North American smocking

origami and fabric manipulation new and old

A few years back my origami mentor / professor of origami math Dr. Tom Hull encouraged me to submit a proposal for a lecture about my original origami research to 7OSME, an academic origami conference held at Oxford in the UK. While studying fashion

A few years back my origami mentor / professor of origami math Dr. Tom Hull encouraged me to submit a proposal for a lecture about my original origami research to 7OSME, an academic origami conference held at Oxford in the UK. While studying fashion I'd noticed that some fabric manipulation techniques like the above dress from France 1778 looked a lot like some origami tessellations that have been developed much more recently.

In my lecture I demonstrated that these fabric examples of North American smocking (aka American smocking aka Canadian smocking aka lattice smocking aka reverse smocking and more aka's) and paper origami tessellations are structurally identical despi

In my lecture I demonstrated that these fabric examples of North American smocking (aka American smocking aka Canadian smocking aka lattice smocking aka reverse smocking and more aka's) and paper origami tessellations are structurally identical despite being made with very different techniques.

Origami crease pattern (red and blue) overlaid with smocking pattern (green). We can see that there must be some relationship between the oirgami and smocking patterns. See Jewelry section for more information about crease patterns.

Origami crease pattern (red and blue) overlaid with smocking pattern (green). We can see that there must be some relationship between the oirgami and smocking patterns. See Jewelry section for more information about crease patterns.

After Oxford I was invited to give this lecture at MIT, the Museum of Mathematics NYC, and an Italian origami convention. I also included some of these findings in a different lecture I gave in Spain.

After Oxford I was invited to give this lecture at MIT, the Museum of Mathematics NYC, and an Italian origami convention. I also included some of these findings in a different lecture I gave in Spain.

I got bored with fabric smocking so I tried it with leather. When I stitched the leather I pulled the needle through only part of the thickness of the leather so that my stitches wouldn't show. That was hard! This was part of my exhibit at the Museum

I got bored with fabric smocking so I tried it with leather. When I stitched the leather I pulled the needle through only part of the thickness of the leather so that my stitches wouldn't show. That was hard! This was part of my exhibit at the Museum of Mathematics NYC.

Since I figured out how to smock with leather I could finally answer a question I'd been getting for over a decade: can I do origami shoes?

Since I figured out how to smock with leather I could finally answer a question I'd been getting for over a decade: can I do origami shoes?

Although I did learn to make shoes from scratch while I was an Accessories Design student at FIT, equipment constraints required me to modify existing shoes.

Although I did learn to make shoes from scratch while I was an Accessories Design student at FIT, equipment constraints required me to modify existing shoes.

I also lectured about an old fabric pleating technique called plisseur that’s used in Parisian couture. Many plisseur patterns have identical structures to recently discovered origami corrugations. This sample of chiffon which I corrugated using the

I also lectured about an old fabric pleating technique called plisseur that’s used in Parisian couture. Many plisseur patterns have identical structures to recently discovered origami corrugations. This sample of chiffon which I corrugated using the plisseur technique was exhibited at the Museum of Mathematics NYC.

I demonstrated folding the previously mentioned hexagonal weave tessellation for an Apartment Therapy video that went a little viral. Last I checked it had about 182k views.

I demonstrated folding the previously mentioned hexagonal weave tessellation for an Apartment Therapy video that went a little viral. Last I checked it had about 182k views.

I also showed that you can convert many origami tessellations into smocking patterns and vice versa. At top I converted a traditional smocking pattern into an origami snakeskin tessellation. At bottom I converted Joel Cooper's hexagonal weave tessell

I also showed that you can convert many origami tessellations into smocking patterns and vice versa. At top I converted a traditional smocking pattern into an origami snakeskin tessellation. At bottom I converted Joel Cooper's hexagonal weave tessellation into a smocking pattern.

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