Smocking, AS&E 84

I do not usually smock from a pattern plate, as there are a lot of my own designs lurking in my head, that I would like to make into real garments one day, but this pretty design by Kathy Dykstra caught my eye in issue 84 of Australian Smocking and Embroidery, and I had started it before I could be sensible about my project list! I am not very good at being sensible about my project list.



I am making this size 2 dress in pink imperial batiste fabric (the dress in the magazine is in blue dotted Swiss voile), so changed the colour of the background smocking to green, but have used the same shades of pink for the flowers as published in the magazine.

At this point I am leaving the smocking to mature for a little while whilst I decide whether or not to trim the dress with entredeux and 4 strips of lace as shown in the magazine. I love the look of heirloom clothing, but I also like the garments I make to be worn at some point - so maybe I will choose a thinner lace to make the care of the garment more simple for the undoubtedly busy mother of a two year old.