Spring and summer are fun months to shop for little girls’ dresses. Don’t all little girls love to twirl in fully gathered skirts? A nice touch to add to spring and summer dresses is a spot of smocking. Smocked blocks can easily be inserted into readymade dresses or find a pattern you love and break out that dusty sewing machine. Smocking is an art form that is enjoying a resurgence of interest. Practice your new found skill or fake it by using techniques that mimic hand smocking.
Smocking–The Real Thing
Smocking consists of groups of stitches that are made on the top of rows of tightly gathered fabric. By reading a pattern, stitches can run rows, form trellises, or “draw” animals, vehicles, flowers, or just about anything you can imagine. Adding the pleats is the first step. A smocking pleater is the easiest and fastest way to obtain the rows of gathered stitches necessary. Other methods include the use of ironed-on dots and smocking on gingham. Pre-shirred rows make it easy to smock. Picking up the tiniest bit of fabric with your needle, you simply make stitches that hold the pleat and add color and design elements.
Faux Smocking
Many sewing machines have the ability to gather and embellish fabric, giving the appearance of hand smocking. Although the perfect symmetry and texture of machine smocked garments does not have the same charm as a handmade item, the machine smocked dress is adorable, too.
Whichever you choose to try, your little girl will love the sweetly smocked dress you make for her. Don’t be surprised if friends ask you to make one for their little one, too.