How to Smock Fabric - 3 Ways! | Smocking Tutorial (Cable, Wave + Honeycomb Stitch)

My mother and grandmother handmade all the baby clothes for my sister and me, most of which involved smocking across the chest. While my mother did the basic construction sewing, it was my grandma who did the smocking. My grandma now has dementia and I’m unable to learn this technique from her. It’s one of my biggest regrets in life that I didn’t ask her to teach me years ago. Thank you so much for this video. I’m so grateful that I can continue this legacy of smocking. As soon as my kids are comfortable holding a needle, I will pass along smocking to keep this craft alive. Thank you thank you thank you!

I've wanted to try this on gingham for a while - with no need to mark endless dots.

This is so neat. I remember as a girl learning the honeycomb smocking from an aunt. She had me do it on gingham because you do not have to mark the dots!

What a great tutorial! This will be a go-to video for beginners in smocking. You're a great teacher!

My Aunt (who taught me to sew) made a crepe back satin romper with a smocked yolk for my son for a christening outfit, it is a cherished heirloom now 40 years later

BEAUTIFUL WORK AND AN EXCELLENT TEACHER. THANK YOU FOR SHARING! ❤

This is so cool! I think a smocked cuff on a blouse is just the most elegant and interesting looking finishings you can do 💕

I love to smock. I used smock most of my daughter's clothes. Especially her Sunday church dresses. There are many heirloom sewing & smocking "gurus" in Australia such as Judith Adams, and many others whose names escape me. They often come to the states to teach workshops. I have several years of Australian Smocking & Embroidery (Country Bumpkin Publications) in my library. I'm not sure that they are still in business. May I suggest using quilting thread for pleating. There is nothing worse than having a pleating thread break. 😳 which is likely to happen with regular sewing thread. Beautiful job with you sampler & teaching of basic steps. With these stitches you can smock a yoke, cuff, insert, bishop & so many other options. Add a little bullion embroidery if you want to dress it up. We used to joke that smocking is for those with the leisure time, well to do & wealthy, but it started out being used when making working peasants (particularly men) garments to give an elastic ease to the work clothes. 😊

Thank you for the video. I smoked a lovely dress for my daughter when she was a wee little child. She's a grandma now! And I'm a great grandmother! Loved watching how much love I took putting those stitches in her garment.

I smocked dresses for my daughter from baby til about 6 and rompers for my son when he was a tiny baby. I love the look of smocking.

This looks like it would create really cool bust, sleeve, etc details for clothes. Excited to see what you'll do with smocking next!

You've taken me back to my year 8 textile and design class, thanks Janelle, lovely work.

As always, your instructional videos are so well done and easy to follow. I’m in awe of your patience with this skill - I barely have the patience to sew ‘two rows of gathering stitches’, never mind smocking😂

Hi Janelle. I used to make and sell smocked dresses many years ago. Before I got a pleater, I used to use printed heat transfer sheets to mark the dots on the fabric. I don't know if they are still available but it's worth looking into as it saved a lot of time.

Thank you. I remember yrs ago in needlework class some girls chose to do smocking, where as I chose to tie dye fabric to then make make garments from. (It was the 1970's ☺️) Now I'm in my 60's and have a little more patience I'd love to try this.

Lovely . Thank you. I also like the way you have you stitched up your top, and the chain .. all showing aesthetic and culture of the world gone by. Thank you for bringing this beautiful culture to life.

Lovely! I made a 1970s dress earlier this year that had smocking around the waist included in the pattern. It was so satisfying to sew and actually made for a really comfortable garment as well.

Thank you so much. This is the only channel that has shown smocking in its "stretched" mode. ❤ from India.

Thank you so much for being so easy to understand and showing visuals. Very much appreciated

Beautiful beautiful beautiful tutorial! I'm so excited to see your experiment with smocking! My mother in law uses this traditional technique while sewing Romanian traditional blouses.