5 Pleater Training Videos: Know Your Pleater, Preparing the Pleater, Preparing the Fabric, Pleating the Fabric, Specialized Pleating

Includes 23 Half Spaces, 34 Needles and Rows across the entire 9" pleater needle brass roll, Smock Gathering Machine, Extra 12 Needles

Note: Amanda Jane Pleaters Made in Australia are no longer being made.
AllBrands imports the Read 16, 24 and 32 Row Pleaters which will continue to be available.
Read Pleaters have heavy duty stable base, plate with anti skid rubber feet, extra large side plate opening allowing for large capacity of rolled up fabric, simple pin type roller holding system allows for quick and easy needle access, comfortable and user friendly dual handles for maximum versatility, heavy duty solid brass rollers capable of handling heavier weight fabrics.

Like the Read 32 row, the Read 24 row MAXI has been redesigned and improved offering all the same great features with the difference being the number of half rows. Half row spacing span the entire length of the rollers. Half spaces can be used as guidelines when smocking or to better hold difficult fabrics that tend to open and bubble the pleats. Pleat half spaces on light to light-medium fabric only. Remove half row needles (every 2nd needle) when pleating medium to heavy weight fabric.

Half cm spacing across the entire width of the roller (47 needles). Half-spaces can be used as guidelines when smocking and to improve holding onto difficult fabrics which bubble (no body to the fabric, pleat collapses type fabrics). The MAXI can also be used as a Regular pleater (24 needles) by removing the half-space needles (every other needle)--needle spacing is then 3/8" apart. Heavy-duty stable base-plate with anti-skid feet. Extra large side-plate opening allowing for large capacity of rolled-up fabric on the dowel. Simple, pin-type roller holding system allows for quick and easy needle access. Comfortable and user-friendly dual handles for maximum versatility. Heavy-duty solid brass rollers. Capable of handling some heavy-weight fabrics, plus most lightweight fabrics.

• 24 row pleater has 24 needles
  
• plus 23 half spaces and needles, totaling 47 needles
  
• Brass rollers pleats 12 inch width of fabric
  
• Metal end brackets to match brass rolls
  
• Left and right hand turning knobs
  
• Mounted on base
  
• Made in South Africa
  
• Uses New Style READ Needles Only!
  
• The roller pin device is used in our new range 24 & 32-Row pleaters, whereas the 16-Row uses the original system which has two securing screws, which need to be loosened but not removed, in order to take out the removable roller to clean.
  
  South African Craft Magazines “Stitches” Article about the Read Pleater Company (.PDF)

Extended US Warranty: 1 year parts, 90 days labor on defects in materials and workmanship.

Non-US Warranty: 30 days parts and labor.

Pleater Know-how Solid British craftsmanship and engineering for professional results, Pleating and smocking made easy, with a pleater you can really trust.

The Princess Pleater is the only pleater manufactured in the whole of Europe, or the USA. England is the home of smocking. For over 30 years we have produced this machine. Produced by craftsmen with traditional materials, it’s designed to be strong and long-lasting. The Princess Pleater has 24 rows with 47 half-spaced needle grooves along the 23.7cm wide brass rollers. Standard spacing per needle is 1.0cm, or for finer smocking using half-spaced needles, 0.5cm. The machine includes 24 needles fitted.

The process is simple, thread the needles, roll and feed in the fabric and off you go! Most fabrics pleat with ease, even needlecords and wools. The sides are open, so any width of fabric can be used. And handles at each end give complete control. Pleat depth is about 8mm, depending on fabric thickness.

Who uses the Princess Pleater?

• Amateurs and professionals in workrooms, dressmaking and artistic environments.
  
• Shibori artists enhance creativity, increase productivity.
  
• Schools, colleges, universities – for teaching.
  
• In fact, many students buy their own Princess because they are so impressed.
  
  The Princess all-British Pleater enables you to gather fabrics for smocking, shibori, etc. It will save you time and trouble with those tedious tasks, and let you get on with more enjoyable work.
  
  High-quality materials throughout. The base is varnished dense wooden fibre board. The side plates are solid aluminium, solid brass is used for the rollers. No adjustment should be needed, but it is important not to overtighten the screws holding the side plates to the baseboard.
  
  OPERATION:
  Thread as many needles as you need with the lengths of thread you require. You can remove any unwanted needles to save making needle holes in fabric where you want to avoid holes. See the section on changing or moving needles. Try a test piece first in case your first attempt would damage some valuable fabric. There might be some oil or transit grime left on the rollers – practice makes perfect.
  
