Transcripts
1. Course Introduction: I'm Shahnas a passionate
teacher and avid embroiderer. I've always loved
the intricate beauty of hand embroidery, and smoking is one of
my favorite techniques. I've had the privilege of traveling to many
beautiful places, and it's often during
these journeys that I found inspiration
for my embroidery. The tranquility of nature, the vibrant colors of
the world around me, and the joy of creating with my hands have all fueled
my love for this art form. In this course, we'll delve
into the world of smoking, exploring ten essential
stitches that will allow you to create
stunning and unique garments. From the simple outline stitch to the more
complex wave and cable stitches will cover a
wide range of techniques. Smoking is not just about
creating beautiful patterns. It's also a practical
skill that can be used to add structure and
elasticity to your garments. By learning these techniques, you'll be able to design
and sew everything from delicate baby clothes to
elegant adult apparel. I'm excited to share my knowledge and
experience with you. Let's embark on this
creative journey together.
2. Essential Supplies: Hi, everyone, and welcome. Have you ever seen
those gorgeous dresses with the intricate
textured details, almost like tiny pleats
with beautiful stitching? That's smoking, and it's a fantastic way to add a
unique touch to your garments. All right, let's talk fabric. Now, when it comes to smoking, fabric choice is key. You want something that gathers well and creates
nice full pleats. This here is linen, a
beautiful golden brown. Linen is a bit thicker
and has a lovely texture. It's a great choice
for smoking because it's strong and creates
well defined pleats. And I also wanted
to show you this. It's muslin. Muslin is a very lightweight and
airy cotton fabric. It's super soft, but
because it's so thin, you'll need a lot more of it to get the same finished with. It's a wonderfully soft
and lightweight cotton fabric perfect for those
delicate baby items. In fact, it's often used
to swaddle newborns. The soft breathable fabric helps babies feel
safe and secure, like a cozy hug. And of course we can't forget
our threads for smoking, we'll be using embroidery floss. Now, besides fabric and thread, you'll also need a
few other essentials. A good embroidery needle
is a must have and don't forget your
trusty scissors for snipping those threads. A ruler comes in handy too, or if you prefer, you can use a cross stitch mesh to help
keep your lines straight. You'll need some
more sewing thread. Any color is fine, but make sure it's strong like the thread we
used for pleating. I love using this
heat erasable pen to draw my lines and
dots on the fabric. Okay, so we've got our fabric, our thread, and all
our tools ready to go. Now it's time to get those hands moving and learn how to pleat. In the next video, we'll dive right into the
pleating process. I want you to start with me, grab some cotton fabric, at least 16 by 12 " and
let's get pleating.
3. Learning to Pleat for Smocking: All right, remember that piece of fabric we cut out
in the last lesson, the 16 by 12 " of cotton. Well, grab it because it's
time to start pleating. First things first, we
need to mark our fabric. Now, there are a couple
of ways to do this. You can use a regular ruler, the longer, the better to
draw lines across the fabric. Make sure those lines
are nice and straight, about 15 " long with a gap of 1.5 centimeters
between each line. You can use a sewing pen or a water soluble marker for this. After you've drawn your lines, you'll need to mark
dots along them. I like to use a different
color heat erasable pen for the dots just to
make them stand out. But remember, those dots need
to be 1 centimeter apart. This spacing is what's going to give us those nice even pleats. Now, I'm going to show you another option for
marking your fabric, a plastic cross stitch mesh. This method is a
bit easier for me, but you can choose
whichever you prefer. The important thing is to
keep those dots 1 centimeter apart and the lines
1.5 centimeters apart. This will make our
pleats nice and neat. Now before we start marking, it's important to
remember that we'll be marking the dots on the
back side of the fabric. I love using this
heat erasable pen to draw my lines and
dots on the fabric. It makes it super easy to
mark my pleats accurately, and if I make a
mistake, no worries. A quick touch with the iron and those unwanted marks
disappear like magic. Now, if you're looking
to buy these tools, the heat erasable pen and
the cross stitch mesh, you can find them in
some online stores. I'll put links to a few of them in the
description box below. So if you need to stock up, be sure to check those out. Say, here's the
grid I've created on my golden brown fabric.
