July 6, 1997
Website: Garden Fairies Smocking & Needlearts Catalog
Smocking Newsletter - Beth-Katherine Kaiman, copyright 1997-2004, all rights reserved. Please respect my creativity and hard work and ask permission before you copy something from these newsletters for your non profit goup, I always ask that you quote me correctly and give me credit with a way for people to get back to me. Thank you. IF you wish to quote me in a venture for profit please contact me separately concerning royalties.
Please drop me an e-mail when you get there and let me know what you think, comments, suggestions and grammar corrections are always welcomed.
From Our Readers
From: nerak01@netcom.ca: "Why is it so difficult to find ladies smocking patterns. I think it would look lovely, but I don't have enough experience to alter other types of patterns."
Dear nerak (what is your name anyway?), we carry many adult smocking patterns on our website, I am working on a section for adult smocking as we type. Look for the announcement of it's arrival on the website next issue. Unfortunately there are not many pictures up there yet, we're working on that diligently. The companies to look for are Contessa - she has some elegant dress and blouse & skirt designs & her new jumper pattern is 'way cool' to quote my daughter; Janet Pace - a little bit of country look in one or two of her designs; Sarah Douglas - bishop blouse and cape, Sandy Hunter - a smocked blouse, Small Fantasies (I truly don't know if they are still in business) - many patterns for adults, Maggie's Classics - again many patterns for adults, Debbie Glenn's Love 'n Stitches - dresses you'd love to dress up in, A Garden of Smocking Designs - a blouse and nightgown, Grace Knott - a bishop blouse and nightgown; Smocking Horse Collection has a smocked skirt, blouse and dress pattern; Smickety Smocks from South Africa has one of the prettiest smocked adult patterns I've seen called Lynne Jane. Your best bet in letting me help you is to let me know your style and I can steer you towards the patterns that sound like the suit your needs. I will send out catalog sheets of these patterns upon request.
Adult Smocked Nightgown patterns can be found in the following company lines: Contessa, Grace Knott, Creative Keepsakes. We even have a smocked gown for nursing moms - Virginia's Smocked Nursing Gown by Smocked Togs.
For Counterchange Smocking: Emma Cox
For Heirloom Sewing the following companies have lovely blouses and nightgowns: A Work of Heart - a wonderful line of heart shaped lace blouse and dress as well as other blouses, Garden Fairies (yes that's me) 'Vivian' is a lovely 20's style blouse with lace and embroidery , Chery Williams has a ladies blouse pattern, Janet Pace has some reproduction blouse and skirt patterns; Briar Patch Designs has a couple of lovely ladies blouses.
Next issue I will be talking about adapting a commercial pattern for smocking in detail.
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Chery Williams Basic Square Yoke
From Josephine: "...I MUST comment on your advice about Chery Williams Basic yoke for beginners, though. I came to smocking because I found Sew Beautiful in a fabric store, and wanted my daughter to wear a picture-smocked basic dress in the '94 back to school issue. Through mail order, I purchased the supplies, and the seller recommended Williams, after hearing that my daughter was tall and slender. She had the older version in stock, on sale, because the newer ones were just coming out, but she said the newer ones were for chubbier children. I have bashed Williams' pattern instructions ever since then; if you follow her steps, for things like sleeve finishes, you can successfully sew your fingers; her plackets don't fit the button sizes, if you insert the collars with the suggested seam allowances, and on and on. My smocking group has much the same feeling about these; we almost universally prefer someone else; my personal favorite is Ginger Snaps, which to me, have clear, step by step directions and frankly have a broader shoulder, so that the fit for the kids I sew for, is better; others have used the smocking horse patterns with great results. (On pattern fit, though I have yet to find a better set than Elizabeth Travis Johnson's basic blocks.; the trick to me is in adding the ease.) Williams' instructions are counter-intuitive; she flips from beginning to couture instructions without any seque. About picture smocking, I started with that my first time out, and using an article in Sew Beautiful, with four strands of floss, did well enough to get an honorable mention ribbon at the Topsfield Fair; if someone has embroidered before, or done any cross -stitch, I don't see why they can't start out with whatever project they want: I would recommend instead that they start with floche, as you get better coverage which is easier than stripping, ironing, etc. at the beginning. Thanks for the newsletter! josephine"
Dear Josephine
Thanks for your comments on the Chery Williams pattern Basic Yoke Dress. I have heard a lot of stuff about her incomplete directions but you must admit they are better than Children's Corner. Ginger Snaps are wonderful!!!!! They are better than wonderful, they're grrrrreat!!! (A la Tony the Tiger). Ellen McCarn used to sell C.W.s patterns exclusively but had so many complaints from customers that she decided to design her own Bishop and Basic Yoke Dresses. The Bishop is another real good pattern with clear instructions, the basic yoke is not ready yet. Meanwhile I will definitely inform people about Ginger Snaps patterns and thank you again for visiting my site. Beth
P.S. The lady who I suggested about the Sleeves in the first place lives in Australia and would have had to pay an additional $10 for shipping the pattern to her to get it in time. That's why I originally suggested that she just alter the sleeve length.
