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From: Momaburke
Date: 02-12-2005, 09:54 AM (1 of 26)
I have never attempted to smock before but I really would like to find a good book that would help me to learn how to do this. I dont even know what kind of equipment this takes. I thought one would have to know how to pleat,fold the fabric. I have quilted and sewed for many years and really love the look of smocked items. Thanks for any advice. Any experts out there???????? 
Annette
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User: Momaburke
Member since: 01-03-2001 Total posts: 141 
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From: KayTee
Date: 02-12-2005, 12:05 PM (2 of 26)
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There are probably others on here that could answer this question much better than I, but I just picked up a book from the library that seems to have a wealth of information in it. Like you, I have no experience in smocking but it's something I'd like to learn so that I'm 'ready' when my grandkids come along in a few years. The books is called A-Z of Smocking. A ton of information about different stitches, very clear enlargements so you can really see what they're talking about, lots of photos. My only complaint about it is that the photos of the finished items could be larger but I'm a visual learner and can get more from a picture than written instructions (just as JoanneQuilts in the Beginning Quilting class!!!!). Hope this helps. |
User: KayTee
Member since: 12-06-2002 Total posts: 98 |
From: fairygodmother
Date: 02-12-2005, 12:16 PM (3 of 26)
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A-Z of Smocking (published by Country Bumpkin in Australia) is probably the best. If you are a visual person, and can teach yourself from books, this is the book for you. The instructions and illustrations are superb. It just about covers all the bases. Country Bumpkin is about to publish another book (or have by this time) entitled A-Z of Smocking Construction. All of their A-Z books are wonderful. Martha Pullen Co. also publishes a smaller book entitled "The Joy of Smocking" which would give anyone a good start, which she includes free w/her Dr. Joe pleater. You can purchase the book alone from her catalogue or her website. If you're thinking about attending the Arlington Sewing Market, I'm sure there will be classes on pleaters and beginning smocking; there always are. Good luck - smocking's a blast! |
User: fairygodmother
Member since: 02-10-2005 Total posts: 1 |
From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 02-12-2005, 04:31 PM (4 of 26)
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I do not know where in SC you are located, but my sister told me there is a great shop in the Greenville SC area for smocking equipment and supplies.. I can see if she remembers the name.. She found it in her job related travels.. She took a smocking class 'cause she has a new GrDaughter.. (almost 2 now).
Sew With Love
Libby |
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002 Total posts: 2022 
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From: JulieS
Date: 02-13-2005, 09:37 AM (5 of 26)
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I am working on my first smocking project, too. Last night I spent over an hour picking out two cable rows and one trellis row on a bishop. I have the A-Z book and it is a great resource (reading it made me realize something I was doing wrong and made me decide to pick out my stitches). I had a lesson last week, though, which was invaluable to me. I don't think I could have taught gotten myself started just from the book. Good luck! Julie |
User: JulieS
Member since: 01-11-2005 Total posts: 26 |
From: MaryW
Date: 02-14-2005, 09:17 AM (6 of 26)
Welcome Fairy Godmother to Sew Whats New. 
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: sewingnonie
Date: 02-16-2005, 03:03 PM (7 of 26)
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Sure is wonderful to see such an interest in smocking. I have been smocking over 20 yrs. I think those are the best two books on the market,but getting some hands on help really does speed up the learning process. All the stitches are just variations of the cable,so once you are comfortable with that,you got it. sewingnonie |
User: sewingnonie
Member since: 09-23-2004 Total posts: 175 |
From: Momaburke
Date: 02-16-2005, 04:04 PM (8 of 26)
I believe I might just give the A-Z Smocking a try. Thanks Fairy Godmother! Will try looking on Amazon for it. 