Looks good, right? Next, we need to do a
running stitch along these dots with a sewing
thread and needle. I'm threading my needle
with at least 20 " of thread and
using a thin needle. Now, it's important to use
a strong thread for this, so I'm using regular
sewing thread. Any color is fine for this part since it won't be seen
in the finished smoking. Make sure you have
a strong knot at the end of your thread to
keep everything secure. Alright, let's start stitching. We'll begin at the
top left corner and work our way across. Start slowly and try to relax. Smoking is all about
enjoying the process. The more you practice,
the faster you'll get, it's really quite easy once
you get the hang of it. Just keep that
needle moving along those dots all the way to
the other end of the fabric. Don't worry if your stitches
aren't perfectly straight. A little bit of imperfection adds to the charm
of hand smoking. Just relax, take your time
and enjoy the process. There's my first row done. M now I'll leave a tail of thread and start with a new thread
for the second line. Just like before, make
sure it's nice and long, at least 20 " and tie a good
strong knot at the end. Just keep going one
row at a time and complete all the lines
carefully. Take your time. This step is crucial for
creating those perfect pleats. Okay, last row. And done
now comes the fun part, pulling the threads
to gather the fabric. Gently gather all the
threads at one corner, keeping them neat and tidy. Don't pull too tight, ease
the fabric along the threads. You want to create
nice even pleats without distorting the fabric. See how the fabric is gathering. It's amazing how those tiny
stitches can transform a flat piece of fabric into something so
beautifully textured. Keep pulling gently until you've gathered the fabric to
your desired width. Thirst piece started
at 16 " wide, and now it's only
about four or 5 ". The height stays
the same at 12 ". Once you're happy
with the pleats, it's time to secure
those threads. Take two threads at a time and tie them together
with a knot. Again, don't pull too tight. We want to keep those
pleats nice and even. I like to leave a bit of
a tail on these knots, maybe about an inch or so. This gives you a
little wiggle room if you need to adjust
the pleats later on. And once you've secured
all the threads, you can trim those
tails nice and close. M there you have it, a perfectly pleated piece of
fabric ready for smoking. In the next lesson,
we'll finally start learning those
beautiful smoking stitches. Get your pleated fabric and
your embroidery floss ready, and I'll see you
in the next video.
4. Outline: Okay, let's dive into our first smoking stitch,
the outline stitch. I've got my white
embroidery floss here and I've
removed two strands, so we're working
with four strands. I'm using my thin
embroidery needle to thread my white floss. If you've chosen a
light colored fabric, you'll want to select
some floss colors that'll really pop against it. I'm going to let you decide
which colors you want to use. I've threaded my
embroidery needle and secured the end of
the thread with a knot. Now, before we start stitching, I want to point out those gathering threads
inside the pleats. These are going to be
our guide for creating neat and even smoking stitches. I'm going to start on my
second gathering stitch line and follow that line
with my outline stitch. So bring your needle up from
the back of the fabric on the left side between the
first and second pleats. Now we're going to make a
small stitch from right to left on the first pleat
to secure our thread. Remember, in smoking, we always
work from left to right. Now for our first
outline stitch, move the needle to the
next pleat and put the needle through
it from right to left at a slight angle upwards. Make sure to keep the
thread above the needle. This is important for
creating the outline stitch. Keep your stitches
small and even and try to keep the thread lying
smoothly along the pleats. Continue in the same way, moving from one
pleat to the next, always keeping the
thread above the needle. And if you're left handed, you'll be working
in the opposite direction from right to left. It might feel a bit
strange at first, but you'll get used to it. See, you're getting it. It's easier than
you think, right? Just keep following
those gathering threads, and those outline stitches would practically
make themselves. Now we're at the final stitch. Again, make a small stitch from right to left on
the final pleat. And there you have it.
