Pleating MachineA pleating machine (or pleater) is a quick and cheap way of pleating. Instead of doing it all by hand which is extremely difficult and time consuming the machine will create pleats in a matter of seconds. In industry a pleater will be wired up to a machine which will be able to control it and tell it how big the pleats should be.

At college I have access to a pleater however it isn't computerized so I have to do some bits of it by hand but it is still a lot quicker than doing the whole thing by hand.

Using the college pleater

•Choose how far apart the pleats will go and thread these needles.

•Twist and unclip the leaver and remove the unwanted needles.

•Feed fabric into roller opposite side of needles and twist wheel.

•Pull fabric down the needles when it starts the bulk at edge.

•When all fabric is rolled out pull down needles through thread.

•Pull as tight or as loose as wanted making the pleats tighter or looser.

•Pull threads from needles and cut or sew both loose ends to stop them falling through fabric.

•If threadless pleats are wanted steam the pleats and then remove threads.

Pleating originates from Ancient Egypt where pleated kalasiris’s (Egyptian robes) made from linen were worn and Greece where children's clothes made from wool and linen also had pleats.

We now see pleats everywhere, in dresses, tops, skirts, coats, bags, scarves and kilts.

The good thing about a pleating machine is that you can choose the width and length and closeness of the pleats, and each of these choices will never be the same on different materials. On most natural fabrics like cotton and linen the pleats would be very clean and neat whilst on flowing lustrous materials such as silk and synthetic fabrics like organza and nylon a rucheing effect would happen.

tightly and because of the thin but wirery material it has ruched up more that pleating.

The second sample has also been done on the pleating machine but this time I have removed the threads and ironed it and it has made clean crisp folds.

This is a sample of pleating from the pleating machine. I have used organza fabric and a gold thread. I have set the pleats very close together and then pulled them

First i drew out a design on Speedstep using the range of tools such as the circle tool, the line tool, the curve tool etc...

I changed the way my imaged appeared using the flip and mirror tool.

I then selected my design and made them group together and then copied the image.

I then kept repeating my images to create a pattern by pasting them.

I then saved my design and opened up Pro Painter where I chose my colour range.

I could then play around with different colour ways by snap shotting my designs and changing the colours

I then print screened the image into PowerPoint and saved it as a J.Peg image.

I then opened up 2D Design and imported the image in on a new page.

I drew out and image on Speed Step and then created a half drop repeat pattern by copying and pasting it.

Then I selected my image using the arrow icon and exploded it.

Selecting all three points on the options check list.

I then carried on following the instructions.

The result was my design burned onto a piece of material.

I wanted to create a fun and feminine feel for a changing room. I like this design because its very unique and young but also quite mature at the same time. I like the colours that I have used because the cream and crimson both compliment and contrast

each other. On this sample of this design I have burned all of the detail and then cut out some shapes. Where a contrasting material is behind it to create a bold effect. This design would be seen running through the tops of curtains, cushions or wall hangings.

I thought this design was very fresh and fashionable but yet it wouldn’t go out of date. I have used the same colours for all of my designs because after playing around with some different colour schemes I decided that these colours worked the best.

This is a half drop repeat pattern meaning that instead of the image being repeated in straight columns;

The last design was very fun and young and depending on which colours or material was used could provide a very different effect.

I created a half drop repeat with my little sun images just like the last design except I positioned the pattern a little closer to each other compared to the last design.

Just like the last design I made it not as crisp and neat as my CAD design because I felt that it looked better like this.

I think that this design looks a lot younger than the other two and maybe would look too young to go into the sports hall because the target market is 11-18 year olds. This design would feature on curtains, sofas, cushions or wall hangings.

down and across, its repeated in diagonal columns which I think is a lot more attractive and young. I think because the shapes are all very simple it gives a youthful and laidback atmosphere.This design would feature on curtains, sofas, cushions or wall hangings.

This design is very simple using bold shape to create impact. The stars featured on it give a feminine and youthful effect which would go well in the sports hall changing rooms.

I think the colours go really well and bring out the shapes to make them stand out. They worked well on my fabric and would look good in the changing rooms as on wall hanging, on rugs or if the material was to be laminated it would be good as a shower curtain. I think this design meets my target market well and would not go out of fashion.

This design is probably the most mature out of all of the ones I have designed, but I think it would still appeal to my target market. It could be featured in the changing rooms or in the offices or corridors because even though I designed it for the girls changing rooms it isn't too feminine so wouldn’t look out of place in an area where males and female both go.

The contrasting colour behind it really brings the shapes out and gives a good effect.

This is a very fun and youthful design. But it may be too youthful for the older end of my target audience. I think this design may because unfashionable and out dated in years to come.

I like the how the tiny circles on the tree look so delicate and detailed so I didn't do a sample without them because I thought they worked so well and I think the bold colour showing through the little circles created a bold yet delicate effect. I arranged the circles in a half drop repeat pattern to create a feminine and young feel.