Creator: Madonna Yoder
Diagrammer: Madonna Yoder
This pattern is for making the pictured Square Twists and Bars tessellation on fabric. The pattern is copied onto fabric and then the connected points are stitched together. There is no folding involved, but this method can be used to emulate many origami tessellations. This technique has been called North American Smocking, Canadian Smocking, Lattice Smocking, Italian Smocking, and American Smocking. It is not the same as English Smocking, which embroiders patterns on top of pleated fabric (and is more common).
Various origami artists have explored the connection with smocking before, including Chris Palmer (Shadowfolds) and Adrienne Sack.
This pattern is equivalent to the open back square twist flagstone tessellation.
What's included:
- Starting to finished size ratio
- Instructions on use
- Pattern on a background grid
- Pattern without a background grid
- Colored representation of the symmetries present in the pattern
Materials required for use:
- Fabric
- Needle and thread
- Marking pencil/pen/chalk
- Cutting tool (scissors/rotary cutter + mat)
- Ruler
- RECOMMENDED: light table/projector for pattern transfer
Recommended fabrics:
- Gingham and checked fabrics are great to start out for square grid patterns- the grid is already drawn for you!
- Mid-weight solids such as satin and velvet show the texture nicely in finished goods
- Consider the tracing method you'll use when you pick your fabric. If you're using light, don't get a fabric that's too dark.