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Don't you find floche a bit delicate for smocking with?
Actually, I can answer that with a qualified "it depends". For some things, it's the ticket; I didn't try it on this corduroy adventure, but will use it on a lighter calico. I also tend to have really strong colors, rather than pastels, which show up pretty well. Floche doesn't seem to fray or give me other trouble, though, although my daughter hasn't stayed the same size long enough to put things to a true test. Cheers, josephine"
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Perfecting French Seams for Pleating
From Pat: "I am a novice at the smocking game but am always ready to tackle a complex problem. I joined SAGA and am looking for a local group. I signed up for the apprentice program but so far have not done anything to accumulate points. My big problem right now is how to get my french seams smaller so they go through the pleater better. Everything looks lumpy so far. If you have any suggestions I would be grateful. Thanks, Pat"
For perfect french seams: usually your seam allowance is 1/2" on the smocking patterns, sometimes they are smaller (like Children's Corner's 1/4" seams - ouch, but their thinking is you are going to cut it off anyway so why not start small to begin with). The first step is to match wrong sides together and sew 1/4" seam, then meld your stitches by steaming them in with the iron. This process is different than ironing open your seams because it actually melds the thread into your fabric threads instead of it lying on top of the surface. The trim your seam allowance down to 1/8" or 1/16. Use a rotary cutter and ruler for the most perfect even cut, or if you are good use the scissors. Then fold the seam over to one side and press in place. Then turn over the other side of the fabric matching right sides tog. and press the seam encasing the raw edge. Next, stitch the second part of the french seam. Meld your stitches again and your seam is ready for sending through the pleater.
Some ladies serger their seams and swear by them for the ease in which they go through the pleater but many of us prefer the look of french seams.
Hope this helps,
Beth-Katherine
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"How do I keep the rows I smock uniform and not uneven. No matter how hard I try, I can't keep them uniform. Thanks Mary Morgan"
Sounds to me like you are not being consistent in the placement of your needle. The rule to follow is to ALWAYS keep your needle parallel to the pleating rows. These pleating rows are considered much like the even threads in counted thread embroidery, they are your constant and your guide to keep your smocking even. Even after smocking for 12 or so years I always still check to make sure when I am smocking in the middle of two rows that my needle is parallel to the top and bottom pleating row. This way I know I am being consistent.
If you can imagine a clock on your pleated piece of fabric for a moment. The pleating rows are on the 12:00 - 6:00 axis. You are going to be ALWAYS (and I'll talk about this 'always' in the next issue) placing your needle into the pleats at the 9:00 - 3:00 axis. If you keep this image in mind at all times while you are smocking your stitches will come out beautifully.
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"This is in reply to newsletter Vol 1 issue 8a
KWHarb asked about a pattern to go with paperdoll fabric. I bet you have the pattern I am about to suggest. The Children's Corner, Paperdolls, a patchwork inset. I have seen this made and is really pretty with the different colors for hair.
Thank you so much for all of the good info. My husband loves your name GarFairies. Jane"
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"Wonderful information!!!
Our guild has a lot of interest in dolls, our fundraiser every year is to buy an American girl doll and we sell raffle tickets for her - she comes with a nice storage trunk and a large wardrobe of clothes which are all made by our members so they are all smocked - appliqued - french hand sewing, etc.
