October 2, 1997 e-Mail: smockingstore@att.net
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
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In This Issue:
From Our Readers
Smocking Herstory
Beginner's Corner
Smocking Stitches
Chat with Sarah Douglas
On Sunday, 9/28/97 we had a smocking chat with Ms. Sarah Douglas, author
of The Pleater Manual where she answered questions about working with pleaters.
Knowing that she is known for her extensive research on the history of smocking
I am including an excerpt from that chat where she is talking a bit about
the history of smocking. Hope you enjoy it. (For her privacy I have changed
her screen name)
GarFairies:Sarah I've been told that you are an Historian of Smocking do you know where it started? SarahDouglas: did a lot of digging once upon a time. the oldest possible piece I know about came out of a Danish bog. 1175, ad was the last date I saw anyone put on it. looks like an insert smocked in outline stitch, from GarFairies: Where do I get some more info about this? SarahDouglas: the photo in an Article in the Embroiderer's guild, London, magazine several years ago. I'll try to look it up. There was something earlier that made it sound more possible. GarFairies: ok I'll ask there. Someone said that they thought it was related to Italian Shirring SarahDouglas: there is English smocking that goes back to the 15th c. baby bonnets in Bath and the V&A Among other things. about a dozen kinds of smocking done over the centuries SarahDouglas: running stitch, like Italian and back stitches, and then you can use stretching back stitches and through the pleat ones. AnneWynne: Sarah, any particularly good sources for the history of smocking? SarahDouglas: no really good single source, anne. AnneWynne: Thanks SarahDouglas: Diana Keay's book has quite a bit of information. AnneWynne: title? GarFairies: The book of Smocking (yes I have a few copies left) SarahDouglas: She is I know wildly wrong about one thing, but not important. Can't remember. SarahDouglas: good, someone can remember. SarahDouglas: In the 17th c they used running stitches on the surface of pleated fabric and set up designs that can be copied by counting pleats. Then in this case, they whipped the running stitches making an outline that looks like a heavy cord lying on the surface. Neat. SarahDouglas: I can say for sure that it didn't begin with the Mayfair smock in the V&A GarFairies: Have you seen smocking from other countries? SarahDouglas: Yugoslavia had it's own system SarahDouglas: Romania still does, and was exporting it 15 years ago. Yucky cheese cloth Type blouses, but neat, smocking. Worked up and down and across to pull up the pleats. Can't describe it quickly SarahDouglas: I put all this together for my SAGA master's paper. Dozen or so museums which is easy to do when you are teaching a lot AnneWynne: Sarah, did your master's paper cover smocking in medieval times? SarahDouglas: yes, some. SarahDouglas: outline stitch, most of the time. Nothing tricky. And then the Italian shirring. SarahDouglas: Katie Kliot has a nifty bit of a swatch made by someone testing a design SarahDouglas: she was working on 100 count linen, counting threads to get it straight little people and baskets Gbokc: whoa SarahDouglas: 17th century SarahDouglas: yes. whoa AnneWynne: What is Italian shirring? Is it the same as lattice smocking? SarahDouglas: ok, scratch chella thornton as inventor of pictures. No, Anne it is running stitch, on flat fabric, then pulled up. you have to count or fake it on pleats SarahDouglas: and then pull the pleating threads out and let it puff. SarahDouglas: Portuguese and Spanish left the pleating threads in. Started with pleated fabric Gbokc: used in sleeves? AnneWynne: when does that date from (historically speaking)? SarahDouglas: Spanish exported smocking, small pox and syphilis to the new world KKSmockP: yes GarFairies: yes GarFairies: the three s's SarahDouglas: Spanish? lots of 17th and 18th c left around SarahDouglas: V&A has a shirt that is a really good match to one at the Royal Ontario in Toronto. Made me SarahDouglas: think there was a workshop grinding them out. It also has some stuff with pulled thread on it. Exotic pulled thread. my current love SarahDouglas: There is something at western reserve in Cleveland SarahDouglas: with beads on the surface stitches. Just running stitch, fairly close tog here Gbokc: please what is western reserve? SarahDouglas: Museum in Cleveland. M of fine arts has good textile collection there too. Ohio SarahDouglas: not the end of the world. the river no longer burns Gbokc: Sarah, has most of your research been in museums with items on display Gbokc: or do you enter the "back rooms"? SarahDouglas: if I can. most places are very nice about it. the V&A has gotten very sticky. Everyone wants to see their collection. Even the study room isn't open all the time now. Used to be. Gbokc: do you call museums in advance for appointments? SarahDouglas: call after you write Gbokc: thanks SarahDouglas: or call, get name, call and write. You should have the curator's name Gbokc: double thanks!
Stitches in depth - Outline Stitch
We are going to save this in depth look for the graphics version as I'll be able to explain it better. Primarily I was going to show you how tricky one can get with this stitch. Functional it is a stitch used for holding pleats together very tightly as in backsmocking the very top row. It is very good for holding your pleats singly making it easier to sew your pleats to the yoke (or whatever) without bending over as it so often happens when you backsmocked the top row with a cable stitch - which holds pleats in pairs, or for your very top row of smocking a bishop for holding your neckline in place.
