Smocked

I got a little nervous after posting that sneak peek on the previous post - and people telling me that they couldn't wait to see the finished item - that I was going to bodge this. As for those asking me what it is called (really, you should know by now that I am the last person to ask about technical terminology), according to the McCall's Needlework Treasury that my grandmother-in-law gave me, it is honeycomb smocking. There's an online tutorial here.
I have had this idea for a top for my daughter for a long while now, but I was a little intimidated by the idea of doing the honeycomb smocking and kept procrastinating (as usual). It turned out that my only problem was with trying to iron it, as I was too lazy to clear the counter top and I didn't have much room to manoeuvre (maneuver). The stitching itself took no time at all.
It's grey with pink stitches on the smocking, but I'm not sure that you can tell that from the photos. Lined with a pink polka dot fabric, in case I needed to persuade my daughter that girls can wear grey (she's starting to get ideas about what she wants to wear these days). Trying to get her to stand still for a picture is proving difficult these days too, for that matter...
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Translation of the day:
UK English: bodge = botch, to do an inept or inelegant job in US English. Sometimes as a temporary repair.
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I'm not sure yet when we are heading out of town, but we shouldn't be gone for long. Take care.
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42 comments:

  2. Beautiful! I need to learn how to do this.

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  3. I have never seen the smocking done so wide. It rocks! The fabric is super cool.

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  6. Oh, what a lucky little chicken, what a gorgeous top! Sometimes, don't you wish you were a kid again just for their clothes.

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  7. Oh, sweeeeet! I love her haircut too.

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  8. Wow. This looks just stunning. Really!!

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  9. Just looking at that top gives me a big grin! Fab job!

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  10. That is really cute!

    I know how you feel about daughters and dressing themselves, mine can either look like a princess or Timmy Mallet (do you remember him?) in some 1980's mix up all the bright colours mad kids programme style depending on what look she is going for failing that a scarecrow with unbrushed hair and saggy jeans normally work! I'm hoping her co-ordination gets better with age (and wisdom).

    take care,

    Nina x

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  11. Smocking has been something I've been wanting to try, but hand sewing is totally out of my league. Your daughter's top is just gorgeous!
    Maybe I could try clearing off my ironing board as well and give it a try. :)

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  12. that is gorgeous craftsmanship. i hope to be this awesome in my sewing skills one day :P

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  14. You've done such a great job on this! The smocking is so neat. I'd love to have a go at something like this for my girl.

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  15. This is absolutely beautiful. And your little, neat stitches add to the beauty. I need to look into learning how to do this for sure.

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  16. That is adorable...you've done a great job! thanks for the link to the tutorial.

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  17. Such a beautiful dress! I wish I can sew better. Thanks for sharing the tutorial link.

    Mary

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  18. So pretty. My daughter is so hard on her clothes though that I couldn't bear to put so much effort into making anything. What a terrible mother!

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  22. that is so beautiful... maybe a tutorial!!!!

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  23. so lovely! and your 'lil girl's hair dew is quite cute too. ;)

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  24. It looks wonderful.

    I hate ironing and my husband, who has to iron his workshirts every work morning, always gets amused when I do it.

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  25. Oh it's adorable! The smocking totally takes the top to the next level. Precious! Oh, I wish I could sew!

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  26. That is absolutely gorgeous. The plus side with smocks is that you can team them up with polo necks and wear them in winter too.

    Lovely.

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  27. OMG!! That little top is gorgeous, you didn't even come close to bodging it! I wish you would have shown us a little peek of the lining....I love your daughter's haircut too! It's making me want to get mine cut.

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  28. oh, this is DARLING! girlie and sweet, but not sickeningly so. love it! also love those eggs in the previous post... crochet right?

    hope you are having a lovely time away.... mine was fantastic :-)

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  29. It's just ridiculously beautiful, you should make one for yourself!

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  30. I left you an award on my blog - no need to pass it on unless you want to but I think your blog is fantastic!

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  31. I followed your link from Flickr. I just love this smocking technique. Now I need to find a little motivation to give it a try myself. On a side night, it makes me sad to think one day my own Little Miss Sunshine will tell me that she doesn't like the clothes I make. Why do they have to become so darn independent??

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  32. that is stunning! i love it.
    and about the kids...mine have their days too, really. it is turning out to be a rough week around here!

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  33. Very nice smocking, first time something's tempted me to try it out... Re: getting my husband to use a coaster - he's the one who always insists on using one (!) hence the need to make some... strange, but true.

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  34. It's breathtaking Dawn. Really so beautiful. My girls are 10 and 8 now, and they definately have their own ideas about what to wear these days. I miss dressing them up! xo

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  35. I am just rediscovering smocking here in the UK- see my last blog in April. The folks in the USA seem to be really into it. I didn't realise there was such a thing as a pleater. I am making all my little pleats by hand!! The 6 little dresses I have made so far are cute. Your little outfit is beautiful - such a neat design!!

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  36. Gorgeous smocking!!! I can't wait to try this for a summer frocks for our little girls! Your little one is is just adorable! I totally understand about clothes and girls, we have 5 girls and one boy. They all have different ideas about how they should dress, which is fun, unless we're all rushing to get out the door some morning, and one or more of them is having a fashion "crisis" :-) Thank you for the link to the tutorial, you did an amazing job!

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  37. Ooh! This top is wonderful! You should consider making it adult sixzed! Great work. You did not 'bodge' it at all ;)

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  39. That's gorgeous, and so's the little one wearing it. She looks a bit like mine, and the same age (4?) and has also started being a bit opinionated about her clothes! I do dress my two like total scruffbags mind you, and they rarely get lovely things made for them, so fair enough!
    x x x

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  40. Well done - love the colour - it looks great on here - might have to give this a go - we are heading back north to the heat at the end of the year and will need lots of lovely summer things

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  41. I love this smock-top and the beautiful red dress you made your daughter! Did you come up with the pattern for the whole dress yourself or did you use a dress pattern and add the smocking part to a already made pattern (hopefully that made sense). I am trying to figure out how to make a dress for my own daughter and was wondering how you did it. Thanks for the smocking tutorial!

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  42. I came across the same tutorial and fell in love with the smocking! I am looking to turn some tea towels into toddler dresses and was thinking of using that technique. Where did you get the pattern for the top? Did you make it up? I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!!!

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