Textiles help?

Question

I cannot find anything on these textiles techniques
Fraying
gathering
smoking
couching
Beading
machine embroidery
suffolk puffs
Could someone please help me find a website with information about them
Or if you know what they are please explain them

Answer 1

Can't add to Treedle's explanation, except to say that if you google each one, you'll find sites showing you how to do them.
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Answer 2

Fraying is when you unravel the weave of the fabric, leaving the weave from one direction only... it is also what happen when a seam is unfinished with the raw edges exposed and the fabric unweaves itself leaving a frayed edge.

Gathering is when you baste by hand or machine a line of stitching along a seam and pull the fabric along it. It puckers up and gathers along the stitch line. You can see gathering often along the waist of a skirt or sleeve top where it joins the bodice.

Smoking .. would that be smocking?? Smocking is used Most often on the waist band or bodice area. Often in infant clothes and peasant style blouses. It is a series of closely gathered lines which make a pattern or area of tightly gathered material usually in a band type width. Sometimes it is done with elastic thread so that the area will stretch open or contract to accent the waist for example. Its a very beautiful accent.

Couching is a type of embroidery with slant stitched across a thread or yarn.

Beading is the intricate bead work sewn on top of fancy dresses and gowns...like seed beads on a wedding dress.

Machine embroidery is the embroidery or decorative stitches such as satin and zigzag that many machines have built in as an option and can create beautiful embroidery without hand sewing at all.
I'm sorry I'm not familiar with the last term:)

You can find alot more in depth definitions on line by a simple search:) I love to sew and have done most of these techiniques before but a picture would be alot more useful to you than my stumbling words:) Good Luck:)

* Just wanted to add a thank you to UK Quilter for teaching me what the suffolk puffs were...My aunt used to make the most adorable quilts using that method, but I had no idea that was the name!*

Answer 3

I can only add a tiny bit - Suffolk puffs (which also have another name but of course I can't think) are circles of fabric - run a tiny thread round the edge and draw it in to make a smaller 'puffed' circle, and join by a stitch top, bottom and sides to its little friends. If you use unusual materials you can make wonderful wall hangings, or for a quilt lay them over another fabric and stitch down.

Answer 4

what treedle said

never heard of suffolk puffs. sounds like a baked good..

did you try a google search?