We have slowly made the realization that we will not be one of “those bloggers.” You know the ones. They are the ones that you can recognize the maker of a sewn garment without any clues as to whom it might be, all due to styling, fabric coordination, photography, etc.  This has taken us a while to accept because let’s face it: we really, really, really wanted to be one of them….

However, what we HAVE come to realize, is that we see an underlying theme emerging through our work. That theme is the incorporation of hand work on many of our creations, whether on knits, cotton, or finer fabric. No, it’s not on everything we make {so much to sew, so little time}, but when it IS incorporated, the sewn garment elevates to one we are a bit more proud of creating…

Through the past three years, many of you have expressed an interest in using handwork in your garments, but just aren’t sure how to begin. And while we tell those of you that ask, “it’s easy…it just takes a little time.” we aren’t sure you really believe us.

Sooooooooo, we thought we might give you a little push to delve into handwork of your own. And while there are a number of different types of handwork, our focus for today is SMOCKING. Think of this post as one that gives a little background information / terminology / where to begin for the beginner smocker. No….it won’t tell you everything about smocking, or probably even scratch the surface, but it is a START toward learning a new skill.

And, *PSST….DISCLAIMER: We don’t know everything there is to know about smocking {by a LONG stretch}, but we know some basics {that’s all you need to get started anyway} as well as some resources we frequent when completing projects.

What is smocking? It is embroidery stitches used to hold a wide piece of gathered cloth in even pleats / folds.

There are two main types of smocking – English and American. Lisa, of Mommy’s Apron Strings, did a great job explaining the difference between the two. We have only done English smocking on our projects, but American smocking would be fun to try out on a pocket, or something small, and the type of smocking you could do without a pleater.

What is a pleater? A pleater is used to pleat the fabric in preparation to smock. Pleaters come in various sizes – generally speaking, the more rows you have on your pleater, the more expensive the cost. They are also available to purchase with whole rows or half rows of pleats.

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If you don’t want to invest in a pleater, that’s fine {we don’t have one either}! There are ready-to-smock items available for purchase {LOADS are found here}, or if you are like us and want to pick out your fabric, many heirloom shops will pleat the selected fabric for you. In fact, we recently had one pleated here for an upcoming project.

Prior to pleating a garment, you will need to determine what you want to smock. This is called a smocking plate. There are two types of plates: geometric smocking plates and picture smocking plates.

Geometric Smocking {as seen on smocked yoke}

Picture Smocking {stacking}

Most people begin with geometric smocking {in order to learn the stitches} before moving into picture smocking. When one sews using picture smocking, this is called stacking {because it is merely stacking cable stitches one on top of another}. We still prefer geometric smocking over picture smocking.

Generally, smocking is found on a yoke, a bishop, or an insert.

A Smocked Yoke

A Smocked Bishop

A Smocked Insert {not blogged about, or ironed – straight from “the bin”}

Of course, there are some other beautiful areas to incorporate smocking as well {as seen here and here}. Each of these smocking forms require blocking {a fancy word for “sizing” the pleated area to the correct size}. We use the Heirloom Stitcher’s Shape ‘N Press to size our bishops to the correct size. You block your garment prior to smocking, as well as after completing your smocking {before you sew the garment}. Blocking requires LOTS of pins, and even more starch!!

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There are a plethora of online resources available for those interested in smocking – from inspirational looks…to books…to beginner kits. You can’t go wrong with Australian Smocking and Embroidery magazines. MULTIPLE PAGES are dedicated to stitches, detailing how to make each one. Ellen McCarn on English Smocking is an excellent book for beginning sewists {geometric plates}. Perfecting Picture Smocking {by Laura Jenkins Thompson} is another terrific book, but obviously for beginning sewists of picture smocking plates!

As for inspiration? Well there are always the blogs of: Kathy’s Sewing Adventures, Martha’s Southern Matriarch, Creations by Michie, and Gail’s Lulu and Annie just to name a few. All of these ladies are PHENOMENAL!! Absolutely stellar…and KNOW. THEIR. STUFF!! Not to mention, so eager to help others when asked…**Yes, that is spoken with experience because they’ve helped us out, time and time again!!

Then, you can always join the SAGA Facebook page. SAGA is the acronym for “Smocking Arts Guild of America” – a deceptive name, because they do other forms of handwork other than smocking. There, you can see handwork inspiration, as well as ask for help when needed. Yes, it is a guild…and one that is open for annual memberships too.

If you are anxious to give smocking a try, you might want to purchase an inexpensive Smock-a-Stitch Starter Kit from The Children’s Corner Store. This kit includes a sample pleated insert, a smocking needle, one skein of DMC embroidery thread, and basic instructions.  What better way to practice and refine some basic smocking stitches??

So, there you have a little background information and terminology for smocking! And, you’re right. There’s been no mention of thread …. or needles … or smocking stitches …. YET! Just the background “stuff.” Hope this whets your smocking appetites a bit, and you want to find out more about the process and/or give it a try …

For all you “fellow smockers” out there, feel free to chime in on the comment section with your favorite, go-to resources for smocking! It’s always refreshing to hear from you, and your preferred resources.

And, if you are not currently smocking, but would like to know more about a specific aspect of it, please comment with what you’d like to see featured!!

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