How to Make Smocked Children's Clothing

Smocked garments are gathered fabric that fits close to a part of the body, and then flows around it.

Smocked garments have a long history, dating back to the days when large pieces of fabric were gathered and stitched into place to provide thicker barriers against the weather. Smocking involves embroidering over temporary pleats with contrasting color threads to create attractive gathers, usually around the bodice, neck or waist areas of the garment. There are many patterns for children's smocked clothing online and available at craft or sewing stores.

Things You'll Need

• Thin fabric
• Ruler
• Fabric Pencil
• Scissors
• Thread, one color
• Thread, contrasting color
• Embroidery or Milliner's needle
• Iron
• Clothing pattern

Instructions

1. Mark your fabric using a ruler and fabric pencil. Draw a horizontal line that crosses the entire piece of fabric. Move the ruler down half an inch and draw a second line. Repeat until the entire piece of fabric is marked with horizontal lines. Turn the fabric 90 degrees so that the horizontal lines now run vertical. Mark the first line in the exact center of the fabric Measure down a quarter of an inch and mark. Repeat with the rest of the fabric. Turn the fabric an additional 90 degrees so that the 1/4 inch spaced lines run horizontal.

2. Add the temporary pleat threads using a needle and thread. Place the first stitch between two of your drawn grid lines. Work the needle through the fabric along the first grid line as evenly and consistently as you can. Neatness is vital when pleating. Pull the needle and thread through, leaving it loose at the end. Repeat this with all the horizontal grid lines.

3. Tie the threads in pairs on the left side of the fabric, loosely. If you are left-handed, you can tie on the right side with no problems. Once tied, grasp the loose threads on the right side and pull the fabric toward the tied ends using a steady and slow motion. The pleats should begin to appear. Once the fabric is pleated, tie the loose threads off in pairs like you did on the opposite side.

4. Flip your fabric over to reveal the pleated right side of the piece. Pull the first two layers of pleats part until you see the first grid line stitch. Place a stitch of a contrasting color through these pleats using a cable stitch or one that goes through one pleat and over the next, and then through the third pleat until all the pleats have been stitched.

5. Finish the patterns using the colored thread and embroidery needle. You can purchase smock patterns that will tell you which direction, stitch, and height of stitch to use as you make the embroidered design on the front of the pleats. Turn the piece back over and snip the knots off the tied grid line pleated threads. Pull these temporary threads from the fabric.

6. Iron the bottom of the smocked area to flatten it slightly. Hold the steam iron over the top of the smocked area to loosen the pleats. The embroidery stitches are now what holds the smocking in place. Sew the smocked piece into the rest of the garment.

Tips & Warnings

• Precision is vital to a finished and beautiful looking smock. Take care not to rush through the project.

References

• Garden Fairies Trading Company: What is English Smocking?