She usually has a wardrobe of about 20 outfits - this year we have a book of outfits through the year and we have assigned different months to our members and we designing our outfits with that theme - one member has knitted her several sweaters -one go with a poodle skirt and I also a holiday one."
Sounds like someone is going to be very happy when they win that raffle, I know I would. -- Beth
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What size Pintuck Foot is best?
From Linda:
I am currently teaching smocking and heirloom sewing for a local fabric store, so any tidbits are great to pass along. I also have a question - maybe you can help. I just purchased a Viking 1+ after sewing on an Elna 7000 for 12 years. I now have to purchase new gathering and pintuck feet. My Elna had one foot available. Now I must choose between a 5,7,and 9-groove pintuck foot. What would be advantages/disadvantages to more grooves? Any comments are appreciated!"
Well as the commercial says "wider is better". I too debated on which size pintuck foot to get and finally opted for the widest one because at some point in time I would have a need for it and have to go out and buy it. As far as advantages and disadvantages to more grooves I leave that one to be answered by the ladies out there ...
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Oh and I just couldn't resist a little pat on the back that I received the other day:
"I am THRILLED with your Newsletter... I just subscribed over the past weekend and today had the time to sit and read the issues you sent to me. OH MY... I want to go and start one of everything. Your descriptions are wonderful, the articles are so interesting and it just makes me want to do it all ... NOW... Thank you Thank you. Gingir"
Thank you for your appreciation, at least someone cares for what I do, sniff, sniff - a mother whose daughter has hit puberty (rather whose DD's puberty has hit).
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"Last October I took a beginning smocking class. My first project during class was an ornament. I finished it in time for Christmas.
I have started my first garment. It is a size 6X Ginger's Basic Yoke Dress pattern. The plate I am using is "Laura" from "The Best Of Australian Smocking & Embroidery". I had to rip out the second row 3 times before I got it right. The material is a blend, border print fabric (lambs) in peach, seafoam accent, white and a darker green.
I used seafoam piping at the yoke and will use it in the collar and sleeve cuffs. Debra Dirks"
Gosh doesn't that sound familiar ladies (and mellow men), I know I have spent almost as much time ripping out stitches as I have putting them in. Like the time I first tried picture smocking the Creative Keepsakes crayon plate. LOL you just don't know how many times I worked on getting the borders right and then found to my dismay that my crayons were NOT where they should have been . . .
sigh, Debra welcome to the wonderful world of smocking, your dress sounds divine.
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In a chat we were talking about all of the interesting things you find when you do a web search on the word 'Smocking'. For instance I found a fascinating paragraph by a young man at ripe old age of 7 talking about the dangers of smocking and how you never want to start at all. Then I get this in the mail from Dawn:
"I was doing a web search for smocking and this came up.........couldn't resist sending it to you for a laugh..........................share with DD tell her smocking marijuana makes you loose your ability to spell of all things LOL. Dawn
Re: Smocking Marajauna http://www.webgal.com/sanmateo/wwwboard/messages/714.html
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And I thought you in America would be interested in this e-mail I received:
"Yes please! I would love to receive the back issues. Your newsletter fills a big information gap for those of us who love smocking! Here in Australia we have a great magazine, but that's about where it ends. Thanks, Nicole Stals"
Thank you Nicole I hope that we can add to your information.
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Answer to Question about Smocked Pockets
"At this point I make a lot of my own clothes and am interested in smocking pockets on the shirts as I learn the different techniques. Does this have to be backed with an iron-on stabilizer ? How would you make into a pocket?
Sandy in Colorful Colorado
Sandy I recently saw in issue #39 of Australian Smocking a method of applying smocked patches would could be adapted for your smocked pockets. Each patch was backed by a lining fabric and then handsewn onto garment. In the case of a pocket I would definitely line you smocking as you wouldn't want the knots to come loose. I wouldn't worry about an iron-on stabilizer as I think the lining and back smocking would take care of the slack in the pleats. I would just go ahead and pipe the edges and flap and then stitch in the ditch of the piping around the edges to attach the pocket to the garment. You have your choice of either piping the top edge of the pleats and not have a 'flap' or else make the flap part of the lining and pipe the edge onto the smocking.
Any other suggestions out there as to a smocked pocket?
"Nobody tells me. Nobody keeps me informed. I make it seventeen days come Friday since anybody spoke to me." -- Eeyore