March 22, 2000
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:
Survey Question Answers
Dolores, thank you for the reminder that the first stitch is the most confusing, as well as the concept that each stitch in smocking two pleats.
In my experience I have found that there must be some sort of spatial dyslexia that happens with patterns and constructing things together as some minds have a hard time grasping how to do things but with practice automatic pilot kicks in and then there is no problem. I've also found with me (and I KNOW I have spatial dyslexia) that when I realize that there is an area that gets me confused, all I have to do is apply my old guitar teacher's technique of watching my hands do the process and walk myself (through it that it works and I "get it."`* *
From: Sharon
1. What was it that confused you the most?
I was (and still am) confused about pulling up pleats before beginning to smock. Each piece I make seems to come out far too small for the insert/pattern I am using. Perhaps I smock too tightly??? Even when I tie off the pleats to fit the size of the pattern, the finished product is much smaller.
2. Did you quickly understand smocking or was it all a maze to you? I grasped the techniques quickly - but still need help with fine-tuning my skill.
3. What did your teacher do that you wish did better?
My teacher was terrific and I thoroughly enjoyed my classes, but I need help at this point with someone critiquing my work and explaining my mistakes to me so I don't continue making them. I can return to my teacher's store for this and, additionally, there is a SAGA chapter that 'meets locally that will provide help.>>
Sharon your comments about pulling up the pleats to size are very good, that confused me as well until I realized that most patterns have already figured it out for you so you don't have to worry to much, especially with the yoke dresses and bishops just follow the instructions. However when you do start to design your own, or adapt commercial patterns to smocking you will need to understand the "gauge of smocking".
It sounds to me as if you might be pulling your pleats in too tight. A 45" wide piece will stretch to 11" or more depending on what you are trying to accomplish and the type of smocking you plan to be doing (geometric is more elastic while picture tends to like a lot of pleats). It also depends on the type of smocking you are going to be doing, flat or in the round. For example working a smocked collar you will be spreading your pleats into a circle, which requires adjusting the tension of the pleating threads from tight at the neckline to looser at the bottom edge of the circle.
I use a tape measure guide on my ironing board (have one printed on the cover itself - June Taylor product) or I use my smock and block board (June Taylor). If you are working with a pattern that has been designed for smocking in mind it will tell you how much fabric is needed for what area you are smocking.For an insert, usually you use the full width of fabric (hopefully 45") as your insert. You should start out with your pleated piece tie it off to the EXACT SIZE which includes your seam allowance, (if you haven't pulled out your seam allowance you must do that before tying off) that you want it to be, adjust the pleats so they are evenly spaced across. I pin the insert to the measurement of the area in which it is to be inserted, then steam in the pleats with either a damp pressing cloth and lightly touch with the iron until the cloth is dry, don't press down to smash the pleats just have your ironing slightly on the cloth, or steam in the pleats with your steam iron, again no smashing.
After smocking you will find that you have pulled in your pleats a bit tighter than what you started out with but that's ok. This is why we block and steam our pleated piece after smocking.
How many pleats you get from 45" width of fabrics depends on the weight of cloth. A very light weight batiste pleats up a smaller insert than a piece of broadcloth. This is why you will see some patterns recommend that you use 65" wide fabric to pleat batiste for a smocked dress. With picture smocking you will need pleats close together in order for your design to work properly. Sometimes you will find a smocking design plates with two versions of the design, one straight and one for the round yoke. This is because working picture smocking in the round is very tricky as on the one hand you need your pleats close together for perfect pictures but on the other hand you need to be concerned with smocking a turtle neck instead of the design fitting flat around the neck and bodice. Smocking in curves has it's own set of problems. It's best to stick with a designed pattern for your first project just to get the swing of things.
<
The smocking has come easy and I find it good work to do in front of the
tv, and keep a piece always ready to smock for those sports on tv. I keep
all the goodies in a clear plastic shoe box for each project so I can just
grab one. Another thing I have found so great is making a hoop with
a tracing of the bishop necklines on a piece of cloth that is permanently
attached to the hoop. Now I can pin the dress to the cloth following the
marks and keep it there while smocking on it. I just leave the ends of the
threads hanging and then start a new one going under the dress, between it
and the frame.
After I finish the smocking I take it off the frame and tie off the hanging
threads. My necklines now are staying until I sew the binding and the bishop
keeps it shape. I also use a hard stuffed pillow in my lap while smocking,
and it keeps the design from being so far away, and the tension seems to
be better for me. I then can use two hands to help keep the pleats in line
while pulling the stitch. A lot of people scared me from using the
pleater I bought, but when I finally got in and just started working with
it, it sure made the fun part of smocking easier. I have done the bishops
as well as the inserts. I even just tackled the overlay and found it great.
I think making the seams as small as possible and just taking my time at
the pleater to be the key. Going slowly and adjusting the unsmocked area
of the material on the left to keep it even going through. I have put a post-it
on the pleater to mark where the material should be so I have a better
guide then just eyeballing where the right needle should be. I smock with
the needle eyes facing me.
Guess I have rambled on long enough. I hope others will just jump in and
start doing this delightful craft. Jane>>
Jane. I like your idea of smocking the bishop on the hoop, do you find that
the hoop gets into your way?
I also like that you are using pillow in the lap with the smocking laid on
top so that both hands are free, I may try that trick one way or another.
I do have a needlepoint stand that is not currently in use so I might end
up attaching the smocking to a framed piece of fabric and put it into the
needlepoint stand. That might help solve the problem I am having with my
left hand.
Thoughts on Pleating
Dowels
Bonnie your trick of weighting the dowel makes a lot of sense to me, especially
after my experience with the warped dowel and now this heavier 1" dowel.
Probably what happened to me with that warped dowel was unconscious pulling
with the thumb of my dowel hand while pleating to compensate for the warped
dowel,
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