Annette
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User: Momaburke
Member since: 01-03-2001 Total posts: 141
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From: MaryW
Date: 02-17-2005, 07:35 AM (9 of 26)
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I am such a gaphead lately. I should have mentioned that Nonie has smocking projects right here on our site. http://sew-whats-new.com/sewing/hc/index2.shtml MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542
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From: Ole' Girl
Date: 03-14-2005, 05:12 PM (10 of 26)
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I subscribe to "Sew Beautiful" magazine and it is always full of smocking designs and heirloom techniques. Very well worth the money. You can usually pick them up at W-Mart also. Shirley C. |
User: Ole' Girl
Member since: 03-13-2005 Total posts: 33 |
From: luv2sew
Date: 03-18-2005, 09:23 AM (11 of 26)
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About 50 years ago I did some smocking and remember enjoying it but cannot remember how I did it. I did not have a pleater, in fact, had not heard of a pleater at that time. Not to say they did not exist. If anyone can tell me how smocking can be done without a pleater, it surely would be appreciated as I would like to try my hand at it again. Thank you. Luv2sew Luv2sew
An act of kindness is never wasted!! |
User: luv2sew
Member since: 05-21-2004 Total posts: 174 
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From: ohgal
Date: 03-20-2005, 01:45 PM (12 of 26)
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Hi Ladies, I was surfing around this a.m. looking at items on smocking. I'm another one who has found an interest in this craft, but don't know beans about it. Most every site I visited kept talking about expensive pleating machines! I did find one page I thought was pretty interesting if anyone cares to take a look...... http://www.creativekeepsake.com/index.html |
User: ohgal
Member since: 03-20-2005 Total posts: 14 |
From: luv2sew
Date: 03-22-2005, 10:02 AM (13 of 26)
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While looking for other information in Sew News, I found an article on smocking with and without a pleater, in the July, 2003 edition. It gives instruction on pleating with basting and mentions a Vogue pattern that has iron on dots. The basting method must be the one I used. Gonna give it a try sometime in the future when the quilting slows. Luv2sew Luv2sew
An act of kindness is never wasted!! |
User: luv2sew
Member since: 05-21-2004 Total posts: 174
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From: MaryW
Date: 03-22-2005, 11:49 AM (14 of 26)
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My SIL smocks with no pleater. You need the dots to smock accurately. This is the only way she knows to smock. Lovely work.
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542
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From: sewingnonie
Date: 03-22-2005, 02:11 PM (15 of 26)
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I think by now,most of you know how much I love smocking. But do you need a pleater? Heck no! Most of the people that end up getting pleaters are those that do lots of smocking and they are a real time saver. But you can have pieces pleated for you,I will even do some pleating for you. Also think about the fabric you are using,if you are using ginham,pick up every dark color square and see what you get. Then try picking up just the light color squares. You will get a totally different effect. have fabric that has little dots on it? pick up the dots that are already on the fabric and gather your fabric that way. Lots of ways to smock without investing in a pleater. Nonie |
User: sewingnonie
Member since: 09-23-2004 Total posts: 175 |
From: Ole' Girl
Date: 03-22-2005, 07:33 PM (16 of 26)
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I've done smocking with the iron on dots, and believe me if you are going to do smocking regularly, you either need a pleater, or have someone pleat the garment for you. One of the fabric stores I go to does this for a small fee. It is so worth it unless you can use checks or dots already printed on the fabric, like she said. Shirley Clark |
User: Ole' Girl
Member since: 03-13-2005 Total posts: 33 |
From: Hippiegirl
Date: 03-29-2005, 11:31 AM (17 of 26)
| In my Pfaff manual it states to use elastic thread which I have never done before. It states to wind the bobbin by hand. My hang up is that after your first row of gathering with an elastic thread it would be hard to pull the fabric straight in order to sew the next row to get the tension even. I guess it takes playing around. I still don't know all the wonderful things my machine can do, Im probably missing something... |
User: Hippiegirl
Member since: 03-21-2005 Total posts: 77 |
From: Mother in Law
Date: 04-14-2005, 01:24 AM (18 of 26)
| I am taking smocking classes as of right now. I had my first class Saturday before last and the next one is this Saturday. The book they recomended was The Joy of Smocking by Martha Pullen. It has all the basic stitches and some other cute picture stitches and patterns or plates as they call them. It's fairly easy to do once you learn the stitches. She pletes the fabric for us and she explained a little bit about the pleter to us but from what I seen and as little as I think I'd use this technique I'l rather pay her to plete my fabric for me when I do some smocking. |
User: Mother in Law
Member since: Total posts: |
From: MariLynnTX
Date: 04-20-2005, 07:40 PM (19 of 26)
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Hey, Nonie! Thanks for the smocking tips...that is one thing I have never done, don't know how I missed it. I tried crochet and knitting and just didn't care for them. I did some mock smocking once; ran gathering threads on a little dress for my first daughter and then pulled them to fit, and embroidered a design over the gathering stitches that hid them. Looked nice, but was fake smocking, not the real thing. I'll have to try it after I get moved down to Friendswood again. MariLynntx
Life is a song...we give it harmony or dissonance.
