How to Do Smocking

Last Updated: May 23, 2020 Approved

Smocking is done by using small stitches to gather fabric in a pattern. You can use it to create little rows of pretty pleats with colorful stitching, the perfect detail for a child's dress or the bodice of a blouse. See Step 1 to learn a basic smocking technique called the honeycomb that will allow you to add the perfect touch to the garment you're making.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Setting Up

1
Choose fabric and thread. Smocking can be done using any type of fabric, but it works best if you use thin fabric that doesn't have a lot of stretch. Try thin cotton or linen if this is your first time. Choose embroidery floss in a matching or contrasting color. The stitches are meant to be seen to create a pretty dotted pattern.
- Smocking gives fabric an elastic quality and makes it more form fitting. You'll need to take this into account when cutting fabric for the pattern you're using. Make it 2 1/2 to 3 times wider than what your pattern calls for.
- If you'd rather not have visible stitching, choose a regular sewing thread (rather than thick embroidery floss) in the same color as your fabric.
2
Draw a dotted grid on the fabric. Use a fabric pen or a pencil to draw a grid of evenly-spaced dots covering the area that you want to smock. The grid may be square or rectangular. The dots may be spaced close together or far apart, depending on how many pleats you want to make. A good starter measurement is placing the dots one inch apart, both across and down.

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- The lines of dots should line up with the grain of the fabric.
- Be sure your dots are placed in straight lines across the fabric - otherwise your smocking will turn out crooked.
- You can make your grid using iron-on dots as well, so you won't have to worry about measuring out the dots. Look for smocking patterns in your local sewing store.
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3
Thread your needle. The first step will be to use a needle and thread to gather the fabric and hold it in place. Thread a needle and tie the end so that it won't pull through the fabric.
- This placeholder thread will be trimmed away, so it doesn't matter what kind you use. The gathers will later be fastened with decorative stitches, and that's when you can use your pretty embroidery thread.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Making the Gathers

1
Make a small stitch under the first dot. Pass the needle through the fabric from one side of the first dot, under the dot to the other side. Pull the thread so that the knot rests alongside the dot.
2
Continue taking stitches under each dot in the row. Pass the needle through the fabric from one side of the second dot, under the dot to the other side. Do the same with the third dot and on down the row until you reach the end. Wrap the tail of the thread around a pin to hold the stitches in place. Make each stitch as neat as possible, so that each dot has the same amount of room on either side.

^. — ^. — ^. — ^. — ^.— ^.
3
Finish stitching the remaining rows of dots. Thread your needle again and do the next row in the same way. Continue stitching the rows and securing the ends to a pin until all the rows are complete.

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^. — ^. — ^. — ^. — ^.— ^.
^. — ^. — ^. — ^. — ^.— ^.
^. — ^. — ^. — ^. — ^. — ^.
4
Gather the first two rows. Pull the end of the thread from the first stitched row gently, so that the fabric is folded into small, even gathers. The dots should be at the outward-facing top of each gather. Hold the gathers in place by securing the end of the thread around a pin or tying off the end with a knot. Gather the second row in the same way, taking care to make sure each gather is the same size as the gathers in the first row.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Stitching the Gathers

1
Thread your needle with embroidery floss. It's time to use that colorful embroidery thread you picked out to create a smocked pattern. Tie off the end of the thread.
2
Bring your needle up through the first dot. Pull the thread through so that it comes out directly through the dot in the first gather.
3
Stitch the first gather to the second gather. Move your needle to the second gather. Insert the needle on the right side of the dot and pass it under the dot so that the needle comes out on the left side. Move the needle back to the first gather and pass it under the dot where the thread is coming out. Pull the thread through, then cross it over the stitch you made and pass the needle back through the second gather. The completed stitch will look like a tiny "x" that cinches the gathers together. Your needle and thread should finish under the fabric.

x — ^. — ^. — ^.— ^.
^. — ^. — ^. — ^. — ^.— ^.
^. — ^. — ^. — ^. — ^.— ^.
— ^. — ^. — ^. — ^. — ^.
4
Bring your needle up through the second dot in the second row. Skip the first dot in the second row and bring your needle up through the second gather, right where the dot is marked.
5
Stitch the second gather to the third gather. Move your needle to the third gather. Insert it on the right side of the dot and pass it underneath so that the needle comes through on the left side. Move the needle back to the second gather and pass it under the dot where the thread is coming out. Pull the thread through, then cross it over the stitch you made and pass the needle back through the third gather to cinch the gathers. Your needle should finish under the fabric.

x — ^. — ^. — ^. — ^.
^. — x — ^. — ^.— ^.
^. — ^. — ^. — ^. — ^.— ^.
— ^. — ^. — ^. — ^. — ^.
6
Follow the honeycomb pattern to finish stitching the first two rows. Bring the needle up through the next empty dot in the top row. Using the same stitching method, stitch it to the adjacent gather, making a little "x" with your stitches and finishing with the needle under the fabric. Bring the needle up through the next dot in the second row and stitch to the adjacent gather. Continue alternating between rows until all the gathers in the first two rows have been stitched. Tie off the thread on the back side when you're finished.

x — x — x
^. — x — x — x
7
Continue smocking the remaining rows. Working two rows at a time, use the same process to stitch the gathers in the remaining rows with your embroidery thread.

x — x — x
^. — x — x — x
x — x — x
^. — x — x — x
- Pull the gathers in the next two rows. Gently tug the thread to create even gathers, with the dots in the rows appearing at the top of each gather. Secure the thread by wrapping it around a pin at the end of the rows.
- Stitch the first and second gather in the first row, finishing with your needle under the fabric.
- Stitch the second and third gather in the second row, finishing with your needle under the fabric. (Don't forget to skip that first dot!)
- Continue stitching adjacent gathers, alternating between the first and second rows, until all the gathers have been stitched.
- Tie and trim the thread on the underside of the fabric.
8
Cut and remove the gathering thread. The thread you initially used to pull the gathers is no longer necessary. Unwind it from the pins and pull or cut it away, so that only your embroidery stitching is left.

Community Q&A

Question

Normally how much width of cloth is needed for stitching smocking for 15 cm?

Community Answer

When smocking, you will end up with about one third of your initial fabric width. So with a smocking work of 15 cm, use 45 cm fabric width.
Question

When smocking, can I finish thread and start again with another thread in that row?

Community Answer

Yes. You can tie it off on the back side (it will hide in the gathers). No for the pulling threads (a knot will stop the gathering process).
Question

How do I sew in thread in the middle of smocking?

Community Answer

When you are smocking a material, the first thing to do is make sure that your thread is of a slightly heavier weight than usual if possible. To repair a portion of material that has come undone within the middle of the gathered material, it is best to do it bit by bit, say about an inch and a half at a time. It takes patience, but it will work. It's advisable to check for loosening threads and super secure them in tiny little places as invisibly as possible. Where one thread has been torn loose, it's too easy for another to do it.