Our first smoking stitch, the outline stitch is complete. How satisfying is that? Now I'm going to
secure the thread on the back of our
pleated fabric piece. Now that you've mastered
the outline stitch, get ready for our
next exciting lesson on the cable stitch. This one creates a
beautiful braided effect, and I can't wait to
show you how it's done. See you in the next video. I
5. Cable: All right, it's time to
learn the cable stitch. I'm going to start on the
next gathering stitch line and follow that line
with my cable stitch. Just like we did with
the outline stitch, bring your needle up from
the back of the fabric on the left side between the
first and second pleats. Now, here's where the cable
stitch gets interesting. We're going to keep the needle
horizontal as we stitch and we'll be holding the thread alternately above and
below the needle. This is what gives
the cable stitch that lovely interlocked,
almost braided look. For our first stitch, I'm going to hold the
thread below the needle. Remember to keep that needle horizontal and pull
the thread through. Now for the next stitch, I'm going to hold the
thread above the needle. Again, insert the needle into the next pleat about a third of the way down and pull
the thread through. See how that creates that
little up and down effect. That's the magic of
the cable stitch. We're basically creating a
chain of interlocking loops. Just keep going like this, one pleat at a time alternating the thread above and below the needle with each stitch and don't forget to keep
that needle horizontal. This helps create those
neat even stitches. See, you're doing great. It's all about
getting that rhythm of over and under
with the thread. And remember to keep
that needle horizontal. So as you're stitching, make sure you're following
those gathering threads. This will help keep your
stitches neat and even. Now, if you want to
create a double cable, you can stitch two rows of cable stitch right
next to each other. This creates a bolder, more pronounced cable effect. And that's the cable stitch. It might seem a bit
tricky at first, but with a little practice, you'll be creating beautiful
cable stitches in no time. Now that you've got the cable
stitch under your belt, get ready for our next
lesson on the chain stitch. This one's a classic and
it's super versatile. We'll learn how to create
those delicate little chains and even use them to make
some pretty floral patterns. I'll see you in the next video.
6. Chain: All right. Let's move
on to the chain stitch. This one creates a
lovely delicate chain and it's a bit different from the stitches we've
learned so far. I'm going to start on the
next gathering stitch line and follow that line
with my chain stitch. Now here's the key
to the chain stitch. Carry the thread in front of
the needle forming a loop. Keep that needle straight, following the gathering rows and pull it through
the second pleat. Again, carry the thread
in front of the needle, forming a loop and gently pull the needle
through the third pleat. I'm stitching this
from left to right, but you can also work
this stitch from right to left if that's
more comfortable for you. See, you're getting
the hang of it. It's all about creating those loops and keeping
them nice and even. Just continue in this
way across the row, creating a chain
of linked loops. As always, remember to follow those gathering threads to keep your stitches in a
nice straight line. And that's the chain stitch. It's a beautiful
stitch that adds a touch of elegance to
any smoking project. In our next lesson, we'll learn the wave stitch, which creates a lovely
flowing pattern. See you in the next video.
7. Wave: I'm going to start on
the next gathering stitch line and follow that
line with my wave stitch. Now to start the wave, we're going to do
an up cable stitch. Remember how we did that? Keep the needle horizontal, hold the thread above the needle and insert the needle
into the next pleat. Next, we're going
to move down to the next gathering stitch
line and over one pleat. Insert the needle
through that pleat, keeping the thread
above the needle. Now, we'll do a
down cable stitch. Keep the needle horizontal, hold the thread below the needle and insert the needle
into the next pleat. Now we'll move back up
to the row we started on over one pleat and take a
stitch through that pleat, keeping the thread
below the needle. Finally, we'll do
another upcable stitch to complete the first wave. See how that creates
that little wave shape. That's the basic wave stitch. Just keep repeating
these steps across the row and you'll create a
beautiful flowing pattern. Each stitch should
enter a new pleat. Don't skip any pleats or
your wave will look wonky. Don't pull your
thread too tight. You want to create
nice even waves without distorting the fabric. And that's the wave stitch. It might seem a bit
complicated at first, but with a little practice, you'll be creating beautiful
wave stitches in no time. In my next lesson, we'll
learn the feather stitch, which creates a delicate
feathery effect. See you in the next video.
