Smock On!

We all tend to associate smocking with pleated fabric and to pleat the fabric you must either use the labour intensive dots, pick them up to run the threads through the fabric or use a pleater – the much easier option! But have you thought about using a knit fabric and using the rib effect  it creates to smock?

 

I recently used a smocked wave to edge a baby’s undershirt. Using the ‘pleats’ created by the ribbing, I smocked the fronts and sleeve edges using perle cotton #5 (DMC # 800). As the item is for a baby boy, it was the perfect solution to ‘what can I do with this and quickly?’  It also allowed me to smock, but keep the garment looking tailored for a boy.

 

I have also used the rib and smocked the tops of socks.

 

A Thimbleberry chapter member really went outside the box and used the ‘pleats’ created by corduroy and picture smocked a squirrel (don’t you just love that turkey work tail!) and then 'smocked' a similar design on a sweater.

So, even if you don’t have a pleater, you can find things to Smock On!