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SMOCKING STITCHES
Smocking is a technique used to gather fabric so that it can
stretch. Smocking has been used since the Middle Ages and was
commonly used in garments where buttons were undesirable.
The fabric was gathered or pleated and the gathers were then
held in place by different types of stitches.
Today we have a more modern way to do smocking. Use light
weight fabric, that is already pleated and decorate it with the
smocking stitches in your machine (3:32-3:36). The finished
result imitates hand smocking as it was made hundreds of years
ago.
1. Select stitch 3:35. Stitch the smocking stitch across the
pleated fabric, using one of the pleating threads as a guideline
to keep stitching row straight.
2. Reselect the same stitch and mirror it side to side. Begin
sewing at exactly the same starting point. Stitch next to the
first row of stitching matching the points of this "wave"
smocking stitch.
3. Select stitch 3:32 for the cable stitch, and stitch and an
additional row of smocking.
4. Continue decorating the fabric.
36 – SEWING
Light Weight fabric and any of the smock stitches
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