8. Feather: It's time to learn
the feather stitch. This one creates a
lovely, delicate, almost feathery look and it
can be a bit challenging, but you can definitely do it. Now for this stitch, I'll be
working from right to left. Bring the needle up on the right side of the
first and second pleats. Take a small stitch downwards, angling the needle
towards the left and catching the first and second
pleats about halfway down. Make sure the thread is
positioned under the needle. This is what creates
that lovely loop that gives the feather
stitch its distinctive look. Pull the thread through, but don't pull it too tight. Now here's where the feather
stitch gets its name. We're going to
create a series of stitches that look like
little feathers or leaves. Again, take a small
stitch downwards, angling the needle
towards the left and catching the second and third
pleats about halfway down. Pull the thread through, but
don't pull it too tight. You want to leave
a little loop of thread on the surface
of the fabric. Now bring the needle up through that loop and then angle
it downwards again, taking another stitch
to the left and catching the fourth
and fifth pleats. Again, pull the thread
through leaving a loop. If you find it more comfortable, you can rotate your
pleated fabric to get a better
angle for stitching. Now I've done my first wave shape using
the feather stitch. For the next wave, I'll be
angling downwards again. Continue in this way,
moving from right to left, creating a line of stitches with loops that alternate
on either side. Just make sure those
gathering threads are still running horizontally so
you don't lose your place. Make sure your stitches
are the same size. This will give your feather stitch a neat and balanced look. See, you're doing great. It's all about getting that
rhythm of stitch and loop, stitch and loop, remember to keep those stitches
angled nicely. And that's the feather stitch. It's a beautiful stitch
that adds a touch of delicacy to any
smoking project. Now that you've mastered
the feather stitch, get ready for our next lesson
on the wave Diamond stitch. This one creates a
lovely flowing pattern, and I can't wait to
show you how it's done. See you in the next video.
9. Stepwave: Look at those outline stitches, those cable stitches, those
chains, waves and feathers. You've come so far and you
should be proud of yourselves. It's time to tackle
the step wave stitch. This stitch adds a bit more
complexity to the basic wave, creating a step defect as it
travels across the pleats. To start the step wave, we'll begin with an
up cable stitch. Remember how we did that?
Keep the needle horizontal, hold the thread
above the needle and insert the needle
into the next pleat. We're going to move down to the next gathering stitch
line and over one pleat, insert the needle
through that pleat, keeping the thread
above the needle. Take up a small stitch in the next pleat at a
slightly lower level, slanting slightly, and keep
the thread above the needle. Take a stitch in the next
two pleats in the same way. Now, here's where
the step comes in. Instead of going
straight down to the next gathering stitch line, we're going to take a
small stitch downwards, about halfway between the
two gathering stitch lines. Then we'll take another
small stitch downwards, this time going all the way down to the next
gathering stitch line. Now we'll do a
down cable stitch. Keep the needle horizontal, hold the thread
below the needle, and insert the needle
into the next pleat. To create the upward step, we'll move back up to the gathering stitch
line we were just on over one pleat and take a
stitch through that pleat, keeping the thread
below the needle. Take a stitch in the next
two pleats in the same way. And finally, we'll do another upcable stitch to
complete the first step wave. Keep your tension even. This will help create those
smooth flowing waves. Use a sharp needle. This will make it
easier to pierce the fabric and create
those precise stitches. See how that creates
that stepped wave shape. That's the basic
step wave stitch. Just keep repeating these
steps across the row and you'll create a beautiful
flowing pattern with a stepped effect. And guess what? You're
officially entering the realm of advanced
smoking stitches. Don't worry, though. You've got this. The more you practice these
advanced stitches, the neater and more
even they'll become. Take your time. Don't
rush these stitches. Focus on accuracy
and consistency. Now, as you're stitching
this step wave, remember that practice
makes perfect. That's the step wave stitch. It might seem a bit
complicated at first, but with a little practice, you'll be creating beautiful step wave stitches in no time. In our next lesson, we'll learn the Van **** stitch, which creates a secure and
visually striking stitch. See you in the next video.
