February 9, 2000
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.
In This Issue:
Call for topic of discussion - Pleating and Half Space Rows
What to do about pleating?
What is the difference between rows and half space rows?
Question about counterchange
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Call for Topic of Discussion - Pleating
I am calling for your suggestions on how to pleat. I have recently been unidated with questions from people who seem to be having the same problem, that of having the side of your piece that goes into the pleater come out straight but always having the pleats come out askew on the end side. Bubbles aside, we're talking how DO YOU pleat and overcome the tendency of the pleater to pull the fabric off grain. If you would please send in how you pleat.
Also what are your thoughts about the half space rows
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What to do about pleating?
<<Hi Beth: Greetings from Canada - I'm a novice smocker - I've embroidered since I was a small child, I had a talented mother who taught me to knit and embroider from a very young age but I was always afraid of smocking, I took a course about a year and a half ago and loved it, bought a pleater and that's where I had most of my problems, broken needles,etc. anyhow with perseverence I produced several nice dresses and rompers for the grandchildren and then I didn't feel completely happy with the pleating and having nowhere to turn - there doesn't seem to be much available in the Toronto area - I gave up. Well, all of a sudden I've been hit with "smocking fever" and now I have enough confidence to go forward. Do you know of any associations in or around Toronto? Even if you don't just being able to pick up your newsletters is an inspiration, thank you. Also there isn't much on pleating anywhere is there anything other than the basics that I should be doing? Liz>>
Ah Liz, don't be afraid of smocking it isn't that hard to do at all. Pleating is somewhat tricky which is why I am calling for suggestions from the readership. The only book that gives complete instructions for pleating is The Pleating Manual by Sarah Douglas (see description at end of this email). Sarah has her book set up in lessons format which takes you from begining steps to advanced pleating and as I said is the only comprehensive book on pleating available. I haven't completed all the lessons as I galloped ahead to pleating, pleating, pleating garments for smocking. Some day I'll sit down and finish learning how to pleat on wiggly lines.
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What is the difference between rows and half space rows?
<<Hi Beth, Happy New Year! - I'm a beginner smocker, and in looking through some AS&E's I bought, I was wondering why some garments ask for half spaces to be pleated and some say whole spaces. Does it matter if you pleat half spaces or whole spaces? Thanks. Diane>>
Half space rows are usually added when the smocking is complex and tricky and calls for a lot of baby waves where it's hard for the eye to mark the half space row consistently. We usually use thread in a different color for those half rows to make it easier to differentiate between the row marker and half row marker. Another use for them is when you are smocking for little ones (dolls and babies) you can use the half spaces as row markers and smock in miniature. I have also thought that half spaces might help with making consistently shaped bullion roses but haven't experimented yet with them.
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Question about counterchange
<<Hi,
I have a query about loose counterchange - how come when I only pull tight after vertical stitches, my horizontal stitches work loose?
Thanks, Terri Kelly, Australia>>
Hi Terri,
Onto your question about counterchange, as I haven't done any in this style I don't really know the answer to your question but shouldn't you be pulling tight after each stitch? Maybe that's the problem. Anyone reading this know the answer? <--Beth
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Suggestion for finishing Easter Eggs
<<I am reading your newsletters on the web site -- Volume 1, Issue 17A -- and came across the section on Easter Eggs. I haven't done any smocking in years, but we used to finish easter eggs and christmas balls with Spider's Webs on the ends. They did take time, they were tricky, but, in the end, they were worth the time! It is a beautiful finish. <--Nannank>>
Hey Thanks Nan for the tip, I'm sure the ladies will appreciate knowing about this. If you are not sure how to make a spider web stitch, it's worked the same way as the spider rose in Silk ribbon embroidery but with floss instead.
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Smocking for Boys
Little boys are so sweet in smocked outfits but you have a time limit for which to dress them. Usually around age 5 or 6 (if you are lucky) you can get away with smocking inserts to put into their shirts or button on suits or jumpsuits before their peers at kindergarten or 1st grade start pointing and laughing at them. So moms be forewarned, you only have a window of opportunity of about 5 or 6 years in which to smock for them.
This is not to say that young boys don't like the smocking or the time you put into sewing their clothes but peer pressure is really intense that they want to fit in so unless you live in the south where smocking is king (or queen) ya have to face the facts, BUT the irony of this situation is that young boys around the ages of 8-11 still love embroidery and decoration on their clothing and some even love lace (but you won't get them to ask for it on their daily shirts). A couple of years ago I had a mother come into my shop purchasing supplies to smock a special occasion dress for her daughter (age 5) with lace, embroideries and all kinds of fancy embellishments. The young man who accompanied them (age 8) was left to wander around my shop looking at all the things that were geared towards girl when he found a pattern for a sweatshirt with a smocked insert. He brought it over to his mom and casually asked her if she could smock him some trucks on it. He said it's for when he comes home from school. I swear tears came to her eyes as she said yes. So don't give up hope. Hey you can even smock pjs for them and they will still wear it. My teenage daughter keeps bugging me to make her a smocked nightie as that is ok to wear but heaven forbid that I would attempt smocking her prom dress as I have threatened. "Oh mom!"
So for you moms who have boys to smock for I putting together some patterns and plates just for boys and will place them on my website, in hopes that you can fulfill their dreams of smocked clothing (at home that is). Meanwhile please check out Ginger Snaps Designs as her Boy's Button On Suit (Sized 2-6) is a classic.
It is too bad that society has such a grip on our children. Maybe someday some persistent mother will smock an outfit for her son who happens to be a rap artist with an MTV music video. When that happens, hey!!!! Watch out as we'll be smocking "till the midnight hour " once again.
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" May all your needles be sharp!"
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