Pintucks are so easy to make and add great embellishments to garments. There are several ways to make pin tucks.

Here, we’ll show you a few different methods in this article: How to use a pin tuck presser foot and a twin needle, how to make curvy pin tucks and how to make pin tucks with a folded edge.

Here is how you do pin tucks:

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Pintucks

How to Sew Pintucks Tutorial

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Learn how to make pintucks with this step-by-step tutorial.

Materials

Fabric for pintucking
Thread for pintucks, can be matching or contrasting

Tools

Sewing machine
Pintuck presser foot, if available
Topstitch or edgestitch foot
Iron
Pressing surface
Optional: Removable fabric marker
Optional: Quilters ruler

Instructions

First I'll show you how to make pintucks with the presser foot that comes with your sewing machine. It's important to have the right size twin needle for the presser foot.

Bernina pintuck presser feet are numbers 30, 31, 32 and 33. In this pintuck tutorial, I'm using the #30 foot and the 4mm twin needle.

TIP: When threading the two threads, place one thread on each side of the tension disk.

TIP: Pintucks are best on light weight fabrics. I've used cottons, linens and light weight wools.

Start by changing your needle to the appropriate twin needle. Change your presser foot to a pintuck presser foot. I'm using the #30 foot and a 4mm twin needle.
Now it is time to thread your machine. I like to use the same color thread in both top threads and in the bobbin thread. (show threads in upper part of machine
When you are threading your machine, put one thread on each side of the tension disk. This helps make sure the threads don't get twisted while sewing.
Thread the needles. Unfortunately your automatic needle threader doesn't stitch to thread each needle, you'll need to thread them the old fashioned way - by hand.
Okay. We are ready to make pintucks. Place your fabric under your needle and just sew. It automagically make the pintucks! NOTE: Always test first on a scrap of your fabric. If it's not drawing up the tuck correctly, check your threading and make sure you have the right needle size for your presser foot.
If you are making several tucks, you can either mark your fabric with a removeable fabric marker, like a Frixion pen, or just use your presser foot width for the distance between your tucks. For this sample, I used the width of the presser foot.
Here is the finished sample for the straight pintuck using the presser foot as the width between the tucks.

It's fun and easy to make curvy pintucks using your pintuck presser foot. Set up your machine and thread as outlined in steps 1-4 above.

To make a curvy pintuck, start sewing like we did before. This time, start moving your fabric around. (NEED PICTURE)
Here is a finished sample of curvy pintucks.

Don't have a special presser foot to make pintucks on your machine? No worries! With this method, you use an edge stitch or topstitch presser foot. If you don't have one of those, you can use a piece of painters tape to mark the sewing width, or the edge of your all-purpose presser foot.

Here is how to use an edge or topstitch foot. Put your special foot on your sewing machine.
Prepare your fabric by marking lines for your pintucks with a removeable fabric marker. NOTE: Always test your marker on a scrap of fabric before marking your fabric.
Fold your fabric along the marked line. If you are using a heat-sensitive fabric marker like a Frixion pen, don't press the fold - it will disappear from your fabric! 🙂 Using the edge of your foot or tape on your machine, sew a narrow seam along the fold.
Here is the sewing in progress for the first tuck using this method.
On this sample, I didn't mark the lines. I wanted random tucks at different angles. Here is the sample in progress.
Here is the finished sample of making pin tucks without a pintuck presser foot.

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What is a pin tuck?

A pin tuck is a small fold of fabric that is stitched either by hand or by machine. It is primarily used for decorative purposes. Pin tucks add texture and design to fabric. Most commonly used in garment sewing, pin tucks are also used in home decorator projects and textile art.

What are pin tucks used for?

Pin tucks are primarily used as embellishments on fabric, creating texture. The small pleats are sewn by hand or machine. Use matching or contrasting thread color for different looks. The tucks create small ridges on the fabric.

What is the difference between a pleat and a tuck?

A pin tuck is a very small pleat that is sewn the length of the tuck. Generally a pin tuck is 1-2 mm wide. With a pin tuck, the small pleat is sewn and secured for the entire length of the pleat.

A pleat is a larger tuck that is generally sewn only partway down so that the fabric is fitted where the plate is sewn and then can flow.

How can I incorporate pintucks in a garment?

In a creative clothing class I took, we were given a challenge to make a garment with texture. I decided it was time to try that little foot for my Bernina that makes pin tucks to attempt some curvy pin tucks! (If you have a Bernina, feet #30, 31, 32, 33 all make pin tucks.)

I started by making a bigger piece of fabric with lots of curvy pin tucks in a very light weight woven wool, perfect for a light weight jacket on cooler days. To make the pin tuck piece of fabric, just put the pin tuck foot on your machine according to the directions of your sewing machine manufacturer. Replace your needle with a twin needle (sometimes referred to as a double needle) and start stitching slightly curvy lines. If you try to make too big of a curve, you’ll get pleats in the pin tuck, so make the curves gentle.

Here is the finished jacket with curvy pintuck fabric inserts.