Mr. Toad

Books We Carry:

"Smocking & Basic Sewing Books & DVDs"

A to Z of Smocking by the publishers of AS&E

A to Z Smocking Stitches $33.00

From the beginning levels to advanced stitches as taken from the pages of AS&E, this book fulfills the promise of the other books in the A to Z series with every smocking stitch imaginable in full color and diagrams. Each stitch is carefully explained and detailed so there is no confusion as to how to work it. Also included are sections on beginning smocking, smocking terminology, starting and stopping, pleaters and preparation of fabric for smocking, backsmocking instructions, blocking and shaping bishops and basic yoke dresses, gosh everything imaginable on the subject of smocking is covered in this great book.  Also includes counterchange and lattice smocking instructions.

This is THE book to get to learn how to do bullions in various shapes on pleats.  You will find over 1,000 fabulous color step-by-step color photographs on every subject on smocking imaginable.

Price $33.00
Quantity requested    

Contents - Just in case you weren't sold before

Fabrics
Needles
Threads
Starting & Finishing a Thread
Smocking Terms
Accent Stitches
Back Stitch
Background Smocking
Backsmocking
Bargello Smocking
Beads in Smocking
Bishop Garments
Blocking and Shaping
Bullion Knot
Buttonholes in Pleats
Cable Stitch
Centering Designs
Chain Stitch
Colonial Knot
Colour Combinations
Counterchange Smocking
Crossover Smocking
Design Graphs
Detached Chain
Diagonal Smocking
Dolls, Smocking for
Embroidery on Smocking
English Smocking
Fabric Manipulation
Feather Stitch
Flowerette
Fly Stitch
Freeform Smocking
French Knot
Herringbone Stitch
Honeycomb Stitch
Horizontal Smocking
Inserts
Jigsaw Smocking
Knits, Smocking on
Laundering Smocking
Left Handers
Mirror Image Rows
Outline Stitch
Picture Smocking
Pistil Stitch
Plaid Smocking
Pleaters
Preparation and pleating    
Prints, smocking on
Raised Lattice Stitch
Ribbon Smocking with ribbon weaving
Round Yoke Garments
Satin Stitch
Seed Stitch
Sheaf Stitch
Square Yoke Garments
Star Stitch
Stem Stitch
Straight Stitch
Stripes, Smocking on
Tartans, Smocking on
Template Smocking
Traditional Smocking
Trailing Vine
Trellis Stitch
Unpicking 
Van Dyke Stitch
Vertical Ladder Stitch
Vertical Smocking
Wave Stitch
Wheat Stitch
Zigzag Stitch

English Smocking by Children's Corner

This book is unique amongst all of our beginning smocking books in that it contains actual sewing patterns for a Basic Square Yoke Dress (sizes 1-6) and Armhole guides for a Sundress (sizes 1-8), a smocked baby's bonnet, and smocked collar.  Also included are seven original smocking designs with variations each for either a square yoke dress or bishop.  The smocking stitches are clearly presented in illustrations as well as written instructions.  Excellent value for your money.

Price $12.00
Quantity requested    

Smocking Daze I - Sandy Hunter $6.00.

Four timeless original pretty smocking designs in one color booklet, published in 1985. Each design is shown on a garment, the design itself and a graph with instructions.

Includes three geometric designs for girls:

  • Periwinkle - suitable for bishop style
  • Leslie - diamonds and lattice filled with flowerettes
  • Ashly - Diamonds and Lattice
  • Hiawatha - old style picture smocking design for boys

Price $6.00
Quantity requested    

Smocking Daze II - Sandy Hunter $6.00

Four very pretty original geometric Smocking Designs by Sandy Hunter for the price of two! Each design is shown in color on a sample garment, design and graph. Easy instructions.

Designs include:

  • Kitty Kats, clever cats formed with geometric stitches
  • Flower Lattice - diamond lattice with cable flowers & ribbon weaving
  • Emily Claire - sweet baby design for bishop dress
  • Kimberly - Bishop design.

Price $6.00
Quantity requested    

Stacked Cables Step by Step - Sandy Hunter  $6.00

An excellent booklet on the subject of stacked cables. (Sandy is one of the original smocking designers from the early 1980's.) Her tips and techniques are clear and insightful without too much fuss and words. She concentrates on the stacked pyramid, which is a shape that is the basis for many advanced pictures. Once you get the pyramid down any other shape is easy.

