Smocking Help

If you have emailed us problems with your smocking we will put the answers up here for everyone to learn from them.

New smocking videos

Click here to see how smocking is done. How to set up your pleater. How to pleat and block your fabric. And how to do some basic smocking stitches. More will be added as time goes on.

• Can you show pictures of how to start the first stitches in smocking?

Click here for the answer.

• Could you show me how to use a pleater?

Click here for the answer.

Adrianne’s Attic has a great how to on how to pleat

How To Pleat

All photos below are thumbnails click to see larger view

The pattern used for the dress is Ellen McCarn yoke dress. The smocking plate is Princess Rose from creative needle Mar/Apr 1999. The fabric for the dress is broadcloth.

Dress and pinafore are from Little Vogue #8608 Smocking plate–Creative Needle Nov/Dec 2003 “Double Delight”

Fabric- Cotton from Jo_Ann fabrics..

The Pattern is: CC Marydee Fabric:100% pima cotton from Karen Faylor

Smocking Plate: Junebugs “Just a Little Bite”

The CC Marydee is always a fun jumper/sundress to make.

Zoe’s Christmas dress was sewn, using Love and Stitches Toddler yoke dress.
Fabric is batiste and the trim piping is red and white strpped. Smocking plate is Candy-licious by Ellen McCarn.

Sleeveless bishop with collar overlay. The instructions on how to make this dress can be found in the forum in the classes section.

Little Kisses from AS&E issue #65. Fabric used is imperial batiste. There are a total of 33 roses.

The outfit is called Sunshine and comes from AS&E issue #60

The red pinafore was made using a op simplicity pattern, the smocking plateis called “Lace It Up”

Sundress was made using the pattern “Conner” by Maggie Bunch. Embroidery design is by Wendy Schoen.

Glacier Blue from Sew Beautiful Jan/Feb 2004

Capri Set. Party Time from AS and E issue 63

Smocking plate Princess Rose from Creative Needle Mar/Apr 1999

Sweatshirt is smocked using a Laura Jenkins Thompson plate called Davids Dinosaurs.I used broad cloth for the insert. Click for larger image (27kb)

To learn more about the white bishop click here

To learn more about the blue bishop click here

To learn more about the mary de one click here

Click for larger image of santa shirt.

To learn more about the isabelle click here