Smocking Tutorial

This Ondori Smocking book owned by my mom has lots of wonderful, chick looking bags, dresses and blouse. I thought of making one myself and chose the easiest smocking pattern : ) to adorn a clutch that I'm going to make.

 

To make the clutch, I cut a lightweight cotton fabric twice as much as the finished measurement.

The smocking pattern is a Canadian type of smocking. I don't know what it's called because the book only describes it as 'variation of smocking'. I guess I just name it 'ketupat' smocking.

This type of smocking is quite easy to make. You can skip drawing the grid lines if you use gingham, polka dots or stripes pattern fabric.

 

 The design is based on this cushion cover smocking pattern.

Follow these steps:

 

Mark the back side of the fabric by drawing grid lines or grid points with the size of squares that you want.

* The finished smocked squares will be the same size as the drawn grid squares.

You can make a 'saw-toothed cardboard' to mark the fabric. Draw and cut out a saw-toothed cardboard. Place the cardboard on the fabric and mark points at the tops and bottoms of the indents using a pencil or marker.

Insert the needle on the wrong side of the fabric starting at no.1 and scoop the four dots from no. 2 to no. 7. Insert the needle at no. 8 and pull the thread.

The front side of fabric looks like this.

Fasten the thread tightly by making a knot with the other end of the thread.

The front side looks like this after pulling the thread.

Continue smocking the rest of the squares till finish.

Lets get smocking!