Price $6.00
Quantity requested    

"How to Smock" - Grace Knott $16.00  

A republication and revision of a 1957 classic with 10 updated color geometric smocking designs created in Grace's tradition by her daughter-in-law. It shows you how to pleat by dots and how to use a pleater, along with smocking instructions and collar suggestions. A wonderful book and the geometric and picture designs included are delightful.  The smocking design on the cover is one of the smocking designs included. (Grace Knott designed some of the first smocking plates in the 50's. Bold geometric which sparked the smocking craze and eventually led to what you see today)

Please click on the link to see the lovely geometric designs of Grace Knott Smocking Designs.

Price $16.00
Quantity requested    

"Ellen McCarn On English Smocking" $12.00

This book is wonderful and in my opinion this is the book to get. One of the most definitive manuals on smocking with clear and concise directions and drawings. Includes seven design plates and 150 step-by-step illustrations and photographs. Covers beginning thru advanced geometric smocking.  An excellent guide for teaching yourself smocking as it is like Ellen is right there looking over your shoulder.   Ellen has been smocking and designing plates for more than 20 years.  This book contains the sum of her experiences.  Excellent publication.

To see Ellen's smocking designs please go to this page Ellen McCarn Smocking Design Plates.

To see Ellen's applique designs go to this page Ellen McCarn Appliques

Price $12.00
Quantity requested    

"Picture Smocking with Ellen McCarn" $12.00

A perfect companion book to the previous edition. This book tells you all you ever need to know about picture smocking. Comes with a stash of picture smocked motifs and geometric patterns for creating your own designs.  For more than 20 years Ellen McCarn has been delighting smockers all around the world with her picture smocking.  She shares her tips as well as some creative processes in this volume.

To see Ellen's smocking designs please go to this page Ellen McCarn Smocking Design Plates.

Price $12.00
Quantity requested    

EM English Floral Monograms

Delicate and lovely monograms for English smocking. These designs are appropriate for a yoke dress or pillow and a round neck or bishop dress or blouse.

Price $5.00
Quantity requested    

One Stitch at a Time with Ellen McCarn

An excellent introductory booklet on the subject of smocking for one who wants to know more but isn't sure enough to invest a lot of money.

Price $5.00
Quantity requested    

Lattice Smocking by Laura Jenkins Thompson  $12.00

If you have ever wondered how to make those pillows from the 50's and 60's this is the book for you.  Two different lattice smocking patterns are included adapted for the following projects  Laura's Lattice Dress, Royal Weskit Smocked Sleeve Jacket, Princess Insert Dress, Channel Jacket - Canadian Style, Lattice Envelope Evening Bag, Lattice Cummerbund Belt.  I'm dying to try some of this on velvet as well as doing it in miniature.

Price $12.00
Quantity requested    

Laura Jenkins Thompson's Smocking Plates

Counter Change Smocking

Counterchange Smocking by Ann Hallay

This is the definitive manual on how to do counterchange smocking which evolved from North American Smocking or Gingham Smocking.  This technique DOES NOT require a pleater, just striped fabric or fabric that alludes to stripes, YEAH!!!!!  

Ann has taken the art form of counterchange smocking into a new realm of creativity.  All the designs that you have seen in Australian Smocking have been inspired by Ann's designs and effort as she was the one who brought this technique to the public's eye as well as bringing it to a higher creative evolution.  Booklet includes instructions along with a design plate (image shown).

Price $16.00
Quantity requested    

Ann Hallay Counterchange Smocking Plates

For those hungry for more counterchange instructions see our Counterchange Smocking page.

Jane McPherson Neckline Blocking Guide $3.00

Just in case you've lost your guide or need a new one we have replacements available.  Use this for smocked collars or whenever you need a guide to a neckline.

Price $3.00
Quantity requested    

"The Pleater Manual" Sarah Douglas $18.00  (Sub-title: A Comprehensive Guide to the Use of the Smocking Pleater).