10. Vandyke: It's time to learn
the Vandyke stitch. This one is a bit different from the stitches
we've done before, but it creates a really secure and visually striking stitch. I'm going to start on
the next gathering stitch line and work my Vandyke stitch between that line and the next
gathering stitch line below. Now, take your needle through the first and second pleats. This gets your needle in the right position to
start the Vandyke stitch. Bring the needle up on the
right side of the fabric, catching the first
and second pleats. Now I've completed my
first locking stitch through the first two pleats. Now take your needle through the second and third pleats about halfway down on
the next gathering line. Keeping your floss
below the needle. Complete the second
locking stitch by putting the needle through the second and third pleats and coming out the same hole where the thread is
already exiting. I'm angling it in the direction I'm going
to travel to next. We're going to go
through two pleats, the third pleat from
the previous stitch and the fourth pleat
on the line above, keeping the needle horizontal. Complete the next
locking stitch by going through the
same two pleats as the traveling stitch, coming out at the same spot and angling the needle down toward where you
will stitch next. Now travel back down to the original
gathering stitch line and go through two pleats again, the fourth pleat from
the previous stitch and the fifth pleat to the left. Remember, the gap between those two gathering lines
is 1.5 centimeters. Now for this stitch, I'll be
working from right to left. T. Use a sharp needle. This will make it easier to
pierce the fabric and create those precise stitches. Take your time. Don't rush these stitches, focus on accuracy
and consistency. The more you practice
these advanced stitches, the neater and more
even they'll become. And that's the Vandyk stitch. It might seem a bit
complicated at first, but with a little practice, you'll be creating beautiful
Vandyke stitches in no time. In our next lesson, we'll
learn the wave diamond stitch, which creates a lovely
flowing pattern. See you in the next video.
11. Wavediamond: Before we start, it's
important to find the middle point between
our two gathering lines. This will help us keep our
waves even and symmetrical. Now we've already learned
how to do the wave stitch, working between two
gathering lines. For the wave diamond, we're
going to do two waves, but this time
they'll be going in opposite directions between
those two gathering lines. All right, it's time for
the wave diamond stitch. This stitch creates a
beautiful geometric pattern and it's a fun way to add some visual interest
to your smoking. To start the first wave, we'll do an up cable stitch. Next, we'll move down
to the middle of the two gathering lines
and over one pleat. Insert the needle
through that pleat. Now we'll do a
down cable stitch. Keep the needle horizontal, hold the thread
below the needle and insert the needle
into the next pleat. Move back up to the
row we started on over one pleat and take a stitch through that pleat keeping
the thread below the needle. And finally, we'll do another upcable stitch to
complete the first wave. Now, we're going to
continue this wave between the first gathering line and the middle creating a
series of connected waves. I'm using white
thread here because I'm working on this
lovely dark fabric. But if you're working
on a lighter fabric, you can choose any
colors you like. Don't be afraid to experiment
and have some fun with it. For the second wave, we'll start at the
bottom gathering line and work our way
up to the middle. Bring the needle up from
the back of the fabric on the bottom gathering line between the first
and second pleats. Make a small stitch
from right to left on the first pleat
to secure the thread. Now we'll do a down cable
stitch to start this wave. Keep the needle horizontal, hold the thread below the needle and insert the needle
into the next pleat. Next, we'll move up
to the middle of the two gathering lines
and over one pleat, insert the needle
through that pleat. Now we'll do an upcable stitch. Keep the needle horizontal, hold the thread above the needle and insert the needle
into the next pleat. Move back down to the
bottom gathering line over one pleat and take a
stitch through that pleat. And finally, we'll
do a down cable stitch to complete the
first wave of second line. We'll continue this wave between the bottom gathering
line and the middle, connecting it to the first wave to create that diamond shape. Imagine adding
smoking to dresses, blouses, children's clothes,
and even home decor items. The possibilities are endless, so keep practicing,
keep experimenting, and most importantly,
keep creating. Uh See how that creates that diamond
shape with the two waves. That's the wave diamond stitch. Just keep repeating these
steps across the row and you'll create a
beautiful geometric pattern. That's the wave diamond stitch. It might seem a bit
tricky at first, but with a little practice, you'll be creating beautiful wave diamond
stitches in no time. In our next lesson, we'll
learn the bonnet stitch, which is perfect for creating rounded edges and
delicate curves. See you in the next video.
