August 15, 2000
e-Mail: smockingstore@att.net
Website: Garden Fairies Smocking & Needlearts Catalog
Welcome to the smocking newsletter from Garden Fairies Trading Company, my name is Beth-Katherine Kaiman. This newsletter comes to you once a week, usually on Mondays. Please address all comments and questions to smockingstore@att.net. Also, please find listed at the end of this newsletter the books and patterns we carry that were mentioned in this newsletter, please check out our web site:
What is a row?
<< I'm not sure what constitutes a "row" so I'm going to leave this entirely up to your good judgment. If you pleat too many rows, is there any reason I can't just pull out the thread later? Sorry I'm such a bumbler with this, but I learned to smock from my Mother, and I think she may have faked the process herself. Thanks for your help. Catherine>>
Catherine that's ok, sometimes I forget that newbies aren't familiar with the labeling of processes and it was my fault for assuming you understood, I do apologize for not explaining right away what a row meant.
A row is where the pleating thread goes and is listed on smocking plate instructions as such "do a cable stitch across Row 1, do a baby wave starting on Row 1 1/2". Usually we pleat two extra holding rows as called for on the smocking design plate, one for the top and the other on the bottom. Yes you can pleat more rows that needed and then take the threads out with very little damage done to the fabric but some fabrics, such as silks, get stressed out when so many little holes are poked into it but for the most part cottons and poly blends come away just fine.
Now my next question is, do you have a smocking design in mind already or are looking around for a design to smock upon the dress? What size is this dress to be? If you don't have a design in mind the person pleating for you can usually guesstimate the amount of rows for the size you are smocking for and how many rows you want to smock. Personally I would hate to have someone pleat up 24 rows and have you only need 10, that's a lot of unnecessary holes in your fabric.<--Beth
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A question was asked on the smocking list that I host about pre-washing fabrics before pleating and smocking. Here are some answers that the ladies graciously sent in.
<< I wash fabrics that are going to be washed regularly and then iron them before pleating. In the case of thicker fabrics such as featherwale corduroy or wool, I just put them through after ironing. With Nelona, Pima cottons, and imperial batistes and poly-cotton blend fabrics I also spray starch. A friend told me that after the spray starching and the water misting, she did not feel that she needed to wash the Nelona before pleating. However, be sure to wash out all the starch before storing a Christening dress for a long time. Hope this helps.
Bea >>
<<I also wash my fabrics before pleating/sewing, just so there aren't any surprises when the outfit is put together. It is well worth the little time it takes to wash and prepare the material. Anne>>
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<<Hi everyone
I have never smocked....and need some help, I'm taking a class and I have to smock my fabric with 2-step 1/2 space diamonds. I have The Joy of Smocking book for reference... two step wave.
Question is: in this book it looks like the top & bottom cable goes through 2 pleats instead of one? Is this correct, because the person who helped me pleat the fabric said you only go through one pleat I'm confused Sharman>>
Sharman, when smocking we always grab one pleat at a time with our needles (unless you are working that one stitch that takes two pleats at a time) but it takes two pleats to complete the embroidery stitch. I always teach my students in the first lesson to say to themselves, one pleat to start the stitch, second pleat to complete the stitch. After you say this to yourself a couple of times you get it and don't need to remind yourself that two pleats make up a completed stitch. Ok that's a little confusing but if you look at the cable stitch, you start on pleat number one and move over to pleat number two to complete your stitch. You are always moving over to the next pleat to move across your fabric. Is this clear? <--Beth
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<<I recently spent a month in Ecuador and became friends with a woman who is interested in smocking, but is unable to get information or supplies where she lives. She showed me a wooden board with grooves for preparing the fabric and asked me to find one for her here in the US. I don't even know the name of the device. Thanks, Deborah Snyder>>
Boy you have my curiousity up on this question. Has anyone who is reading this ever seen one of these boards she's talking about?<--Beth