Well,  this week has taken me back a few years to the time I smocked many an outfit for my two youngest children. (No, I didn’t discrimnate against the two older ones – I just didn’t know how to smock when they were small!) I love heirloom smocking, both the process of creating it and the final outcome. I don’t think there is anything sweeter than a smocked outfit for a small child.
What I have completed so far is the front of what will eventually become a dress for a one year-old. The “plain” areas on either side of the smocking will eventually get cut away for the armholes.
I am using a TNT pattern that I have used countless times –  Chery Williams Basic Square Yoke. Pretty much your classic little girl’s dress, with plenty of opportunities for design variations. I think this dress will eventually morph into a short-sleeved version with a gathered self-fabric ruffle around the neckline. Maybe a little lace too.
  
For now, this smocking is on its way to the Bellevue Pacific Fabrics as a sample “garment” for the Heirloom Smocking class I will be teaching on June 12 and 19th. Come join me, and learn this beautiful and enjoyable sewing art!
Happy sewing!
Maris Olsen