Smocking Newsletter Vol. 2 Issue 1
December 24, 1997
e-Mail: mainfairy@smockingbooks.com
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.
In This Issue:
From Our Readers
Beginner's Corner
Smocking Herstory
A thank you note from Beth D Merrill
What a wonderful surprise to log on and find Volume 16, 16a, 17, 17a, 18 & 18a waiting for me tonight. Thank you so very much. I can honestly say I'm still dreading my surgery, but your newsletters have made me at least anticipate my forced "smocking vacation". And that is how I will think of it from now on, a chance to sip some tea, and smock to my hearts content. After all nobody expects me to clean house or cook meals after spinal surgery right? Now my big project is to decide what to pleat to take to the hospital with me. Thanks again...........you are indeed an angel."
Now I couldn't resist putting this note in the newsletter. I was deeply touched that my writings were going to the hospital to assist in her recovery. We all wish you a speedy return to normal life - meanwhile enjoy your smocking vacation.
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"Hi! A few weeks ago you asked how I finish my smoked Easter eggs. Due to the holiday & a daughter that had her tonsils out a few days before Christmas, I am just getting around to answering your question. I use the directions provided by Barbie Beck in her book. This process involves pulling the top & bottom fabric tight with the gathering thread. Then you add some ribbons to the top & bottom secured with decorative pins. If you want the specific directions & lengths & widths of the ribbons to be used, let me know & I will dig up my pattern. Actually, I did see my pattern a few days ago & could email that info. Just let me know. I also use somewhat the same method to finish Christmas ornaments. I enjoy your newsletter & look forward to the next issue. Loiy Moore :-)"
Thanks Loiy we appreciate the information. And a note to the request for directions for making an ornament I do apologize for not putting the directions for finishing off a Christmas ornament in a timely fashion but later on this year we will have complete directions available.
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"I was very fortunate to be able to spend 2 workshop days this fall with Judith Adams. The Bartlesville, Okla. Heirloom and Smocking Guild had her in for the 2 days. My smocking was adequate before but now it is rather good. I have trouble following written instructions and her instructions were so good on the projects that we did. She is also a very lovely lady and we all were so thrilled to have her. I understand some of her work won first place at St. Louis this year. I called the SAGA phone number from one of their magazine ads to ask about them. They were very rude to me and told me they didn't have anything in my area and hung up on me. What is the deal? I live one hour north of Tulsa. Anyway, thank-you again for what you do for all of us. Pat Jones"
Does anyone know if there is a smocking guild close to Tulsa? If so please let me know and I'll forward the info to Pat.
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"Dear Beth, I have been reading through all your issues of smocking and was reading something about ironing floss or some people even starch it...I have found it very easy and simple to simply plug my curling iron in close my chair..and as I separate the floss...I just run all strands through the curling iron...works very well..as I don't have to keep getting up...also is very helpful to use the curling iron when the strands get tangles to make them very easy to slide through as you are smocking... Also I noticed in a issue that Barbara Foote of Bay Village, Ohio was looking for smockers for her consignment shop...if you will please pass my name along to her and give her my addy if she is still looking for people... Hope this little hint helps some people...I love to smock and find the curling iron works wonders... Becky Johnston"
I had a student use a curling iron for straightening out her silk ribbon, you know it gets yucky after pulling it through fabric and it's hard to make straight stitches straight when the ribbon is wrinkled, but this is a neat idea.
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Re queries I have been reading about getting good results for picture smocking - I agree that Ellen McCarn's book is the one to follow. Have done several picture smocked dresses and shirts for my three grandchildren - Melissa (age 6), Rachael (age 5) and Gregory (age 2), and find that pleating with half-spaces helps one keep on the straight and narrow (!) and stripping the four threads of DMC or whatever other stranded thread is used, wetting each thread SEPARATELY and joining them back together when they are dry, seems to make a flatter, thicker thread to work the cables. Occasionally, running the needle down the thread to untwist. If working with several colours in the same row of the pattern it is a good idea to thread up the colours onto different needles and work along the row, changing colours where necessary, instead of trying to 'wriggle' in the different colour later. Hope you all have a very happy Christmas and New Year. At the moment I am sitting writing this dressed in shorts and thin t-shirt, all the doors and windows open, the sun is shining brightly, the temperature is around 82 degrees F. AND, according to last night's TV news there were a couple of slight earthquakes in the middle of the North Island yesterday afternoon. --Valda
Thanks for the input on the picture smocking and floss and the taunt about your warm weather. We'll get even in our summer time.
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"I am interested in learning of project to do for my DD. She is 9 but very big for her age. Need size 14-16 girls for her. I don't find that many patterns out there. Do you have any suggestions? I haven't been smocking long. (Wish I'd started sooner - then I could have done a lot for her) Leslye"
Actually I do. There are a couple of patterns by Chery Williams which would be suitable for your daughter. The main question is will she look good in something smocked or would a tailored look be better. The first pattern I'm thinking of is the Button on Skirt 5-14 ($12.00) which has a couple of variations of smocking added to the blouse. The first variation has a smocked insert with tucks on the top bodice and a couple of pleats underneath the smocked insert. There is another one with the smocking attached to the yoke and the remaining fabric allowed to flow freely. And a plain smocked insertion.