This stitch is neat because you can draw curves with it. It you decide to undulate a row across your pleats, or make little motifs to embroider upon this is the stitch to do it. Working curves is tricky at first. Some people draw the curves lightly in pencil and then smock them, others smock through tissue paper or tear-away, but what I like to do is to translate a drawing technique I learn in college where you stare at an object and sketch it looking back and forth from drawing to object till you get it right. Usually after the first undulation I have figured out the placement of the stitches to get the curve right. Practice is the key with this figure. Once you have gotten this shape down pat you are ready to cover it with bullion and french knot flowers and leaves.
(magnify this several times to understand the shape I am referring to) I have seen this shape used many times in many smocking plate designs in between stacked cable hearts or in the Little Memories plates in between her cute little mousie figures, as in Silent Mice.
How tight should I tie off and how tight should I smock ?
Many times I am asked how tight should the pleats be when attaching your smocked piece to a yoke. The main answer is it depends on how much fullness you want in your smocking. It also depends on the design. If you have smocked a geometric design with no embellishments then you can stretch it out as much as you like. If you have used the outline stitch a lot with embroidery or have added lots of bullions then you are limited to the amount you can stretch your design.
The trend these days with smocking is to keep your pleats together tightly as possible for picture smocking. A lot of people are into this type of smocking (there are so many neat designs that have come out in the past 15 years) and it requires tight pleats in order for it to look it's best. The antiques that I have are not smocked as tight as we do today but since the smocking pleater wasn't invented until the 1950's North American style of smocking creates a looser look
"Dear Beth, A question for you and your readers: Is there any available software for creating your own smocking plates? It seems like it would be a good way to design plates for yourself, using something like "Paintbrush" that comes with Windows or something along those lines that has been modified to include a correct size smocking grid. Does anyone have any ideas about this?"
At the present time as far as I know there is not a commercial program specifically set up for what you are looking for. I do know that some designers have adapted their paint programs to do just what you are looking for. Take a cue from an old word-processing trick: you can create templates yourself of grids or stacked cables and load them in each time you wish to work on a new design. You could even create your own smocking font with a font creation program.
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"GMillerQ: You don't happen to know what stitch # I use on a NH 8000 to make entredeux do you?"
Ah, no I have a Bernina 930 (my workhorse) but does anyone reading this have the answer?
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"Dear Beth, My husband walked in the other day and said "there's smocking on TV," so I watched Martha Pullen explain beginning smocking and it seemed to easy. Even my husband remarked that it didn't look difficult, so he got me a pleater for my birthday and the book. As a bit of background ... I host a 100 member group of ladies on AOL who swap doll clothes and of course I absolutely covet those smocked dresses that I received by swapping. I'm a fairly experienced seamstress, cross stitcher, former quilt teacher, but I have the hardest time understanding and comprehending written instructions. I do much better with "hands on" instruction. As a substitute, though, I've found a good video really helps. It sure helped me with my Pfaff 7570 two years ago and my new Elna serger. One of the members of my group gave me your name, so of course I'm going to pass it to the others in my group -- telling them how helpful you are!! Do you have any other book that might help get me started. As you said, I am a little intimidated. Fayetteville, NC is a small town and as far as I know, smocking classes are not offered anywhere. Thanks ever so much. Hugs, Joan"
One of the best manuals that I know of is by Ellen McCarn, On English Smocking. Her descriptions of the stitches and how-tos are the best. She walks you through every step of the way. There are also 4 smocking designs included. If you really like the look of geometric smocking there is the book by Grace Knott How to Smock (updated by her daughter-in-law) which includes about 10 real pretty smocking designs (in full color). Good instructions. Another book that you might like is by Sandy Hunter - A Photo Book of Smocking Stitches. This gem has all of the stitches commonly used photographed so you can see how they are done. Comes in both left and right handed editions (a wonderful idea). I have a section on my website specifically dedicated to smocking for dolls, there are some smocking books designed with dolls in mind, and will focus on this topic in future issues. (See at the end for prices of these books.)
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"Hi Beth, I was responding to the lady who asked about the benefits of SAGA. I have found the membership in this group to be well worth the effort and money it required. I is a group of professional and beginner craftsmen who love to sew and smock and want to share and continue the skills for generations. I have found them to be willing to share tips and help with problems. On the national level there are classes, regional seminars and conventions, national seminars and conventions. on the local level groups that meet on regularly scheduled days to share, learn, and teach each other the joys (and frustrations) of sewing and smocking (and sometimes other techniques like duplicate stitching, silk embroidery, sewing machine techniques...). There is also a chapter of SAGA that meets regularly on the internet - Websmockers. (You can get info on this group from Jean Reddish's webpage at http://home.texoma.net/~reddish/)Check us out, you will be glad you did. Thanks, Charla Henderson"
Joining a guild is an age old tradition for perfecting your craft. SAGA has been around since 1980 dedicated to the craft of smocking mostly by volunteers (you do have to pay for the convention - which is well worth the money). I was a member for years, only letting my membership go when our local chapter fell apart (and life interfered) but I still pour through my old magazines.
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"It's bad enough being miserable, but it is even worse when everyone else claims to be miserable too."-- Eeyore
"Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?"