This is THE definitive guide to operating a smocking pleater and working with pleated fabric. Written by an expert in smocking, Saran Douglas gives you more information than you ever would want to know about pleating and working with pleated fabric. Covers the basic subjects and then goes into a comparison of the popular brands of pleaters and advanced subjects like pleating on the bias and curves. Included is a glossary of terms, pleating directions for all types of fabrics and pleater maintenance instructions. The layout of the book is set up as lesson plans on every type of pleating, exotic or regular.  She certainly did her research well and it definitely shows. I recommend this book as a must have in every smockers library especially if you like to know the scientific (well almost) technical stuff of how a pleater works and the comparisons between the different pleaters on the market.

Price $18.00
Quantity requested    

The Busy Mother's Guide To Sewing Children's Clothes - Nancy Coburn

This book has been around since 1985 but is still the best.  It is perfect for beginners as everything you need to know about sewing garments (smocked and heirloom sewn) is here.  Includes more than 25 basic yoke variations, 18 collar variations and 19 sleeve variations.  Also has instructions for the construction of the basic yoke dress and the smocked Bishop dress.  Includes methods to prevent a "turtle-neck" and 3 easy bishop plackets.  It has some of the best clearly written detailed instructions with 215 illustrations and 103 photographs.  Using this book and the matching Basic Square Yoke Dress pattern you can make as many dresses as you like without fear of repeating yourself.

A must have for every sewing smockers library.

Price $20.00
Quantity requested    

Nancy Coburn is the designer for Ginger Snaps Designs Smocking and Heirloom Sewing Patterns as well as a wonderful series of beginning heirloom sewing books.  You can see all of her patterns and books on this page:

Ginger Snaps Designs

The Art of Manipulating Fabric by Collette Wolff

Some define creativity as the art of constantly asking "What if...?" and then experimenting to answer the question. If that is a good definition, then the author is incredibly creative! This is an encyclopedic treatment of the possibilities of manipulating fabric. Categories include gathering, shirring, ruffles, flounces, godets, pleating, smocking, tucking, and more. Each category is organized and explored in great detail. Graphs are very clear, but the greatest inspiration comes from the photographs of the actual manipulations, all of the samples were stitched in white muslin to be as clear as possible. This is truly a must-have.

Price $29.95
Quantity requested    

The How-To-Book of Heirloom Sewing by Machine by Nancy Coburn

Finally a book to replace the Mildred Turner Series.  Nancy's books are wonderful with her detailed descriptions as well as clear photographs for each technique included.  If you are a raw beginner then this is the book for you.  Included are a checklist for construction steps, instructions for adapting commercial patterns for heirloom sewing, size guidelines and adjustments (ever wonder how to do this?), fabric and lace guidelines, basic heirloom sewing by machine techniques, sewing techniques, bodice and yoke embellishment, skirt embellishment, hemline variations, neckline variations, sleeve variations.

Also include on the pull out sheet are beautiful embroidery designs to transfer over to your fabric either using a mechanical pencil or iron-on transfer pencil, scallop guides, medallion templates and lace shaping guides as well as a worksheet for planning your heirloom dress.

Temporarily out of print

Embroidered Christening Gowns - Country Bumpkin Publications

Wow! This book has them all.  Every gown you have ever drooled over in Inspirations Magazine is included in this special edition by Country Bumpkin Publications. This will be in print only for a short while so get it while you can. Within the pages of this beautifully photographed book are eight unique and exquisite garments, perfect for christening, naming or blessing celebrations. Excellent clear instruction and more than 300 step-by-step photographs bring these wonderful designs within the grasp of all sewing enthusiasts, whatever their level of expertise.   144 pages. Full size patterns. While the book is out of print we have several copies left.

Price $34.95
Quantity requested    

Classic Smocking Designs - $13.50

Ten Superb Geometric Smocking Designs suitable for all levels of smockers, all taken from the early and no longer available issues of Australian Smocking and Embroidery magazine.  Each design has full color photographs, graphing in full color to make it easy to understand as well as complete simple instructions. Once again I am impressed. If you were to buy the individual plates the cost would be over $30.00.  The designs included are:

  • Marshmallow Ripples
  • Butterfly Blue
  • Symphony of Roses
  • Dreamscape
  • Sweet Whispers
  • Dear Prudence
  • Precious Angel
  • Forever Young
  • Unrequited Love
  • Fairy Floss

Price $13.50
Quantity requested    

Lots More Smocking Books on Page Two
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