  Best way is to roll your fabric around a wooden dowel stick about 10 to 20mm. thick, of suitable length. We do not supply the stick with the machine as your requirements will vary according to the size of the fabric pieces you want to use. It helps to attach the end of the fabric to the stick with adhesive tape for stability.
  
  Then slide the rolled fabric (on the stick) through the side loops of the upright coloured plates through which the rollers run, with the fabric coming off the bottom of the roll. Feed the leading straight edge of the fabric into the teeth of the top and bottom front rollers while turning the knobs gently, carefully ensuring that the fabric is taken up straight and evenly, as the start will determine the quality of the gathering across the whole piece.
  
  Keeping the tension even all the way across the fabric is important, this can take a few attempts to get right. You can use either or both turning knobs plus an extra dowel stick laid over the fabric as it comes off the bottom of the first dowel stick. This second stick will need to be about 28cm. in length.
  
  This second stick can be quite thick if you wish. What it does is to keep the tension even across the width of the fabric, while you have two hands free to turn the knobs. As you turn the knobs the fabric will pass through the rollers, emerging onto the needles and you will need to pull it onto the threads to keep the needles clear.
  
  If you meet strong resistance as you turn the knobs it may mean the fabric is becoming folded. If this happens you can reverse up to a quarter turn of the knobs to release jammed fabric, but it is best avoided by making sure the fabric is taken up straight and not folded as it passes through.
  
  FABRIC TENSION AND FINE SMOCKING:
  Probably the most important detail which affects the quality of the gathering you will achieve is the tension of the fabric. If there is too much ‘pull’ against the direction of movement of the fabric, you will put stress on the needles and possibly tear a fine fabric. Conversely if there is no tension (or different tensions across the fabric width) you are more likely to have ‘off line’ or unevenly gathered fabric, or even missed gathers. Again practise makes perfect and lots of users use no dowel quite effectively. It all depends on your individual style.
  
  By now you should have some gathered fabric – and that is all there is to it. Occasionally needles may break and these are easily changed.
  
  There are half-spaced grooves the full width of the rollers to be used if you wish to do very fine smocking. Simply move the needles or use extra ones to fill as many of these positions as you need.
  
  CHANGING, MOVING, REPLACING NEEDLES:
  Using a small screwdriver inserted in the slot in the black circular roller holders. These are recessed into the coloured side plates and they hold the removable roller in position. Push the slots to the vertical position and the roller can be lifted out or levered gently using your screwdriver.
  
  Now the needles will lift out easily and go back positioned just between the top and bottom front rollers where the fabric feeds in. The shoulder of the needle rests on the bottom back roller, the top back roller keeps the needles in place while gathering.
  
  SPARE NEEDLES
  Spare needles are available in packs of 16 at £7.50 for one pack, or £14.00 for two packs. For heavy users we do offer a lower price of £70.00 for 10 packs. These prices include UK post and packing.
  
  REPAIR AND TOOLS
  We do not supply any specific tools because all you are likely to need is a small screwdriver. To dismantle the machine (and it is very simple) for major cleaning or repairs you will need a cross-headed stubby screwdriver to loosen the screws under the bottom of the baseboard.
  
  Alignment is important, so is light lubrication. PRINCESS PLEATERS is owned by Geoffrey Magnay, and he will do all he can to ensure you have years of trouble-free use from your Princess.

Extended US Warranty: 1 year parts, 90 days labor on defects in materials and workmanship.

Non-US Warranty: 30 days parts and labor.

For Read 24 & 32 Row Pleater Machines after 1998. These are Longer, NOT Interchangeable with Shorter 16 Row

• These needles are for NEW Read 24 and 32 row Pleaters made after 1998.
  
  South African Craft Magazines “Stitches” Article about the Read Pleater Company (.PDF)

Non-US Warranty: 30 days parts and labor.

for Amanda Jane Australia, Sally Stanley South Africa, Marys and Dr. Joe Made in USA, for their 16 & 24 Row Smocking Pleater Machines

Ships by First Class Postage only.

Needles for Amanda Jane 16 & 24 Row AUSTRALIA, Sally Stanley 24 Row Pleaters NLA from SOUTH AFRICA

Extended US Warranty: 30 days replacement if defective.

Non-US Warranty: 30 days parts and labor.

Non-US Warranty: 30 days parts and labor.