Pleating is a technique to apply folds to a textile. This craft dates as far as ancient Egypt and can be found in many cultures around the world. A consequent development was seen during the 18th century thanks to new fabrication techniques with machines. Nowadays, most of the simple patterns (flat, accordion and box pleats) are machines made and the complex ones handcrafted using stitches, gathering or the most used technique : cardboard moulds. Famous pleated creator/studio include: [Fortuny](https://www.fortuny.shop/blog/stories/delphos-fortuny-the-story-of-a-dress-that-became-an-icon/) [Lognon](https://www.le19m.fr/en/les-residents/les-ateliers-lognon), [Ciment pleating](https://www.cimentpleating.com/) and [Issey Miyake](https://www.isseymiyake.com/en/).
Unfortunately, this unique craft is declining and in Europe only a few craftsman's houses are still in activity, working mainly for haute couture. This recent decline is partially due to industrial machines making the simple patterns but also due to a lack of transmission of the know-hows. Sadly, many artisans are very reluctant to openly share their knowledge making it difficult to learn and develop pleating.
The advantages of textile pleating are however numerous and should not be restricted to aesthetic or the fashion industry. Pleating offers: memory of form, optimisation of material, large deployment capacity, patterns, volume.
How to learn pleating when no info can be found on internet and only few specialists accept to share their knowledge?
How to practice pleating with the difficulty to find the right tools?
Is it possible to rediscover this lost heritage and modernize it? 
A few creators tend to tackle this challenge, like Samira Boon working in the Textiellab of Tilburg. She explores new methods for textile pleating with industrial looms. As an artist specialised in folding and autodidact practitioner of textile pleating, I also want to propose solutions. I have been learning technological skills in the fablab OpenFab in Brussels for a few years. I have the intuition that the machines found it these places could help it this process (laser cutter, 3D printer, CNC…). Rather than opposing machine vs handmade creations, I want to propose a way to empower future pleat artisans by creating and sharing opensource low-tech tools made in fablabs.
- Paysages kinétiques
Croisement de motifs dépigmentés à la découpeuse laser et de plissés main.
Collaboration avec la designeuse Anne-Sophie Muller au fablab OpenFab durant Design September 2017.
- Folding loom
A tool to learn, explore and produce folded patterns faster, preciser.
Documented during brussels fablabs network during maker residency #1, at Microfactory and Cityfab3 in 2022.
- Portable steamroom
To cook giant ravioli.