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December 28, 2002
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Website: Garden Fairies Smocking & Needlearts Catalog
Smocking Newsletter - Main Fairy, copyright 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.
From our Readers:
Doodle thoughts on floss color combinations: "What is pretty with colors?"
<<Interesting. I'm not surprised that a firmer fabric went through the pleater better. I wonder if you could add a narrow piece of tissue paper to the edge of something soft like that chiffon to help get it started. I'd have to do some experimenting to see what you could use to hold the pieces together that wouldn't gum up the needles. An interesting puzzle for those of us less dexterous than you!
I had just about figured to get a Super Amanda till I saw that the Read 32s were back. Now I really have to ponder. It hadn't occurred to me that I would be doing that many rows, but I can see the use. Decisions, decisions, decisions! Sarah ---->"Practice random acts of kindness >>
Good suggestion Sarah I was thinking along the same line but would work a long holding stitch rather than a fabric glue (which would gum up the pleater).
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<< I have a Super Amanda Jane Pleater and I am interested in adding a ribbon to my next project. How do you weave ribbon in and out of the pleats? Thanks! Vicki >>
Ribbon weaving through smocking stitches is fun. The stitch that is mostly used for the base smocking to weave through is the wave or baby wave, depending on how narrow your ribbon is. A flat bodkin is necessary for the weaving the ribbon as it slides over the top of pleats but in a pinch a tapestry needle can be used as well. A soft ribbon is also important. Offray is the softest of the polyester ribbons out there but personally I prefer to use silk satin ribbon.
If you mean to weave a ribbon through smocking at the waist remember that the width of your wave stitch has to be slightly larger than the ribbon you are going to use. If you are inventing your own design place your ribbon over the pleats to see how many rows it covers, then work the wave stitches 1/4 row above and below the width of the ribbon. Your ribbon then is held snugly in place.
To stop and start a waistline ribbon work a hand or machine buttonhole in the valley of the pleat of where you want the ribbon to stop and start and feed it through to the back where you can secure it. Hiding the stop and start in a side seam is also acceptable and somewhat easier for the beginner (and expert) smocker.
<< If the directions call for back smocking several rows and don't indicate a stitch what do you do? >>
Usually the cable stitch is worked on the back for picture smocking as it holds the pleats in pairs which helps stabilize your smocking.
There are times when, however, you want your pleats to be held singly with the outline stitch such as on front on the top row to hold the pleats in place for sewing but mostly it's the cable stitch.
There is a general recommendation to use 2 strands of floss instead of 3 or 4 that is used on the front, and to use the same color floss as your fabric so it doesn't show on the front.
<<It was recommended that I ask you for advise concerning a vintage crocheted 2 piece dress given to my daughter that needs to be cleaned. The top is stained probably from damp but it is not mildewed that I can tell. The crocheting seems to be in great condition and it a pretty shade of pink. It seems that this was made for my mother-in-law when she was 13. That would have been about 1938 or so. We would like to have a portrait taken of my DD wearing the dress with her hair styled in 30's style.
Now for the problem. I don't know what material it made of. I am guessing cotton but I don't know. Also the top had a lot of staining on it and I was wondering if soaking it in cold water and Oxyclean would hurt it. Also would it shrink it? Would it need to be blocked into shape again? The skirt is perfect. There also is a tam, belt, and purse to complete the outfit. We hope to do this as a gift for Grandma. TIA Fran D.>>
Soaking is always recommended as your first method of cleaning as dirt and dust will lift right off. Stains often will go away as well but in this case I think a cup of coffee, tea, chocolate or else tomato sauce was the cause. I would first hand wash gently in warm water with Ivory Liquid to get all the dirt and easily lifted stains. Then you might try the Oxyclean or else the cleaner we sell for vintage lace and linens called Nancy's Vintage Soak (see our notions page), either will do the trick. After rolling the garment up to dry in a towel for it's squeeze dry dry it on a sweater rack or somehow flat. You will have to block it and yes there will be some shrinkage but that's normal as the yarn stretches with wear and washing just brings it back to the original shape again, provided you haven't wrung it out or stretched it.
Lemon juice and laying the garment out in sunshine is another method I've heard of getting rid of stains (Katharine Hepburn). Personally I haven't tried Oxyclean yet but it looks wonderful in all the commercials & infomercials I've seen.
(comment added after publishing)
<<For the woman who doesn't know what her crocheted dress is made of, Mary Black's New Key to Weaving has a Burning Tests chart. You can burn a thread to determine its composition from the color of the flame and smoke, the smell, and the speed of burning.
I love your site. Thank you, Sharon>>
Opposite colors used minimally like in navy blouse with gold binding, or olive green with purple would normally shock the eyes if used boldly but if you add in opposite colors to your project in small amounts (such as binding mentioned) you'll get a mini shock of delight rather than the dreaded "euuuuuuuuuu ... WHY?????"
Shaded tones are always safe to go with especially with the lovely shaded colors of DMC and Anchor floss. Shading tones with bullion roses makes for exceptionally lovely flowers.
Varigated floss can be fun, especially when working with picture smocking identical figures across the garment. I like to use a gaily colored varigated or overdyed floss in my borders and keep the motifs "pure". Or I use varigated pinks to reds for picture smocking hearts around a bishop.
When choosing colors for your project the first thought is how do you do it?
IF working a bishop dress in geometric design the color scheme can make or break your smocking. One color theme is to start dark and move down the rows with lighter and lighter shades of floss. Another theme is to encase a light color between a medium shade or a contrasting darker shade. You can also work a color scheme of dark to medium-light-medium , light-lighter-light, this is especially pretty on calico fabrics that have several shades of color you want to pull out.
In calicos I either like to smock in one color, darker or lighter than the main color in the fabric or I go for a contrasting color or I choose one of the shading patterns I mentioned above. It all depends on the fabric and the smocking design I have choosen.
"I have no riches but my thoughts. Yet these are wealth enough for me." ~ Sara Teasdale
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