Another pattern by CW is the Culotte/jumper with Blouse 8-14. Real cute. You have your choice of culotte or jumper with an smocked insertion added. Little girl look with a bit of style to appease the fashion goddess.
CW Empire Dress and Pinafore 8-14. A pretty one. Princess Line dress 12-16. This one is extra special nice with a couple of smocked collar variations. One especially elegant is the Edwardian Smocked collar which has lace insertion and the smocked sections are pointed at the hem line.
Several of the Kay Guiles Patterns ($12.00) go up to size 14. They include Amanda, Bethany, Claire, Mary Anne, and Victoria Lynn. I'm not certain as to what they all look like but there is smocking on each one of them and Kay's patterns are nice to look at. Can be dressed up or down. Love 'n Stitches patterns go up to size 14 ($10.00). Dainty Drop/Waist is especially lovely princess line dress with a smocked front - can be done with lattice smocking. School Days/Jumper is similar to the CW's culotte with a smocked insert (I personally don't like this pattern - in my opinion it doesn't work for the older girl nor for an adult).
Beaucoup patterns also go up to size 14. Alice's Jumper 10-14 $9.00 has smocking at the drop waist. Eleanor's Dress is cute 8.00. Locker's Dungarees $8.00 is an all time classic that has been in Sew Beautiful and Creative Needle so many times. Nell's European dress 10-14 is $8.00 and is another pretty pattern. Hope this helps. Beth
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Hi Beth-Katherine! Just read Issue 18-- It's great! In regards to smocking a bishop in corduroy, I have had great luck folding out about 1-1 1/2 inches of the pattern at center front, center back, and center of each sleeve. I had a student using a pique for a bishop and this helped then also--the first one she did had the pleats so tightly packed together that it was very difficult to smock. Ellen McCarn's new bishop has corduroy adjustments printed on the pattern. This is a very good bishop pattern.
About my experience with Chery William's Baby Bishop: something about the way that sleeve is cut does make it difficult to get those seams to feed straight through the pleater. You have to play allot of "catch-up" with one end of the fabric to get that seam to fit into one groove. I have not had this problem with other bishops of hers. Let Sarah W. know she is correct--the angle on that sleeve is drafted incorrectly. Martha
Martha you are a wealth of information, I agree with your comment about Ellen's Bishop pattern. She spent a lot of time analyzing the other bishop patterns on the market and came up with solutions to various problems that people have complained about over the years. Ellen McCarn has been involved with Smocking since the beginning of SAGA so you know she knows her stuff.
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Dear Beth, I'm excited to be making "Raggedy Ann and Andy" dolls for my grandchildren for Christmas. I have the original pattern from 26 years ago. I made a set for my son and daughter back then. I still have them, but thank goodness my sewing skills are better today. I am also smocking the "Ann and Andy" plate that appeared in issue # 36 of Australian Smocking and Emb for my granddaughter. I have a rust red check for the dress. I'm smocking on white and will insert it. I'll make Ann's dress out the same fabric. Thanks so much for your newsletter. It's great to have contact with other "smockers". Keep up the good work!! Ruth Hawley
Part of the fascination of pleats I believe came from the weavers of cloth and their quest for different patterns to weave. It's a bit of a stretch but this morning I had an image of a weaver contemplating the weaving of ridges onto her cloth. Weavers can change texture by threading warp threads with different weights of thread and there is a way of pinching your threads together while weaving, called leno weave (hurts the eyes, trust me) but mostly the change in texture comes from the working of the treadles creating different weaves and patterns in the cloth. Embroideresses, I believe, have had an edge to the weavers in that they apply thread onto the cloth once it's finished. Weaving is fun but it's the making of the cloth into garments which takes skill and imagination. Pleating has always entranced me. When I was a young girl I remember when I was learning how to make a box pleat WOW! - joy filled my mind (easily amused I guess) and I wanted to learn more patterns of folding and shaping. I experimented with fan pleats and various different patterns of pleats, then went onto paper and Origami (Japanese paper folding) but fabric pleats held a fascination for me. When I discovered smocking, ah I was in heaven. Not a clue really as to why but it still fascinates me. It think it has to do with the desire for something other than flat cloth - we all want shape to our garments. This is something to consider while you are thinking about smocking a garment for yourself, the human body is not flat; it is curved and rounded. While smocking the top of a rectangle and forming it into a charming little girls' dress is fun, we adults need more shape. I guess where I'm going is to consider smocking as an accent for adult garments rather than a way to work in a smocked rectangle. (Just a thought).
I was watching a painting show on public television when the artist suggested that people take the brush in hand and practice the stroke in the air without paint or canvas. He said that the muscles in your hands had memory and that this was a good way to get the strokes down without wasting paint and paper. It reminded me of when I was learning to type and also to play the guitar, both my instructors pointed out that the control wasn't in my brain but in my fingers and that I needed to stay on top of my hands for a few minutes while practicing until my hands "got it". What they were talking about was muscle memory. This is important to remember while you are learning to smock, working a new pattern or learning to make perfect bullions. If you take the time to practice until you get it right and pay attention to your hands with the thought of training them (remember it's not only in your brain), then once your fingers "get it" YOU won't have to 'remember' too much and you will be able to sit back and enjoy your smocking. Try this approach it will make a difference.
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"No Give and Take. No Exchange of Thought. It gets you nowhere, particularly if the other person's tail is only just in sight for the second half of the conversation." -- Eeyore