Replies to This Post

Permalink Reply by annamc on May 20, 2009 at 7:58am

I am the mother of four grown men and now having my first grandson. I haven't found a lot of smocking for "boys" that would work for guys, but I want to learn to smock anyway. I am sure that I will find some deserving little girls that would love to have some pretty clothes. My question is, do I need to buy a pleater, or are there "kits" with material already pleated? I have read many articles about the smocking process, but the pleating by hand seems to take quite a bit of time. I am assuming that the dots shown in the picture are the evenly spaced lines used for gathering. Can you "pleat" as you go along? The pleating issue is my biggest starting issue.

Permalink Reply by Karen Gass on May 20, 2009 at 12:31pm

I'm learning this too. I am the mother to 2 grown men, and i have 9 grandsons!!! We finally have a granddaughter who is 18 months old and i've had fun sewing for her :)

You can get iron on dots, and then you gather from dot to dot. I figure they didn't have pleaters when they came up with smocking, i can at least learn a little bit without having one! :)

Permalink Reply by ruby on May 26, 2009 at 9:22am

Hi Anna,

I do not have a pleater but have bought pleated inserts from shops that sell sewing/heirloom supplies. I used the iron dots to smock my first item yeons of yrs ago - skipped a few years but have started back to hand smocking again. If I remember you iron the dots on your fabric, and then as your work your smocking design it is a pleat as you go method. I have seen pleated smocked inserts for sale on ebay but have never bought from there since I have a couple stores that sell them.

Ruby

Permalink Reply by April Logan on May 21, 2009 at 10:56pm

I have been smocking almost two years now and really enjoy it. It just takes alot of time and patients. I have a two year old little girl though and it is definitely worth it when I can tell some one I made the outfit she has on instead of spending 80 dollars on it.

Permalink Reply by Karen Gass on May 24, 2009 at 3:25pm

Can you suggest a good starting place for us newbies?

Permalink Reply by ruby on May 26, 2009 at 9:27am

Hi Karen,

I recently took a class to refresh myself with hand smocking. I have several books that teach/show the stitches and plate designs. - I think geometric plates are much easier than picture smocking. I don't have a pleater but there are several stores in the area who sell the prepleated inserts to use. I did manage to get a bishop dress pleated with a borrowed pleater. I use the inserts to make pillows for my granddaughter's memory chest of "gamby made items".

Ruby

Permalink Reply by Cathy Champion on May 26, 2009 at 10:38am

I'm an early retiree due to medical problems and am finding that there is so much that I want to do (crocheting, sewing, smocking, knitting, genealogy and the list continues) that I end up doing nothing but collecting sites and patterns!

I also have three grown boys plus a husband whom I have been able to smock for. Each of my sons received a hand smocked shirt for First Communion (my own design), small bags with smocking along the top for marbles, gaming pieces, dice, etc, slippers (monogramed in smocking), and I'm currently working out a design for a laptop case with an NA Indian design for a friend. I love making baby hats.

I do have a pleater, and believe me, it's worth the price. I have a 24 row pleater and, if I need to purchase another, I'll get a smaller one. I've never needed that many rows.

You probably can find someone in your area who has a pleater and who would pleat your fabric for you for so much a row. I did this at one time and used to charge $1.00 per row with a maximum charge of $10 plus mailing, so this should give you an idea of cost. You can see that it wouldn't take many projects before your pleater would pay for itself.

Cathy

Permalink Reply by annamc on June 13, 2009 at 8:17pm

I was out of pocket for a few weeks, I think that I would like to find the prepleated fabric a great idea. I could practice the stitches.