Smocked dress for Veronica

When Veronica was about 3 years old I bought a kit for a dress that I thought would one day really suit her. It was Poppy in AS&E 87. I bought the largest size - 7 - to give myself the maximum time to confirm my hunch that it had her name on it. When she turned 7 in September I did not have time to make dresses, so this Christmas really was my deadline.

The smocking on this dress took me several nights to complete. The pattern is on a yoke, and the bodice is back-smocked for about 3 inches, then smocked in black with two rows of very pale green and some white touches in the middle.



I initially made an error, and did the first trellis in white instead of pale green.  I doubted it would make a difference - but it did, and I replaced it.


There are interesting touches - like a wave over a double cable, creating almost a running stitch effect.

It was a little tricky working in black, but a really interesting design to smock, with a harmonious result.


The basic construction was, as usual, fairly straightforward. The trickiest bit was the piping and bias strips cut from white pique.

It has a very interesting cross-over back, tied at the side with wide ribbon, threaded through buttonholes. It is a great design by Susan O'Connor, really well suited to the fabric.

For a range of reasons, we have celebrated Christmas with our extended family a little early this year - the only reason I can post this before Christmas and give you a peak at the wearer.


I have, of course, another dress to write about next time - but that will need to wait until next weekend. It can carry my New Year wishes.

This one seemed an appropriate one to post at this time and to use to wish us all a very Happy Christmas.

Another Birthday Nightdress

Brigid's birthday is in February, and since the winter nightdress I made for her has been a hit, I wanted to make a summer one for her birthday. I have a bit of fabric in my stash bought with nightdresses in mind but most of it more suited to either older or younger ages. I dug out a large piece of white seersucker that I inherited in my mother's stash, washed it and pleated it up, using my old favourite pattern, Victorian Dreams for Girls by Primrose Lane.

I really liked the pattern Kaleidescope, a white dress smocked in clear, bright colours in AS&E 71. I had resisted making it because no mother would thank me for a white dress! The smocking, however, could be easily adapted to a nightdress.

I selected eight rows from the smocking design for the front of the nightdress. These have flowers on tall stems embroidered between the smocked rows.

 Although the pattern doesn't smock the back, I usually do. I like smocking, and I think the smocking serves a good purpose in holding the gathers. For the back I chose another eight rows from Kaleidoscope, this time with embroidered pistil stitch flowers.

The seersucker washed and stitched up beautifully. It should also wash and wear really well. I am very pleased to have used Kaleidoscope at last and to have made a cool, simple nightdress.

My mother would also have been very pleased with this use of the fabric and Brigid was pleased to have it.

Smocking up a storm - Pyjamas

I bought a kit for Bedtime, AS&E 94 , earlier this year. It looked like a simple and useful project and I found a remnant at a Hype and Seek in Queen St Croydon that looked as if it would be perfect to make a second pair, so I could make them as presents for my twin granddaughters.

I made the kit up first. The cotton voile was easy and pleasant to smock and the pattern straightforward. Getting the gathers roughly even in the angel sleeves was about as tricky as it got.

The remnant fabric had a fair bit of polyester in it - still easy to work with, but care needed when ironing!

It is, however, a very pretty piece of fabric.





I think the girls will really like them. The bow to mark the front of the pants is a great idea.