9/5/99
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:
Could you give me some tips for cleaning old lace? I just purchased a bunch of old linens from an estate sale and many are yellowed. Many of them have very delicate lace on them and I am afraid that I will ruin them if I try to wash them. I would greatly appreciate any advice you have.
Thank You, Jenny
Dear Jenny,
In issue 8A of my newsletter I cover this question, see Smocking Newsletter Issue 8a but I will go through the process again as I LOVE ANTIQUE LACE. What I would do first is to soak the item first in a solution of warm water and fabric softener just to loosen the dirt and the dust mites from the fibers and to allow the fibers to regain their tensile strength. Then I would gently hand wash the item with either Orvus Paste or else Antique Quilt Wash or Ivory Liquid. Do not use harsh detergents, only the gentle stuff.
Pushing the item up and down with both hands and gently twirling it, no scrubbing. Rinse several times, gently squeezing the water from the item - no wringing. Wrap up in a towel and squeeze some more, lay flat to dry on a sweater dryer if you have one.
What kind of lace do you think it is? Beth
Dear Beth~ I have enjoyed your newsletter [silently] for quite a while now, although I must admit I don't always get to read every word (three girls, and I have been ill for almost three years-am now recovering from another major surgery-anyway the point being I don't get to either sew, smock, or sit at the computer as much as I'd like. I have finally decided to invest in a pleater of my own-and am wondering which you would suggest. I'm sure this has come up before, I think I have even read it on your newsletter, but darned if I can remember! Up until now I have been borrowing a friend's pleater, but would like my own now. I believe hers is a 16 row Stanley. The only thing I really don't like about hers is the small end openings-pleating any fabric of substance is almost impossible! Living in Northern Canada we tend to need more substantial fabrics for the large part of the year. Your input would be most welcome. Thank you~Amanda K.
Dear Amanda,
From what you have described your needs of wanting to pleat substantial fabric I would recommend the Amanda Jane Pleater over the Sally Stanley because of the larger end openings. This neat feature makes pleating featherwale corduroy a dream. Also check my new index under From Our Readers, towards the bottom I have separated all the questions about pleaters into one section. Hope this info helps you in your decision. -- Beth
Pattern in Designs to practice while smocking
When I first started smocking I fell in love with the different patterns you could do with the stitches. After I got my pleater I quickly fell into smocking as many different patterns as I could get my hands on (instead of spending time picking up the dots to make the pleats) and I began to realize that the possibilities were countless, especially when you add in color. I wanted to share with you some simple patterns that I have noticed in the smocking plates as standards for starting out smocking designs.1. This pattern is one that you see a lot.
Row 1 cable
Row 2 cable
In between these two cable rows you can put all kinds of motifs, patterns and flowers attached to outline motifs.
* * *
Row 1 cable
Row 3 cable
This area is a lot more room to put patterns from the different combinations of wave and cable and trellis stitches. There is room for a small trellis grid as well. You could also work a vine created by the outline stitch. Either of these could be adorned with bullion and french knot flowers made of floss or else could be out of ribbon embroidery stitches.
2. Another pattern you see a lot of are grids made up of baby waves and waves, known as diamonds. Baby waves stack cutely and are especially effective when done in miniature as well. This stitch can be worked with the top cable down working up or else with an up cable working down. Let's look at this first worked on your way down to row 1 1/2. Make a cable stitch and flip your floss up and travel down to the half space and make a cable. Flip your floss down and work your way back up to row 1. A very simple stitch once you get the hang of alternating your floss up and down.
You can also expand the openings of the baby wave by adding in cable stitches. Work three cables instead of one. This makes a nice pattern.
You can also alternative the amount of cable stitches such as 3 - 1 - 3, this makes a point which could be used as the tops of hearts. (Hearts are made with baby waves and 5 step wave or longer depending on the center of the three cable stitch.) You want larger hearts then add in 2 more stitches on the three and extend the amount of trellis stitches to match.
3. This pattern is seen a lot in older plates. You start out with cable row 1, then you alternate 3 cable combination above and below the cable row. This can be done in an alternate color to create a different visual pattern. You can also add in beads as desired.
4. Pearls in smocking have long been a tradition. You can see examples of German Renaissance paintings with pearls sewn onto pleated fabric, with the smocking probably the honeycomb stitch. Very gorgeous. One stitch that you can put pearls into is a wave diamond grid, a very pretty effect with very little effort. Another pretty stitch with pearls is lattice smocking on the what is known as the wrong side where all the threads show. Adding pearls onto your thread and locking them down when you end each lattice motif makes for a gorgeous sleeve cap or cuff or bodice front. SCA members and afficiandos take note.
A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference. Or so they say. — Eeyore