Smocking Newsletter Vol. 1 Issue 5

Garden Fairies Trading Company

April 24, 1997

Website: Garden Fairies Smocking & Needlearts Catalog

Smocking Newsletter - Beth-Katherine Kaiman, copyright 1997-2007, 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.

In This Issue:

One More Word(s) about Copyrights:

I thought you should know that Copyrights are international. Almost every country in the world has signed an agreement acknowledging copyrights from other member nations. So if you live in say Mexico and feel it's ok to steal another's design or idea think again. The American copyright sign is honored by the courts in that country.

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AND NOW FROM OUR READERS:

(please don't be shy I wont use your screen address)

"Dear Beth-Katherine

Thanks for the last newsletter - do you think you could get Marcella to share some of Margaret Pierce's tips on shadow work and feather stitch - as my stitching never looks quite as good as the stitching in the magazines. Thanks, Phillipa from Australia"

Ok Marcella would you like to share some tips of Margaret's?

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Dear Beth, you asked my to write a review of the silk ribbon smocking tape by Smocking Horse Collection "Silk Ribbon Smocking Video".

Do you love silk ribbon embroidery, then try smocking with silk ribbon. I was skeptical about the look of smocking with silk ribbon until I viewed the tape "Silk Ribbon Smocking" by Janice Andrews Balliett of the Smocking Horse. I love the look of English Smocking but after viewing the 2 hour tape I was inspired to try smocking with 4mm silk ribbon for an elegant touch.

Close ups of many completed dresses are shown, not just inserts. Silk ribbon smocking lends itself to the casual look as well as the elegant. The stitches sit on top of the fabric and are more visible.

She give very precise instructions. She states questions and gives answers. She takes you through every step from stretching and tieing off your pleated fabric, smocking the designs, and embroidery stitches. This information is also useful for regular smocking.

She describes what needles are used for what stitches, why they are used and how. Smocking stitches and embroider stitches are demonstrated step by step. There are special ways to start your first stitch, knot and tie off. I recommend smocking along with her in order to get the feel of the correct tension.

If you are interested in smocking with silk ribbon I recommend viewing this tape.

I am not a teacher, or a professional smocker, I only smock for pleasure. Marcella

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"Hey Beth: Did I tell you I decided on making a solid white bubble for my friends new grandson...I'm trimming it in micro red & white checked and smocking in red....turning out cute....the bubble buttons down the front and there is a bit of smocking on either side in the front...has a collar (sailor) and I trimmed it in the check..also a tie in the front in the check.." Brenda

That sounds perfectly lovely and adorable. I love the subtle touch of the red microcheck piping. I have also used red and white striped piping with white soutache on a navy collar. Keep these ideas coming, I know I get a bit stagnant sometimes and need inspiration.

SMOCKING HISTORY - Part Five

More on History of Smocks

Already we have discussed that smocking a garment adds warmth and fullness. Fullness is important in garments especially when you are swinging a hoe or axe or other manual labor. In an article in Winter 1983 by Ruth Boyers on the History of Smocking, she states that during the middle ages the serfs who were serving the nobility tried to emulate their style of dress but with long sleeves dipping in the soup cauldron and then trailing in the rushes (reeds placed down upon the floors of the keeps to cover the dirt) - their outfits became disgustingly filthy. It was probably during this era that the development of the peasant shirt and field workers smock occurred. The peasant shirt was comfortable, raglan sleeves and often gaily embroidered. Sleeves were long or short depending upon the weather. It definitely evolved from the chemise, the undergarment of the times, and was created for cleanliness and ease in wearing and most of all comfort.

Smocks or slops were originally pillowcase type garments. Due to the strenuous work that agricultural workers did, more room was required and because of the limited width of the simple shape other rectangles were added to it, so pleats or gathers were added to fit the garment once the extra fabric was added to give more room and maneuverability. Mind you cutting out fabric on A-line form was not acceptable as it wasted fabric. Linen or wool fabric, you must remember, was treasured because it require a long process to make. Women of that time were exceptionally frugal and inventive with their possession. After the industrialization of the world fabric manufacturing became much easier so cutting into cloth wasn't such a dreaded thing. Also before the invention of the sewing machine, all seam edges were finished by hand, another reason for not cutting into the selvedges - only the wealthy could afford to have seamstresses hand finished their edges.

So far I've speculated that women got fed up with always wrapping themselves up or tying the drawstring of their chemises/shirts/smocks/whatever and came upon the brilliant idea of attaching pregathered fabric to either an embroidered braid or when that was not around to embroider upon the pleats to keep them in place as well as to decorate. Garments always having to be tightened at the neck with a draw string is another consideration to the invention of smocking. Just a simple step of attaching braid to the neckline keeping the gathers in place. In place of a braid some enterprising woman came up with the idea of embroidering the pleats in place.

Waterproofing the cloth was done with linseed oil. The big collar was meant for extra protection of the neck during rain which was common for the English Isles.

SMOCKING STITCHES: Anatomy of a smocking design - Geometric

In the past four issue we have worked with the four basic stitches of smocking the outline or stem stitch, cable, wave and trellis. These four stitch families are the basis of most every smocking plate design that is out there. Of course there are several other smocking stitches that we will cover in future issues, but for this issue I wish to concentrate on creating a smocking pattern of your own.

First of all you must decide if your design will be for a straight yoke or be shaped into a curved designs like a collar or bishop dress. The planning of a design starts with your top row. We have already discussed the importance of keeping your pleats standing upright for ease in sewing them so your top row or the holding row should be smocked with the outline stitch. (Cable stitches if you remember hold the pleats together in pairs.) So whether you use a cable or outline stitch you must use one of these stitches to hold your pleats in place (duh, that's why they call it a holding row Beth :-).

On a smocked insert usually your first and last rows, are identical with a cable stitch or combination stitch with a cable - like three cable flowerettes above and below the cable row in a contrasting colour for effect, like a grass green row and salmon pink flowerettes. The next row can start the pattern of the design or it is part of the border (cable, wave, cable) and then the main design.

Colors also make up the design. If you are smocking on calico I find it best to pick up the colors I want to pull out of the fabric's design - for ex. If there is rose flowers on a blue background I look carefully at those flowers to see if they are shaded in their colors and match those colors with floss. Also look to see if white is within the colors. Sometimes going two shades darker than the background fabric is a nice way to start your design.

Dark Blue cable row

Shades of Rose wave combos

Dark Blue cable row

Your accents can be cable flowerettes or bullions or lazy daisy flowers (detached chain stitches) with a french knot in the middle.

The rest of the design can be filled in with wave and cable combinations stacked on top of each other to create diamonds, or waves and trellis' can be made up into a grid upon which you embroider flowers. Once you have struggled thru smocking the grid then the fun begins with embroidering the flowers. Pat Garretson's smocking plate Barbara is an excellent example of an inventive grid of wave and trellis combinations and is covered with bullion roses, buds, daisies forget-me-nots and detached chain leaves & french knot buds.

I have also seen several designers work on a smocked grid bullion roses in the shape of a heart also filled with other flowers and leaves. Of course this must be done after the smocking has been blocked and the dress made up in order for the bullions to remain where you placed them.

BEGINNER'S CORNER

Beginning Thoughts on How to Start Smocking

This past week I have had many questions from ladies who want to start smocking. So this section of the newsletter is dedicated to you.

The first thing I wish to say about smocking is that consistency in your stitches is what makes beautiful smocking. Always keep your needle parallel to the pleating rows. Put your needle straight into the side of the pleat, never (ok hardly ever) put your needle in at an angle. This makes your stitches look lopsided. Pay attention to each stitch until it becomes second nature and your smocking will look beautiful. Get a rhythm going, When you work a cable stitch, say to yourself in your mind floss up, go to the next pleat, keep my needle parallel to the pleating row, take a stitch, pull the floss through and tighten down, floss down. Continue with this litany until you have programmed automatic pilot and can tune out the husband, kids & tv. Smocking creates the alpha wave length in our brains, it can make you peaceful. And when you are really relaxed and enjoying yourself then you have slipped into what is called Theta wave length where the creativity happens in our brains. So slow down learn your pattern and then relax and enjoy. Happy Smocking, Beth.

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In a recent smocking chat we had at AOL the following question was raised.

Rockridgef@aol.com: "Has anyone smocked an adult nightgown they really liked? That"s a future project and I would like some ideas of patterns available."
GarFairies: There are two patterns I like Little Sunday Dresses and Contessa. Little Sunday's Dresses' Caftan/Nightgown pattern is open smocked like her child's jumper or you can do honeycomb smocking. There are three variations to the Little Sunday Dress's nightgown - also a house dress. On all three styles the smocking in done from the top yoke and there is not a lot of fullness due to the smocking styles chosen - vertical trellis, honeycomb smocking and lace insertion.
The Contessa nightgown is a bishop styled dress with only the front panel smock. The sleeves are raglan with your choice in short or long style (each pattern is separate).
Smock4Fun : We need a sleeveless nightgown here in TX
PLACIDO O : In Ga too-too hot for long
PLACIDO O : What fabric do you usually make nightgowns out of?
GarFairies : make it out of very fine cotton batiste - not nelona too expensive
Smock4Fun : That's an Idea for my mom....I should make her a nightgown
GarFairies : Lingerie weight batiste or silk batiste.
PLACIDO O : What is that Beth?
GarFairies : or if you are not allergic to poly/cotton blend then the Imperial Batiste is real nice
Rockridgef : Thanks for advice--would make great gifts for daughters.
Thread56 : I would go cotton blend. My pima gown looks like a dishrag.
GarFairies : It's a bit thicker than Nelona
DB 2 Fly : I think the nite gown would be great for my mother & mother in law for Christmas
Smock4Fun : Imperial batiste would be my choice
GarFairies : Lawn is nice as well
GarFairies : I am working on a nightgown design with smocking - I will finish it someday
PLACIDO O : If I made my mom one she would put it in a drawer to save in case she goes to hospital-
Thread56 : Is there one pattern less full than others?
GarFairies : Yes the Little Sunday Dresses one
DB 2 Fly : who makes that one Beth?
Smock4Fun : Does it come in larger sizes?
GarFairies : Little Sunday Dresses is designed by Florence Roberson
GarFairies : Yes
Thread56 : I think I used LSD but I float in it, and I'm not tiny.
GarFairies : You can always tuck the bodice and then smock the tucks
Thread56 : Do you think it would work better to not smock the back and take out some fullness?
Smock4Fun : I'm excited...going to make mom a nightgown...she'd love it

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FYI

Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them use to burn their houses down - hence the expression "to get fired."