Smocking adds dimension to fabric using an embroidery technique that adds many small even gathers held together by an overall needle worked surface design. Today it is usually seen on a garment's edge, most often in children's clothing. The gathering adds stretchiness to otherwise flat woven fabrics as well as ornamental designs. Before the days of elastic, smocking was regularly used in cuffs, as a bodice treatment, and in necklines. Smocking is thought to have developed in England as a needlework practice in the Middle Ages.

A tabletop machine may be used to create the tiny even pleats quickly so that the ornamental needlework can be applied. It is called, simply - a pleater. There are many pleating devices on the market and some are costly but a time saver for those who do extensive smocking needlework. Some craft businesses will, for a price, even pleat your fabric for you or it can be bought pre-pleated.

To pleat without a pleater, some will remember ironing on rows of dots onto the back of fabric that would then be connected by a running stitch and pulled tightly to make the pleats. These stitches are anchored on each end of the pleated fabric so that they can be easily removed after the surface needlework is completed.

Pleaterless smocking is a form of fast and easy fabric manipulation to form interesting fabric designs using striped or checked fabric. Charming pillows and dress inserts benefit from this smocking treatment. Sometimes called counterchange smocking, the process involves a two-color, even striped or checked fabric and embroidery floss to stitch a design that tacks down the regular pattern to reveal or conceal the color of stripe or check. It is this manipulation of the stripes or checks that is used to create a design.

Ann Haley is a smocking designer who has brought counterchange smocking some recent popularity. Some examples of her work can be see at The Garden Faires Trading Company.

Striped or checked fabrics create interesting patterns and ensure perfect pleats without marking the rows as in traditional English smocking. Another exaple of counterchange smocking can be found here.

Please visit Garden Faires for wonderful information about smocking in general.


Sew happy, sew well.

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