Smocking and Types of Smocking - Textiles and Dress Designing (2024)

Chapter: 12th Textiles and Dress Designing : Chapter 9 : Fashion Accessory and Ornamentation - Belts, Bows, Smocking and Traditional Embroidery

Smoking is an embroidery technique that is probably thousands of years old.

Smocking

Introduction

Smoking is an embroidery technique that is probably thousands ofyears old. The name is coined only during 1700’s in England.The technique usedat the time was gathering. A full work shirt was gathered at the bodice and thesleeves. This gathered effect in the garment was then called a “smock”.Smockingwas introdced to work man garment mainly to give fullness or free movement of theirbody and arms. Smocked garments were worn by agricultural laborers,tradesmen,and shepherds in earlier times. In the 19th century smocks were received byartists, to cover their clothing,and ladies adapted them in a modified formwith fancy embroidery.Later babies clothing, silk under garments for ladies,andeven afternoon dresses appeared with smocking. Ladies magazines hadinstructions for hand smocking and patterns for garments. At present smockinghas become the fashion statement.

Types of Smocking

The industrial revolution changed the smocking styles and patternsdrastically. There are many types of smocking known throughout the world. Theitalians have “shirring”worked from the back of the fabric, the Romanians havea patterned design using tubes that resemble reeds,and other countries stresspicture formation over gathered threads,again all done by hand. Smockingbasically consists of pleated fabric and a fibre (usually a floss) forembellishment stitches. Pleats are created in two ways;

·A set of dots printed or pressed on the fabric.

·Dots are then used as a gathering guide to create hand pleats(Figure 9.9).

·Pleats used in English smocking look like small tubes (Figure9.10).

·Small tubes are placed at equi-distant across a the fabric with athread running through the tubes

·The threads running through the pleats are called as thread guides

·These thread guides are removed after the smocking is completed

·Thread guides should not be visible sometimes these stitches arenot removed at top and bottom lines to maintain shape.

Fabric Used

Silk, linen, cotton, striped and gingham fabrics are used. Firmfabrics are always preferred and are easier to embellish.

1. English Smocking

English Smocking is of two types namely

Geometric Smocking and Picture Smocking.

Geometric Smocking

In this type only two stitches are used. They are Cable stitch andTrellis stitch. Simple borders, lines and thousands of patterns can be createdwith cable and trellis stitches (Figure 9.21).

Picture Smocking

For picture smocking hundred percent cotton fabric is used. Fabricfolds are secured very tightly. On the fabric folds, embroidery is done withstacked cable stitches. Embroidered pattern should cover the fabric fully andthe background fabric is not seen. Pictures such as flowers, animals, birds andother sceneries’ can be created (Figure 9.22).

2. American Smocking

American Smocking is otherwise known as Counter change smocking.It has been popularized by a young woman in Arizona, Anne Hallay. This smockingis done on gingham, striped, or a gridded fabric. Basically 5/8” strippedfabric is made into squares and a honeycomb or vandyke stitch is used to bringthe sections together. Finished fabric will have the illusion of a solidfabric.No pleating is used for this type of smocking. This type of smocking ismore often used in teenager’s garments. English Smocking is of three typesnamely Counter change

Smocking, Mock Smocking and Direct Smocking.

Counter change Smocking

This type of smocking requires a grid. Most often striped andchecked fabric is used to do this work. No stretch is created in this type ofsmocking. Three times more fabric is needed to bring to the required length andwidth.

Mock Smocking

3. Canadian Smocking or North American Smocking

Canadian smocking is also called as North American Smocking. Inthis type textural effect is created on the front side of the fabric. Nopleating is required for Canadian smocking. A grid is drawn or designed on theback of the fabric. Later it is used to create the three dimensional effect onthe front side of the fabric. This type of smocking is not usually pressed orironed. The texture would be flattened or destroying if the smocked fabric ispressed.

The fabric used should be cut on grain

·Pleating threads are parallel to the cross grain

·Fabric is not damaged by the needles or the pleating machine

·There are no folds, bubbles, or splits

·Any temporary marking have been completely removed

·Smocking is appropriately centered in garment

·No visible break on the front side where the threads have beenstopped and restarted

·Stitches catch only the appropriate pleats

·Stitch tension appears consistent for all stitches ;tension isneither too tight that pleats are pinched nor too loose so that thread sags

·Stitch depth is consistent

·Threads within stitches are laid smoothly

·Threads from any back smocking, are not visible on the front ofthe work

Types of Canadian Smocking

Lattice Smocking

It creates a beautiful pattern on the right side of the fabric.There are a few variations where the pattern of stitches is worked on thefront-one of these is called flower smocking. Grid pattern is used to markdesigns.

Fabric Smocking

This smocking is created with the grid pattern. Textural effect iscreated on the right side of the fabric. Three times more fabric is requiredand good stretch is created.

Reverse Smocking

This type of smocking is reversible. Patterns are seen on both thesides. No thread is visible on right and wrong sides of the fabric.

Summary for Smocking

Smocking is a technique of creating wavy patterns on fabric andgarments. Unlike embroidery more fabric is required for smocking. There aredifferent techniques used to complete the pattern. Techniques and materialsfollowed for each of the smocking type vary from region to region. Englishsmocking, American smocking and Canadian smocking are the three types ofsmocking frequently used by the designers. Smocking is a common feature ingirls and women garments. It also finds its application in home textileproducts such as cushions, wall hangings and so on. Today’s contemporarydesigners introduce smocked fashion accessories in the market too.

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12th Textiles and Dress Designing : Chapter 9 : Fashion Accessory and Ornamentation - Belts, Bows, Smocking and Traditional Embroidery : Smocking and Types of Smocking | Textiles and Dress Designing