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User: MariLynnTX
Member since: 08-13-2001 Total posts: 256 |
From: SummersEchos
Date: 04-21-2005, 12:00 AM (20 of 26)
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Nonie, Wish you were closer to me, I would love to have a hands on teacher to show me what I do wrong. I love to learn new things and have someone to chat with while doing it. My grandmother taught me tatting and some smocking, but I didn't keep it up. Now I wish I could remember how I did it without having to read all those books again. Ever think of moving to Mich? LOL Summer Summer
FREE FALLIN |
User: SummersEchos
Member since: 09-29-2004 Total posts: 884 |
From: weezyrider
Date: 04-21-2005, 03:56 PM (21 of 26)
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Using elastic is actually shirring. The other way of smocking w/o a pleater is called 'honeycomb" You space pintucks equally apart, and then sew 2 together on one row, and alternate them on the 2nd row 1 & 2 , 3 & 4 together on the first row 1 2 & 3, 4 & 5 on the 2nd row. HTH Weezy |
User: weezyrider
Member since: 08-19-2003 Total posts: 218 
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From: sewingnonie
Date: 04-22-2005, 11:13 PM (22 of 26)
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Love it when people start smocking.I sure will help you all I can,don't think I will be moving anytime soon. What has worked for some is they have sent me pictures of their smocking and I have been able to get them going in the right direction. Basically once you have your cable row down you pretty much have got it. Send your smocking pictures to me,I am sure I can help. <email address removed for privacy> I know its more fun to sit and smock and chat away |
User: sewingnonie
Member since: 09-23-2004 Total posts: 175 |
From: sewingnonie
Date: 04-22-2005, 11:16 PM (23 of 26)
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MariLynn,you are helping me so much with fme,I am more then happy to help you with your smocking. Nonie |
User: sewingnonie
Member since: 09-23-2004 Total posts: 175 |
From: MariLynnTX
Date: 04-23-2005, 02:49 PM (24 of 26)
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Believe me, Nonie, I will take you up on that as soon as I get moved down to my son Jon's and settled in. It is a horrible job to dispose of all my extra furniture and miscellaneous stuff and books....I am going to have to get everything over to Shauna's when she is ready to have their garage sale. I cringe every time I even think about it all! I have a twin bed, a computer desk, a 6-foot oval glass table on wrought-iron base, 4 chairs to match, one loveseat, 2 side chairs, glass & brass coffee table, 32" television set, my cutting table, over-the-door ironing board, dishes, copper pots and pans.....and 3 years ago I thought I got rid of all this extra stuff! I wonder how much of it the Ladies of Charity will take for their store. I have several sacks of clothing set aside for them already. MariLynntx
Life is a song...we give it harmony or dissonance.
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User: MariLynnTX
Member since: 08-13-2001 Total posts: 256 |
From: SummersEchos
Date: 06-12-2005, 09:40 AM (25 of 26)
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Okay I am giving this a try. I have the directions to make the cute sundresses where you just cut out a rectangle, smock the top, add buttons, straps, hems, and all done. Well it says that for the top you need the chest measurments, minus 1.5 inches, then take that measurment and multiple by 4. So in doing this I need 3 yards of material. My GD chest is 27. This seems like so much material. I am reading this right? Oh by the way it is from the Sew Beautiful magazine this months I think. Summer Summer
FREE FALLIN |
User: SummersEchos
Member since: 09-29-2004 Total posts: 884 |
From: sewingnonie
Date: 06-12-2005, 01:21 PM (26 of 26)
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Summer, That is a darling sundress. I like the way it buttons in back,that also should give you some fabric to 'play' with. I think you are going to do just great. Nonie |
User: sewingnonie
Member since: 09-23-2004 Total posts: 175 |
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