HOW TO WORK ENGLISH SMOCKING

01 Begin by laying the fabric out on a flat surface. Then, mark an even grid of dots on the reverse using a fabric-safe pen or pencil. Mark the dots 1cm apart using a ruler – a quilting ruler (as shown) will help to line up each row but isn’t essential. If preferred, adjust the distance between the dots to change the depth of the pleats, but keep this distance consistent.

02 Cut a length of thread 15cm longer than the grid. Tie a knot in one end, leaving a long tail, then use a darning needle to work a running stitch across the first row of dots. Bring the needle in just before a dot and out just after to create long lines on the back of the fabric and short on the front. Leave a long tail at the end and repeat using separate lengths of thread for the other rows.

03 When you have finished all the rows, tie the knotted ends together in pairs. Slowly pull the tail ends, pushing the fabric towards the knots. Turn the fabric over regularly to make sure the pleats are gathering evenly.

Pull the threads slightly tighter than the desired finished width and then tie the long tails together in pairs and cut the excess thread ends off.

04 Turn your fabric over to the right side and begin working a row of stitches through the upper edge of the pleats. Work rows of Outline Smocking along the top and bottom edge first to create a clear border. Then, add lines of stitching evenly across the design area (see p67 for how to work a variety of stitches). Once complete, remove your running stitches from the back.