table fork had become increasingly prevalent in the Italian peninsula before other European regions because of historical ties with Byzantium and, as pasta became a greater part of the Italian diet, continued to gain popularity, displacing the long wooden spike formerly used since the fork’s three spikes proved better suited to gathering the noodles.[8][9] By the 14th century the table fork had become commonplace in Italy, and by 1600 was almost universal among the merchant and upper classes. It was proper for a guest to arrive with his own fork and spoon enclosed in a box called a cadena; this usage was introduced to the French court with Catherine de’ Medici’s entourage.
“Although in Portugal forks were first used around 1450 by Infanta Beatrice, Duchess of Viseu, King Manuel I of Portugal’s mother, [10] only by the 16th century, when they had become part of Italian etiquette, did forks enter into common use in Southern Europe,[11] gaining some currency in Spain,[12] and gradually spreading to France. The rest of Europe did not adopt the fork until the 18th century.[5]
“The fork’s adoption in northern Europe was slower. Its use was first described in English by Thomas Coryat in a volume of writings on his Italian travels (1611), but for many years it was viewed as an unmanly Italian affectation.[13] Some writers of the Roman Catholic Church expressly disapproved of its use; St. Peter Damian seeing it as “excessive delicacy”.[9] It was not until the 18th century that the fork became commonly used in Great Britain,[14] although some sources say that forks were common in France, England and Sweden already by the early 17th century.[15][16]
“The fork did not become popular in North America until near the time of the American Revolution.[2] The standard four-tine design became current in the early 19th century. [17]”
hi Marilyn,
I’m glad the snow wasn’t enough to keep you down!
That’s a lot of information about the beginnings of the fork…but all I know is…Im glad I can use it to eat with and now I can make wonderful pleats with it.
Blessings, Jeanne
There goes Jeanne rhyming again. Eat & pleat!! 🙂
Great fork history. I’ll look at my silverware drawer with much more respect. 🙂
I had seen the video on making pleats with a fork. I thought it looked really interesting, finding it again when I need it could be a problem! lol. Maybe I will have to scour the charity shops for a long carving fork. I have an Elna Quilting Queen machine which has a much wider space so maybe I could find something that won’t get in the way!
Thank you Marilyn for the interesting facts about the adoption of forks. The British attitude to their earlier use doesn’t surprise me lol. I know they used their ‘daggers’ as their eating implements. When you think of all the other uses they put those knives to and probably never cleaned them, it is a wonder that the race survived at all!
Joy I have been watching the news and the fires are really horrific. It is a continuing disaster waiting to happen here too. Not so much in Canterbury, the province I live in, but a couple of years ago someone lit a fire on the Port Hills which was very difficult to contain for several days, but it was mainly a scrub fire. It did burn several houses and threatened to reach the suburbs of Christchurch but it rained in time fortunately.
My Victorian outfit is finished. The hair is a bit of a problem, The wigs on the AG dolls seem to be much better and easier to style. The OG hair is rooted, but quite thick so very difficult to braid. I will have another go before Sam takes the photos maybe using thread instead of bobby pins. Sam tells me that is quite in keeping with the era, apparently they often used thread to fasten their hair in place. Who knew! I had hoped to enter it into our competition but looking at the schedule I don’t think it will fit anywhere. For the recycling section it definitely says quilt even though the President, at the last meeting said it could be anything. I took a photo of what was left of the fairly large, very ugly jacket that I used and it is a very small pile of very small pieces. I wasn’t sure I would have enough for the shoes but realised that I still had the cuffs which were very large and both the main fabric and the lining were interfaced which was perfect and the shoes went together really quickly which isn’t always the case, I sometimes have to remake one or both! Probably won’t get the photos done till tomorrow or Sunday as it is raining today (again). With the absence of props Sam is going to take the photos in the garden.
Louis had to wait until after lunch yesterday for his walk, it is supposed to clear up this afternoon but I have a meeting so I may have to brave the rain. If it is only light it will be OK but if it is heavy he won’t go lol!!! I tried it once not long after he came to me and we only got around the corner and he turned around and dragged me back home. I had to be somewhere else quite early that morning and assumed that I would have a bit of a mess to clean up when I got home but he was very good. Just looked and the sun is shining so we should be fine.
Take care everyone
Hi Anne,
If you just google Pleats using a fork, lots of videos come up…if you need a refresher…
Congratulations on finishing your doll outfit…I almost hate to ask, but are you going to sell this one, like you did some of your other’s?
We will be waiting to see what your complete ensemble looks like…a labor of love I think!!
Blessings,
I have seen the videos for making the pleats with a fork, but I have to admit I have never tried it. Amazing isn’t it, how many ways there are to achieve a goal?
The face masks are lovely and it was sweet of Susette to send them. I don’t think I’ve seen any with green elastic; it coordinates well with the fabrics. I keep planning to make a few more but haven’t gotten an opportunity to sit down and do it. Maybe this weekend.
hi Carolyn
I never dreamed there were so many ways to make pleats!! And there are still other ways too!!
I’m still trying to get a few masks finished for my sister’s too… maybe we’ll both find time one of these days!
Blessings,
I was hoping that some enterprising Egyptian had discovered fork pleating, but I think 2 tined forks would not work as well as ours do. i’d also like to see how well that pickle fork pleats.
I want more details for Linda’s doll. I feel we should, between us, be able to track the girl down.
If you love Rumer Godden or children’s books or dolls, check out The Story of Holly and Ivy.https://smile.amazon.com/Story-Holly-Ivy-Rumer-Godden/dp/0670062197/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=rumor+godden+holly+and+ivy&qid=1599789009&sr=8-1
in which a doll. a little girl, and a middle aged woman are all longing for what they really want and need for Christmas.
HI again Marilyn,
I hope your snow is a thing of the past by now…. You need a little more time for Fall…
I might have to look for that book… it sounds interesting… and a fun read.
I’m wishing Linda would stumble across that little doll that stole her heart so many years ago and that Michael would secretly buy it and place it under the Christmas tree this year! :o)
Blessings, Jeanne