So here comes a tutorial on how to do lattice smocking, the smock on the left in this picture.
Just as in honeycomb smocking one have a net of dots on the fabric, this time we are marking them out on the backside of the fabric. To make it simple we also mark out how we are going to gather the dots this time.
In this kind of smocking we are working from the back, so the result will not be visible unless you turn your work over. It is also hard to see how it looks until you have made a few rows.
Like this.
Here is a diagram that show you how to do it, but I’ll explain with pictures to.
Stick the needle up the second dot on the second row.
Pick up some fabric, just like three threads or so, and go to the first dot on the fist row and pick up some fabric there to.
You see the line, it is the guide for where to go.
Gather, sew some stitches and secure the thread.
Go to the dot directly under and secure the thread, all the threads that you do not gather should lie loose on the back.
Go to the dot that is connected with the dot you are at with a line and pick up some fabric.
Gather, sew some stitches and secure the thread. Go down one dot and secure the thread again.
Go up to the dot that the line indicates, pick up some fabric, gather, sew some stitches and secure the thread. I think you get how to do this so I’ll go on to showing how to move from one row to another.
In the end it will look like this.
And in the front it will look like this.
We skip a dot and go to the next, securing the thread.
And then we just follow the lines that show where to go and gather, remember to let the non gathering threads lie loose.
Gather and secure the thread.
Now it can get tricky to see where to go, if we had not made the lines it would be really confusing and hard to know where to go.
If one keeps going this is how it will look in the front after a while.
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Thank you! That makes it incredibly easy to understand, and the technique looks great!
Thank you so very much for such clear instructions.
I LOVE your blog. I absolutely love it. Thank you so much.
what is the title of the book you use for this tehcnique ??
Hello Ramila
The book I learned from is called “The Art of Manipulating Fabric” and is by Colette Wolff
/Cathrin
OMG, this is absolutely beautiful!!! I plan on making it, and using it in some cutout pillows. Thank you so much for such clear directions and pictures!
Thank you so much for this beautiful tutorial.
Thank you so much.
This was done by my mother many many years ago and i always wanted to learn now thanks to you i know how great job
thanks again
Wow!
that is a very good tutorial!
Thanks so much! =)
am doin a project work on this. hope it comes out wel:)
I think this is a very clear tutorial. I learned to do this stitch using a plad material. It made lovely pillow tops.
thank you:)
Hi there. Thank you so much for this tutorial. Can you please tell me from which book/chart/graph you are teaching this? I would love to learn some more techniques.
thank you. The book I learned from is called “The Art of Manipulating Fabric” by Colette Wolff and is a fantastic book!
thank you thank you thank you !!!
Thank – you so so so much I’ve been looking for instruction on this technique for a looking time but no one could help me I dint know what it was called and just took a chance on this one I’m so thrilled I can’t tell you thanx again
Thanks so much for such clear instructions! Have a question: How large a square of fabric are you starting with, and what size smocked block do you end up with? I’d like to make some 16″ square pillows, but not sure how large a square of fabric I’ll need to start with. I’ve ordered the book, “The Art of Manipulating Fabric”, but I think I can tackle this before the book arrives if I know how large a fabric square to start with, and how large of a seam allowance to leave around the perimeter.
IT was really long ago I made the lattice smocking, but I think that you need about double the amount of fabric. But I am sorry I don’t remember it 100% clear.
The seam allowance is up to you, but having it smaller then 1,5 cm could be tricky since the smocking pulls in the seam allowance some. So it is good to have something to hold on to.
Jag provade och smocka i gÄr efter den hÀr instruktionen, vart jÀte bra! Men jag Àr lite nyfiken pÄ vad den hÀr smocken passar in historiskt? TÀnkte nÀr man syr medeltids/knekt klÀder, nÀr förekom den och till vad?
tack igen!
Oj, vart den passar in historiskt har jag faktiskt dÄlig koll pÄ. Jag har tyvÀrr inget minne alls av att ha sett nÄgot annat Àn honeycomb smock pÄ medletids/knektklÀder.
First time I come across latice smoking. would like to try it out.
thank you so much for this clear instructions :)
Thank you so much for the tutorial, i finally understood how to do this. Also i didnât knew we were supposed to secure the stitches at each step ( i have just started checking out smocking tutorials from the past 2 days )
I was so pleased to see these directions – My family has a sofa pillow made this way when I was a kid (50s&60s) and it always fascinated me. I will certainly try this and it may be what folks get for Christmas this year.
Thank you so much for link. It’s easy, useful and nice.
I made this pattern years ago but they were all boxes, one you close up th next leave loose. I do not remember which way the second row of boxes is to be marked of to close them. Could you please help me?
Great tutorial…thank you!
Very easy. Great. Thank you very much.
I’ve been waiting for this for years. Thank You! I used to smock on my little girls dresses, but haven’t been able to find these directions lately. The only thing I’m not sure about is: when I did it before, the pattern for the bodice of the dress was made larger and then the smocking brought it to the right size; how do I do this for a dress today? This only showed a finished flat piece.
Thankyou for the great pictures and instructions! I have not been able to figure this out until now, and I can’t wait to begin!
Thanks again.
Hello, it’s a so beautifull work. Congratulation ! I woudlike to try too, but I was wondering, if it’s possible to know the reduction of the fabric after you made it. I don’t know if I’m clear (I’m so sorry I’m french, I don’t speak well english). if you want to make a dresse with 3 meters (on 1 meters and 50 cm) of fabrics for your pattern how can you calculate the initial piece of fabric you need to have this piece after manipulation? I’m really really sorry if we don’t understand anythind of what I’m saying ! :/
thank you very much for this beautifull meeting. I wish you good for your futur projects.
hello, this is very tough technique. Can you make it more easier?
Omg!!! I did it!! I’ve been teying this all night and couldn’t get it thank you so much!!! đđ
you wrote this post so many years ago, but I just wanted you to know that there is someone out there still using the amazing information you blogged!