Photograph illustrates a size 3-4 dress using
13 gathering rows and has been provided
to give an idea of the final design.
The instructions for this design card is for
8 rows of smocking.
This design consists of the following rows of smocking stitches
Cable
Mirrored Trellis 2 step/half space at ¼ spacing
Mirrored Trellis 4 step/full space at ¼ spacing
Florettes
Free form embroidery using stranded thread or silk ribbon.
Threads
Brown :
DMC 841
Ecru :
DMC Ecru
Green :
DMC 699
Click to Download PDF pages
Instructions
Using brown embroidery thread, sew a down cable at the ½ way mark between gathering rows 1 and 2. • Sew the next pleat at the ¾ mark between gathering rows 1 and 2. • Sew an up cable a needles breadth below the first gathering thread. • Sew the next pleat at the ¾ mark between gathering rows 1 and 2. • Sew a down cable at the half way mark between gathering rows 1 and 2 Continue in this way to complete the row.
Mirror point one between gathering threads 1 and 2
Complete 2 more rows in this way giving you a total of 4 rows of Mirrored Trellis 2 step/half space at ¼ spacing Sew one complete row of cable stitch in brown embroidery thread, a needles breadth above gathering row 1. Start with and ‘up’ cable
Mirror points 1 to 3 between rows 6 and 8
Sew one complete row of cable stitch in brown embroidery thread, a needles breadth below gathering row 8. Start with a ‘down’ cable.
Begin smocking the central zig zag pattern worked between
gathering thread 3 ½ and 10½.
Using ecru working between row 3 and 4 - sew one row of Trellis 4 step / full space. • Sew an ‘down’ cable a needles breadth above gathering thread 4 • With the thread ‘down’ sew the next pleat at the 1/4 mark between rows 3 and 4 then sew the following pleat at the ½ way mark. (You have now completed two of the four steps). • Keeping the thread ‘down’ sew the next pleat at the ¾ mark above gathering thread 4 and the following pleat a needles breadth below gathering thread 3. (You have now completed all four steps). • With the thread ‘up’ sew an ‘up cable a needles breadth below gathering thread 3 • Keeping the thread ‘up’ sew the following four pleats at the ¾, ½, ¼, and a needles breadth above gathering thread 4.
Repeat the above to finish the row.
Mirror point ‘7’ between rows 4 and 5 .
Continue in this way until you have 3 rows of Trellis 4 step / full space
Using green embroidery thread, working florettes in the ecru area as illustrated.
Embroidery Instructions
Worked over the brown smocking
Sew a free form vine in a light green over the brown smocking. Add leaves alternating left and right of the vine. Complete by adding ecru flowers and clusters of French knots.
If using stranded embroidery thread lazy daisy can be used for the leaves and flowers. Alternatively flowers could be created using ‘long’ French knots.
