Smocking 101

The technique of smocking is actually the process of getting pleats into an outfit and then doing embroidery over the pleats which will hold them in place.

There are machines that "smock" for you, or get the pleats into the outfit.  It's a strange contraption that uses bent needles to run through the fabric.  You can move the needles around, and the pleats take on a different look.

Half Space vs Space and a Half

 I'm doing an outfit for a newborn, so the pleats are gong to be tiny.  The last time I used my machine I was doing a larger outfit so the needles were set wider apart (picture above).  There are notches in the barrels of the pleater and you can set the needles every half space or space and a half.  Every half space has them right next together each other (like the ones on the end of the barrel above). 

 Using quilting thread, each needle is threaded.  I run a piece of wax or freezer paper through my machine first, it kind of waxes the machine and the thread for the fabric to move through easier, it will also hold my threads for the next time I want to use the machine.  Roll the outfit onto a dole stick and start feeding it through the machine.  I'm using 14 needles above.  The fabric will push itself onto the needles, but you have to help it along at times.  It's really important to feed the fabric through straight.

 Once it's all through the machine, I pull up enough thread to be able to play with the adjustments of the pleats.  Leaving the thread in the wax paper, I cut the threads and tie in a big loose knot.  Laying the dress flat, I spread the pleats out loosely and tie another knot in the other end of the thread.

 This style of dress is called a Bishop Dress because the pleats go all the way around from back, over the sleeves, the front, over the other sleeve and around to the back again.  It will button down the back or the front, depending on which you prefer.

 I made a pillow for blocking my pleats several years ago.  It has a basic pattern for the Bishop dress, showing the placement for the center, sleeve seems and the back.  Each side of the pillow has different size patterns

 Taking the dress, I match up the center front, the sleeve seems and back folds to the pillow and pin.  Then gently I pull the threads until the dress is laying curved flat to the pillow.

 Once I have the basic form I'm looking for, I tie off my threads more securely.  Now I'm ready to start adding the embroidery.

Simple....right?