SMOCKING: Smocking is an embroidery technique used to gather fabric so that it can stretch. Before elastic, smocking was commonly used in cuffs, bodices, and necklines in garments where buttons were undesirable.
ELASTIC THREADS: Used for creating creases and gathers patterns on the materials to make flexible stretchy textiles.
MATERIALS:
- Fabric
- Paper
- Plastic
- Leather
- Elastic tread
- Flat elastic
- Hand sewing needle
- Sewing machine
HOW:
FOR ELASTICS: Pull as you sew fabric and elastic together so that it can gather fabric when released.
gathering fabric using elastic threads; a scrunchie hair tie
gathering fabric using thicker elastic bands.
APPLICATIONS: Elastic bands in clothing; waistbands and smocked tops. It makes clothing fitted and can be used to replace buttons or zippers
REFLECTIONS: Elastics were hard to execute as the elastic thread tends to get caught up in the sewing machine. The thick bands were easier to sew onto fabric with the zigzag stitch. Overall, I needed alot more practice as I was unable to machine sew neatly with elastics as they recoiled/gathered weirdly when they were released.
Smocking was very enjoyable, transforming a single flat and boring piece of fabric into a textured textile with repetitive indents and shapes from different smocking patterns. Makes people really drawn to feel the texture of the indents.
other interesting smocking patterns:
