Fine Heirloom Sewing, Smocking and Hand Embroidery

"Baby will be well and smiling in little garments made by Mother, Auntie, Grannie and loving friends!"

Please join me as I teach the old fashioned techniques and skills needed to sew baby clothes. You will find lessons that start at the very beginning and take you step by step as we sew little baby clothes together. May you find much joy and pleasure in making them.
It's easy and it's fun!!

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Friday, March 12

Thoughts on Smocking!


The Daygown from Smocked Baby Clothes.
This little Daygown is made from Swiss Flannel.  A lovely soft creamy fabric that promises sweet dreams.  And it is perfect even for air conditioning in the summer.  The daygown was made for a Sew Beautiful article about Honeycomb Smocking.  If you look closely at the yoke you will see it is smocked mostly with the  Honeycomb stitch.
Roses on the Collars and Roses between the Buttons.  I love Roses!
Notice that I used lace edging where the smocking meets the yoke.  Just a dainty little detail.
Cute smocking on the sleeves!
I pleated the sleeve in half spaces to give me more control of the small design as well as the soft fabric.
  You must pay close attention to your tension when you smock in cables.  They don't have much give and you don't want the sleeve to be too tight.
Pretty little sleeve.  All Done.  
Smocked sleeves are a great way to gather the fabric at baby's wrist.  The smocking gathers the fabric in so it fits baby and doesn't fall down to cover the little hand but it stretches, so it is not too tight.


This cute  picture of little girls knitting came from the blog "Little Jenny Wren".

I love this picture.  In my mind, the little girls are smocking!  Jenny wrote her thoughts about knitting.  Allowing for a difference in technique, you can almost substitute the word Smocking for Knitting.  Both are such leisurely pursuits, worked with your hands, done for the pleasure of it and always with the the thought "oh, I will do just one more row" before I put my work down. And of course I do several more rows.  I love to see the design develop right before my eyes!

Excerpt  from Little Jenny Wren blog:  "It is joy, isn't it, sometimes frustration and sometimes I guess like when you knit when you sit with a sick child in hospital you maybe are knitting your worried feelings into your work but they are the worried feelings of love.
I can't knit when I am angry, can you?"

 I love the last line!  She is right.  I can't smock when I am angry!





5 comments:

Martha said...

So pretty. Those roses are too sweet. I LOVE Swiss flannel. Have a bishop planned with white Swiss flannel

Goosegirl said...

Oh how pretty. I have never felt swiss flannel but it is lovely to see. I hope to get my sewing done today so I can start on the smocking of Ahnalin's Easter dress. It will be my treat after altering a huge wedding dress for a client.
I pray you have a beautiful day Jeannie

Memaw's memories said...

I've never worked with Swiss flannel. Your work is so beautiful. You can tell it's a work of love.

Laurie said...

I love swiss flannel and this is just dreamy beautiful! I sure hope I get a grand-daughter to sew for someday!

Sewconsult said...

I really like the idea of using the tiny lace at the yoke line. I am quite particular that the attachment of the yoke to the skirt be exact. The lace just might make that a bit easier.
Beckie in Brentwood, TN

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