12. Bonnet: All right, it's time to
learn the bonnet stitch. This stitch is perfect for creating those
lovely rounded edges and delicate curves
that are often seen in smoked bonnets and
other heirloom garments. To start the bonnet stitch, we're going to move down to the next gathering stitch line. Insert the needle through the first two pleats
from left to right. Now here's the unique part
of the bonnet stitch. Insert the needle
through the loop you just created and
pull it through. Next, we'll move back up to the top gathering
stitch line, insert the needle through the first two pleats
again from left to right. Before you pull the
thread through, make sure it's positioned
under the needle. Use a sharp needle. A sharp needle will glide
through the fabric more easily, reducing the amount of force
needed to pull it through. Now we'll repeat the process. Insert the needle through
the next two pleats from left to right on the
bottom gathering stitch line, pull the needle through. Again, insert the needle through the loop and
pull it through. Move back up to the top
gathering stitch line and insert the needle through the third
and fourth pleats. Just keep repeating these
steps across the row and you'll create a beautiful
flowing rounded edge. Don't pull your
thread too tight. You want to create nice even curves without
distorting the fabric. Keep your needle
horizontal at all times. This will help create
those neat even stitches. You might find it
a bit tricky to pull the needle through
two pleats at once. If you need a little extra help, a thimble can be a lifesaver. It'll protect your finger and give you more pushing power. And that's the bonnet stitch. It might seem a bit
complicated at first, but with a little practice, you'll be creating beautiful
bonnet stitches in no time. In our next lesson, we'll learn the Spanish
knotted feather stitch, which adds lovely texture and
dimension to your smoking. See you in the next video.
13. Spanish knotted feather: And finally, we've reached the last stitch in
our smoking journey, the Spanish knotted
feather stitch. This stitch adds a beautiful
textured dimension to your smoking and it's a fantastic way to
finish off this course. Now the Spanish
knotted feather stitch can be a bit complicated, don't worry if it takes a little practice to
get the hang of it, but trust me, the results
are well worth the effort. I'm going to start on the
next gathering stitch line, but this time, I'll be working with the third
and fourth pleats. Make a small stitch
from right to left on the third pleat
to secure our thread. Bring your thread through
the first two pleats and angle the needle downwards so it emerges diagonally
to the right. Now, wrap your thread over the top of the needle
and then under it. This creates a twisted loop. Fold the needle through the
pleats and you'll see that the resulting stitch looks like a twisted chain stitch
worked at an angle. To make the next stitch, place your needle through the twist of the
stitch you just made and angle the needle to the left towards the
third and fourth pleats. Wrap the thread over and under the needle again to form
the second twisted stitch. Pull your thread through
and you'll have a pair of twisted chain stitches
worked in a zigzag fashion. Continue in this
way, stitching in a zigzag pattern to
complete the row. Now continue in the same way angling your needle
downwards to the right, then upwards to the left
to create the next stitch. Keep that thread
wrapped over and under the needle
with each stitch and you'll create this
beautiful zigzag pattern with those lovely twisted loops. If you're more
comfortable stitching from right to left, go for it. You can work this stitch
in either direction. As you continue your
smoking journey, remember to take your time, relax and enjoy the process, find your own rhythm,
your own style, and let your creativity flow. And there you have it. The Spanish knotted
feather stitch. It's a beautiful stitch that adds a unique touch
to your smoking. I am so proud of all of you for completing this smoking
embroidery course. You've learned so much,
and I know you'll continue to create
beautiful smoked pieces. But this is just the beginning. There's so much more you
can do with smoking. You can experiment with
different threads and fabrics, create your own designs, and even start your
own smoking business. Now, I want you
to take a look at the fabric piece we've
been working on. We've completed all ten
ditches and it looks amazing. Don't forget to take a photo of your finished piece and submit it as your
practical assignment. Imagine adding
smoking to dresses, blouses, children's clothes,
and even home decor items. The possibilities are
endless, keep practicing, keep experimenting, and most
importantly, keep creating. Thank you for joining me
on this smoking journey. I've loved sharing
my passion with you and I can't wait to see
what you create next.
