Smocking is a sewing technique used to create gathered fabric that can stretch. It is considered more utilitarian than decorative and can be used on many types of garments. The best smocking fabric is lightweight and has a stable weave. Smocking is popular for children’s clothing and experienced a revival in the late 1970s. Swiss silks and batistes are common types of smocking cloth.
Before the use of elastic, a type of embroidery or sewing called smocking was employed to create gathered fabric that had the ability to stretch. While most embroidery styles are purely decorative, smocking is considered more utilitarian. The smoking technique is used on many types of garments made from many types of fabrics. The only indisputable requirement for a smocking fabric is that it must be able to be gathered up.
Originally, smocking fabric was a heavy and versatile material, since the first garments with this type of seam were worn by workers. However, as the technique became more popular and more intricate, the smoking cloth of choice evolved to a higher quality material. These fabrics include silk, cashmere, and crepe de chine, among many others.
The best option when choosing a smoking cloth is one that is lightweight. Heavier fabric tends not to pill as well. The more consistent and smooth the shirring, which will produce a lighter smoking cloth, the more pleasant and professional the smoke will be.
The weave of a smoking cloth is just as important as the weight. Weave is the pattern produced by the threads and fibers used to create a cloth. The weave of the cloth should be stable, not one that has some kind of variation, for example, like basket weave.
Smocking, the manipulation of fine fabric using gathers, is popular for children’s clothing, including girls’ bonnets and pinafore dresses. The type of smoking material chosen for these types of garments most often is light cotton, gingham, and taffeta. For hats, the lighter smoking material is often chosen for comfort reasons, but a heavier, stiffer fabric can also be used.
The revival of the heirloom smoir was seen in the late 1970s. With the popularity of the prairie look, people became interested in learning the age-old technique. With this came a greater need for smoking material, and he also found that the newer generation was willing to try the technique on fabric that had not previously been used for this purpose. While any type of cloth that can be put together can be used as a smoking cloth, the most common types of smoking cloth are Swiss silks and batistes and other high-quality fine-woven cloths.
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