Smocking is an embroidery technique used for elasticity and fullness control in garments, curtains, and upholstery. It has developed into an art form, often using contrasting thread colors and additional pattern designs. Binding or fastening threads aid in construction, and appliqué smocking adds contrast. Freeform smocking allows for creative expression.
Smocking is an embroidery technique with its first recorded use as a type of hand stitching used for the purpose of producing elasticity and stretch within garments before elastic was created. This technique is also implemented to control the fullness of a piece of fabric. The smoke is used to make garments, as well as to make curtains, upholstery pieces, and doll clothes, among other things.
This type of stitching done over pleats has developed over the centuries into an art form. As a type of decorative embroidery, it is used to add dimension and texture, as well as style and accent. Often a highly contrasting thread color is used to create drama and detail in the fabric on which it is sewn.
To aid in construction and to provide control to the folds, a row of binding or a row of fastening threads is placed above and below the actual stitches. These threads are used only in the first and last row. These threads help to more securely hold pleats in place during use, when the greatest tension and pressure would normally be applied.
Another commonly used type of stitching is backpacking. Mockback is simply one or more rows of a traditional smocking stitch done on the back or wrong side of the material. This type of stitching is most commonly executed in the same colored thread as the material on which it is sewn.
Decorative stitches or free standing stitches are often added to create additional pattern designs. These types of stitches are traditionally made in a thread whose color contrasts with the material it is sewn into. Accent points are made in a variety of patterns.
Another way to add contrast is by employing the appliqué smock technique. Applique smocking is when the stitching method is used for the purpose of attaching decorative lace or ribbon to the pleated fabric. Applique stitching is often done in Cretan or herringbone stitches.
While most of this type of stitching follows a rigorous pattern or design, there are those that do not. For example, freeform smocking allows for the placement of stitches without regard to thread guidelines. Whether following a regimented pattern on a dress for a little girl or simply following the whim of a sewer on a piece of silk, smoking can be a thing of purpose and beauty.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
