Tuesday 28 October 2008

Smocking sampler

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was teaching a friend to smock. She is doing really well, and has finished her practice strip and also the smocking for a garment. If I ever have a weekday at home again, she will come over to finish her project.
At the time, I cut out and pleated a similar width piece, as a teaching aide. I smocked it with variations of the first two stitches I teach, cable and trellis, to keep my friend company whilst she smocked, and to show her some design options before she picked a smocking plate for her garment. I made it as a sampler, but always intended using it for something. I finished smocking this a little while ago, and it called to me this morning in my sewing time before work, when I was thinking about all the things I would like to sew in the near future, but am putting off until November 1 in case I decide to put them in a SWAP collection for the stitcher's guild contest!
I made up this little top, from Australian Smocking and Embroidery issue 78 in a size 4 (scaled up one size). I will give it to my niece as part of her 4th birthday present next month.
 

There is a close up of the smocking here. The fabric is cotton voile, from Spotlight.I bought it last winter, when Spotlight seems to ship all the cottons up north for winter. It can be quite difficult to find voile locally in spring and summer, when I really want it. The thread is DMC stranded cotton. I have used 3 strands.
 
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2 comments:

Claudine said...

Wow! I love all of your smocking, but this is especially beautiful.

Anne-Marie said...

Visiting you blog after a day is like coming into an oasis for a nomad. Your work is refreshing. Great dress again. Thank you also for you suggestion on my blog. I found a colour of big thread that can do the trick with my denim. It was not easy because it has a bit of aqua in it. I will over stitch it this weekend. Now, I sew for my younger sister. Regards, Anne