Since December of 1996 I have offered my smocking newsletter bringing you information on interesting information on smocking and related needlearts.  Many other shops have copied this information on their websites as I find bits and pieces of my writings on the web, particularly commercial sites selling imported pre-smocked clothing some without giving me credit, but I just wanted you to know that we were the first to have this information available on the web for you.  Please enjoy and feel free to send in your questions and comments and I will send you an answer almost immediately.  (I do want to remind you though that while the techniques of smocking are universal the following written information is my own and is copyrighted, please do not steal my ideas nor writings and claim it as your own - if you wish to use my info for a non profit venture please be a proper scholar and give credit to your resources, I try to. If you are in a non profit group and wish to quote from my newsletters just drop me a line and we'll talk.

We are are keeping the newsletters in this format rather than a blog format but are starting up a blog for questions and answers as it appears to be more interactive, we hope you will enjoy.

To understand more of what smocking is please look to this page What is Smocking.   Please don't hesitate to ask me a question about smocking, I'm here to serve you.

I would like to invite you to receive a free online subscription to my smocking newsletter.  Garden Fairies (mail order catalog and store) has been involved with selling smocking supplies since 1986 and teaching the art.  In 1996 we opened up our online webstore on AOL (now:www.smockingstore.com) and created a newsletter to share information for smocking women around the world.  This newsletter has been recently more sporadic lately but will change in the near future.  Meanwhile know that I am working on developing the archives of the newsletter and will be presenting a larger collection of back issues real soon.

Each issue may contain a short article upon a variety of topics along with readers' questions and answers.  The topics covered can be anything ranging from history of smocking, tips, pattern reviews, intriguing web pages, smocking plate reviews, what's new, smocking for dolls, silk ribbon embroidery, heirloom sewing and antique clothing descriptionas well as a question and answer section for the readers to partipate.   Anything that relates to putting a needle into fabric, the fabric itself and embellishments there upon can and will be discussed at any point.  Please feel free to submit questions, comments and ideas to thefaeries@smockingstore.com.

We have suspended our yahoo sign ups to the (now) old Smocking Newsletter, and have started up a new one with Google Groups but haven't played with the mailing function but it is a much nicer place to call home rather than yahoogroups who frequently forget you are supposed to be receiving emails.  The archives are here from all our newsletters listed below.  Please send in your email address to join our group. I will be working on the newsletters/blog throughout April and hope to have an unveiling real soon of the new format.