What is Counterchange smocking?
Counterchange smocking involves pleating stripes or checks to make a pattern.
How do you make a smocking embroidery?
Outline Stitch
- Bring your needle up from the back on the left side of the first or third pleat. Remember you work smocking stitches from left to right!
- Move the needle to the next pleat and put the needle through it from right to left at a slight angle up.
- Keep the thread below the needle.
- Repeat.
What are the two basic methods that can be used in smocking?
Smocking basically consists of pleated fabric and a fibre (usually a floss) for embellishment stitches. Pleats are created in two ways; A set of dots printed or pressed on the fabric. Dots are then used as a gathering guide to create hand pleats (Figure 9.9).
How do you smock for beginners?
To do smocking, start by making a grid on a piece of fabric using small, evenly-spaced dots. Then, thread a needle and make a small stitch under the first dot, from one side of the dot to the other. Then, bring the stitch to the next dot and repeat.
How can I learn smocking?
What is the best fabric for smocking?
The sweet spot is a fabric that pleats easily, and results in full pleats that hold their shape well. I recommend starting with a 100 percent cotton broadcloth, Imperial Broadcloth by Spechler Vogel (65 % cotton, 35% polyester) or poly cotton broadcloth from Fabric Finders.
How do you calculate fabric for smocking?
Multiply the number of pleats per inch by the finished width of the fabric. For the finished 20-inch width with 10 pleats per inch with a total of 1/2 inch per pleat, you will need 100 inches of fabric. To determine the yardage, divide by 36 inches –the number of inches in 1 yard — to arrive at roughly 2 3/4 yards.
How much fabric do I need for smocking?
The smocking rule of thumb is roughly 3 to 4 times the amount of finished fabric needed when making small pleats. But the size of each pleat drives that number up. The width of each pleat and how tightly you stitch them together also affects how much fabric goes into a compressed inch of smocking.
How much material do I need for smocking?
The smocking rule of thumb is roughly 3 to 4 times the amount of finished fabric needed when making small pleats.
How far apart are smocking dots?
Dots measure 1/4″ apart along the rows and 5/8″ between rows.
Which fabric is best for smocking?
Smocking requires lightweight fabric with a stable weave that gathers well. Cotton and silk are typical fiber choices, often in lawn or voile. Smocking is worked on a crewel embroidery needle in cotton or silk thread and normally requires three times the width of initial material as the finished item will have.
What needles to use for smocking?
Either a number 7 or 8 Embroidery needle (also known as a Crewel needle) or a number 7 Darner (originally used to darn socks) will give a good result.