How to Smock With Elastic
Smocking with elastic creates opportunities to make sundresses, girls' dresses, and tops from any fabric you choose. Although pre-smocked fabric is available from many retail outlets, the selection of prints and colors is limited. Fiber choices, too, with cotton/poly juvenile prints and plain knits predominating. Once you learn to smock your own fabric, you can create a sundress or top in designer fabrics, a favorite quilting print, or a graphic jersey.
Things You'll Need
- Fabric
- Bobbin elastic
- Sewing machine
- Strong non-elastic thread
- Tailor's chalk
- Long quilting ruler
Instructions
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1
Cut a piece of fabric one and a half times as wide as the desired finished width of the smocked garment. Using the tailor's chalk and long quilting ruler, mark the area of the garment that is to be smocked with straight lines, approximately 3/4 inch apart.
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2
Thread the bobbin of your sewing machine with the elastic, stretching it as you wind--not absolutely taut, but stretched approximately 25 to 50 percent. Insert your bobbin into your sewing machine as usual.
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3
Thread the top of your sewing machine with the strong, non-elastic thread. Sew with a straight stitch along the lines marked on the garment to smock the fabric. Finish the garment as desired. You can embellish over the smocking by hand-sewing sequins or beads in an allover design, as well.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose a simple design for your first smocked garment, such as a dress made from a single rectangle of fabric.
References
- Photo Credit dress image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
