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Machine smocking is a nice alternative to hand smocking. Due to the nature of machine stitching, you will have stitches on the back and front of the fabric at all times. This just means you need to adjust your thinking if you have done hand smocking before.

How To Smock by Machine

* Start with properly pleated fabric (preferably with a pleater meant for smocking)

* Adjust the pleats and the size, then secure to stabilizer or interfacing (your choice of type).

* Do the geometric smocking or "backsmocking" with the stitches on your sewing machine. If you have a large capacity embroidery machine, we have a group of these designs ready for the hoop. Otherwise, use the three-step straight stitch to duplicate the look of geometric smocking. If you can't program your utility stitches on your sewing machine, use decorative stitches. These can often look very much like smocking when done on pleated fabric.

* Hoop stabilizer and position your prepared pleating on top of the hooped stabilizer. Now, you can stitch the "picture smocking" design.

Why can't I just use a regular design? The reason these designs look hand done, is they are digitized to imitate the stitching pattern of hand smocking. Regular designs don't look anything like hand smocking.

Can you keep the pleats straight? Relatively. This is really up to how much time you spend on the fabric before securing it to the stabilizer.

Doesn't the machine crush the stitches? Well, they will never be as "perky" as hand smocked pleats, but it doesn't crush them too badly. You will notice a difference depending on the weight of the fabric. Batiste gets a good crushing, but broadcloth holds it's shape better.

Is this just for inserts? You can do this for any straight section of smocking. Yoke dresses, sundresses, inserts... I have even seen nice examples on bishop dresses, but it isn't nearly as easy. The pictured example was smocked with the decorative stitches on my sewing machine.

Is it just for girls? Actually, we have more designs for boys than for girls! I really need to fix that. )

Is the piece "non-stretchy" when you are finished? If you use a fusible interfacing, you will not have much stretch when done. But, if you use a stabilizer that can be removed (tear away, heat away, wash away...) then you will have a fair amount of stretch in the finished piece.

Why do some of your pieces have "unfinished" parts? Well, I didn't put wheels on the train so you could use buttons. This type of applied accent helps to further fool the viewer into believing that the smocking is most likely hand done.

How do you backsmock the area where the picture smocking will be? Since you can't put stitches on the back of the fabric only, you will need to use light stitching that matches the fabric. Try using a serpentine stitch. Make sure there is no gap wider than "2 spaces" of pleating (about 3/4 inch) without these securing stitches. Backsmocking simply keeps the pleats secure where there is no geometric smocking or picture smocking to hold them down. One of the geometric pieces available at Embroidery Dreamers is designed to be used for backsmocking.

Try using spray starch or liquid starch to help light weight fabrics keep their shape when stitched.

AquaFilm or other WSS's can help to keep the stitches on top of the pleats rather than sinking into them.

Use a hair pick to help straighten your pleats.

If the pleats don't want to stay neat, slide the fabric together as tightly as possible and spray starch like that. When you open it back up, it will be much neater. If you still can't get the pleats to stand properly, open the pleating and press the problem area flat; then pull together are repeat the first step.

Down Home Dreams currently has four products relating to picture smocking.

DHD Lesson 9-03 Picture Smocking My Machine

DHD Collection 142 Picture Block Fun!

DHD Lesson 02-10 More Picture Smocking

DHD Collection 313 Circus, Circus

Embroidery Dreamers carries pre-pleated inserts, geometric smocking designs, and picture smocking designs.