Rosy’s in the Pink~

March 6, 2008 at 4:49 am | In Smocking | 4 Comments

See this stuff?

It reminded me that I haven’t smocked in a while…

Ok, so I found this fabric… and a coordinating one (blues, greens, and a smidge of yellow!) I fell in love, imagined gorgeous smocked things, and bought it. I do that. It’s kind of my thing. Then I was in a quandry. How do I divvy up this great fabric? For Lorna? Andra? Jenna? Emma? Uh… uh… uh…

Well, finally my dear friend Kirky decided that Emma and Lorna needed matching dresses. That was easy. Kevin said the pink over the blue. After I picked myself up from the floor, I said, “That was easy.” Lorna concurred. That was easy. Hey, maybe the smocking and millions of bullions will be easy too! (one can dream)

So, here she is….

The Ingredients

Fabric- Quilting Treasures by Cranston (Karen Neuburger 2005)

Floss- Anchor 875 (green) & 25 (pink)

DMC 3746 (Purple)

Smocking Plate- Provencal by Cheryl Davidson (Sew Beautiful Issue 112)

Prettified huh?

So I started pleating…

See how those pleats build up on the needles? You have to pull them off. Now this fabric is very buttery so it almost slides off without help!

Aaahhh the needles can breathe again. Those pleats are huggers and the needles are kind of like me. We’re a bit prickly about people (or pleats) getting in our space.

All ready to get started. There is a lovely herringbone looking stitch that starts it off. (WHY can’t I remember the name of that stitch and WHY am I too lazy to look it up?) Oh, Wheat… I think it’s called wheat. Whatever, it’s pretty and I’m off to have a date with Jessica Fletcher and my ~~wheat~~ smocking.

4 Comments »

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Ooh, fun! I need to break out my pleater today and get M’s Easter dress pleated.

Comment by dangitAnge — March 6, 2008 #

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I used to smock years ago and have had a brain lapse. I now have a grandaughter who would look smashing in these cute smocked dresses. I have a pleater. Can you inspire me to get going and do something easy to start with?

Comment by mesquitemagnoli — May 24, 2008 #

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I’m planning to sew this up this weekend. I’ll post pictures soon.

Meanwhile, I suggest that you find a store that sells either Australian Smocking (I recommend the Karen Faylor company if you need to mail order

http://www.karenfaylor.com/id24.html

or Sew Beautiful (sold at most Joann’s and similar stores). Pick a project and follow the directions until it “comes back to you”

The advantage to the Australian Smocking magazines is that they include the dress patterns as well. Each one has half a dozen or more projects with the patterns as well as the smocking plates and detailed instructions to make. Find a project in your size range and go for it. For a first project after a long break, definitely use cotton calico weight from Joann’s or at best, from a quilt shop. (I also recommend http://www.thousandsofbolts.com if you want to do mail order) You don’t want to worry about spending a lot of money on something that may be more of a “practice dress”.

Then, by all means, please show us! I can’t wait to see what you do!

Comment by chautona — May 24, 2008 #

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Another thought is to buy a pre-pleated garment and just smock the first one. It’d be a nice way to finish a project quickly and feel successful.

You can find pre-pleated garments on eBay, Etsy, and at several online stores as well as from Sew Beautiful Magazine. http://www.sewbeautifulmag.com

Comment by chautona — May 24, 2008 #

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