Fabric Smocking

My attempt at producing samples of smocking was very enthusiastic. At first, I was put off doing it because the process seemed complex and troublesome but after researching on Pinterest and Youtube, I finally got to grips with the technique(s) and now I cannot stop. Within the past two days alone, I have produced two different designs which I will share.

The first technique I learnt was honeycomb smocking, what inspired me to try this out was the lovely outcome that it has, all by just pinching the fabric together in the correct places. Unfortunately, I do not own a water soluble pen or fabric marker so excuse the various dots marked on the white fabric. I do need to consider investing in one though, it is a must!

As I mentioned the dots, the purpose of them was to act as a guide. It enabled me to pinch the fabric in the appropriate areas in order to create the diamond effect. As for the technique, it was quite straightforward really but I found it was a little time consuming yet enjoyable. All that is required is to form a double stitch (or in my case four because I like my stitches to be nice and secure) when pinching the fabric. It's advisable to only create a stitch as nearest to the surface as possible, you don't want it too deep. I feel by doing that, it will only affect the overall form of the shapes and won't make the pleats as sharp.

Although the process is simple, the final outcome is very rewarding and visually satisfying. I would like to dye this to incorporate some colour at least before adding it to my sketchbook. However, I likely won't do much else to it since I don't want to overwork it.

I also feel the need to mention that using a firm fabric that is able to hold its position of long lengths of time is more advisable than using flimsy sorts that will easily fall flat again.

The following technique was discovered today through Pinterest. Fortunately enough, I was able to actually seek a pattern template off of the website which enabled me to use precise measurements. In fact, using accurate measurements is essential for this design.

On the back, I lightly plotted down the pattern template.

Then, I began to sew only the diagonal lines together with just a few stitches until it was tight enough.

I repeated this for each row that I marked down.

And this was the final outcome when flipped the other way.

I was pleased with the way it was beginning to form, however I feel I should have worked on a much larger scale for the design to be expressed more. I do intend to experiment with the larger scale at a later stage.