Hand Smocking… Impossible??

Last week while I was in Maine I had the chance to visit with my Aunt Becky.  She learned to hand smock while she lived in Ecuador back in the 70’s and 80’s and made some adorable dresses.  I shared with her that while I could sew dresses, I did not know where to start with smocking!  It was then that she called out “De-ah” (That would be “Dear” to us who do not have a Maine accent ) “Please get the smocking machine out of the hall closet”.  I said, “Wait a minute! There is a smocking machine??”  As you can tell, I really had no idea about smocking.  My Uncle Dave then produced a small box which yielded a mechanism with 3 notched brass wheels, a hand crank,  and a line of sewing needles just waiting to be threaded.  Interesting!  Becky told me that you just feed the material through the brass wheels, which has a hand crank and it pleats the material for you!  We didn’t have much more time than that, (Aunt is in very bad health…) but it peaked my interest to do some more research about smocking.  I love little girls smocked dresses but would rather not spend $100 on one.  So maybe I will be able to hand smock one soon!  Here is the info I have found via Google… You can get smocking machines that are electric, much like a sewing machine (but then how is that hand smocking?) or you can go with the hand model that my Aunt has that is made by the Read company.  It pleats the material perfectly so you can add your hand smocking design on top.  They run about $200 and I saw one with 48 needles to make a wider pattern.  Curious as to what it looks like?  I thought you would be, so here is a picture.   I have also found a great tutorial on Southern Stitches website.  Please let  me know if you have ever attempted to hand smock and share your pics or stories!  Hopefully I will have some pics and stories of my own soon! 

Tagged as: sewing, Sewing Techniques, smocking