Textile pleating may be down to one craftsperson in Canada

Textile pleating, which sets permanent folds in cloth, is vanishing in Canada. Artist Amélie Brisson-Darveau's research suggests one artisan may be left practising it in Montreal, and perhaps in the country.

I discovered how closely it was tied to the history of the textile industry here, to its offshoring and to a broader economic context.

— Amélie Brisson-Darveau

How pleating works

• Fabric is placed in moulds that shape the folds
• It is laid flat between two sheets
• Heat and steam in a steamer set the folds

The slow process presses fabric into moulds, then sets the folds with heat and steam.

Brisson-Darveau, a doctoral student at UQAM, showed pleated fabric strips and the workshop's tools in an exhibition at Atelier circulaire in Montreal through October.