14. How To Make Smocked Dress For Baby Girls 1: A beautiful smoked
dress for baby girls. Get ready to create a precious handmade
garment that's perfect for special
occasions or everyday wear. First, we need to create
the pleats for our smoking. I've cut a piece of
muslin fabric that's 4.5 " wide and 70 " long. I'm using a plastic cross stitch mesh to mark dots
along the fabric. The mesh makes it easy to
keep the dots consistent, but you can also
use a longer ruler to mark the dots if
you don't have a mesh. We'll be gathering this
fabric down to create a pleated bodice that's
4.5 " wide and 8 " long. You can use a smoking plater or simply hand gather the
fabric using elastic thread. I'll be demonstrating the hand gathering
technique in this tutorial. If you're new to smoking, you can follow my
beginner's marking course. The link is in the
description below. Place the smoked
bodice on top of the upper garment piece with the right sides
facing each other. If you have a pattern for
the sleeveless dress bodice, make sure it's ready for use. You can also create your
own pattern by tracing around a similar garment
that fits your little one. Using your pattern as a guide, carefully cut the
neckline and arm hose for the sleeveless
dress bodice. Now it's time to finish the raw edges of the
neck line and arm holes. I'm using buyers tape
for this because it provides a neat
and durable finish. Pin or clip the unfolded
edge of the buyers tape to the raw edge of
the neck line or arm hole, then stitch along the crease of the buyers tape to
secure it in place. To add a touch of
flounce and fullness to our dress will create
a ruffled skirt. Then attach the gathered
edge of the ruffle to the bottom edge of the smoked bodice right sides
facing each other. Stitch the ruffle in
place and then finish the raw edge with a
serger or zigzag stitch. Now for the fun part, adding some embroidery to
our smoked bodice. I've chosen a simple
yet elegant design featuring cable stitch, step wave stitch,
and bullion knots. First, I'm stitching a row of cable stitch along the top
line of the pleated area. The cable stitch creates a beautiful rope like effect that adds a
touch of texture. O. Next, I'm adding a row of wave stitch
below the cable stitch. The wave stitch, as
the name suggests, creates a wavy pattern that
adds a touch of whimsy. If you're new to smoking, you can follow my
beginner's smoking course. The link is in the
description below. In this course, we'll delve
into the world of smoking, exploring ten essential
stitches that will allow you to create
stunning and unique garments. From the simple outline stitch to the more
complex wave and cable stitches will cover a
wide range of techniques. Smoking is not just about
creating beautiful patterns. It's also a practical
skill that can be used to add structure and
elasticity to your garments. By learning these techniques, you'll be able to design
and sew everything from delicate baby clothes to
elegant adult apparel. Then for the bottom line, I'm adding another row of cable stitch mirroring
the top line. Finally, to add a focal
point to the design, I'm stitching three
simple flowers in the center using
Boolean knots. Folliar knots are a
bit like French knots, but they create a longer
more elongated knot. That's perfect for
creating flower petals. If you're new to embroidery, I recommend practicing
your stitches on a scrap piece
of fabric first. You can also find plenty of helpful embroidery
tutorials online. Almost finished. Now we need to align the front and back
pieces of the dress, right sides facing each other. Pan the pieces together along the sides and shoulders
of the dress, then stitch along
the pinned edges using a one of inch
seam allowance. Finish the raw edges with
a serger or zigzag stitch. W and there you have it a beautiful smoked
dress for a little princess. I love how the smoking and embroidery adds such
a special touch. This dress is
perfect for parties, holidays or just a day of play. If you enjoy this tutorial, be sure to give it a thumbs
up and subscribe to handiw for more sewing and
embroidery inspiration. Happy crafting
Shanas, Embroidery for Everyone
