Download PDF: Smocking Pattern 10 Tubes & Crosses
You will need:
- Fabric
- Scissors
- Basic 30cm Ruler
- Pencil/Tailors Chalk
- Hand Sewing Needle
- Sewing Thread same colour as fabric if possible (Ideally strong quilters thread but if it is only a sample then any sewing thread is good enough)
Tip: You may use the width of a ruler to mark the gridlines or use a ruler to measure out 1.5-3cm evenly spaced dots. I find it is much faster to use the width of a ruler to draw a grid while some designs is better to use the dot system. Using the dot system will allow you to use either side of the fabric to show more than one design. Depending on the design, your fabric will shrink up to 50% of the original size. Mark your grids/dots on grain. Do not use thread longer than your forearm otherwise it will end up knotted or tangled. The type of fabric used also plays an important part of the design. Using scale, type of fabric and whether you choose to iron the fabric after will help greatly to achieving a different outcome.
- Using a basic ruler, I marked out a grid of lines or dots on the wrong side of the fabric. Using the width will ensure the lines are evenly spaced out without having to measure.
- You may jot down the numbers on the fabric to help you recognise where you will be stitching next. After a while of stitching you should be able to workout which stitches you need to do next. Sometimes on more complicated designs it is wise to have numbers to help you.
- Get a piece of sewing thread roughly double the length of your forearm. Thread the hand sewing needle with the thread. Bring the 2 ends together. Up to you if you want to knot the ends.
- Follow the pattern instructions. Where there is a colour line joining 2 black dots, sew them together. You may jot down the sewing sequence to help you remember for next time.
- Each time you complete a cluster of stitches remember to tie off tightly. I tie a few times just to make sure. Sometimes you don’t require to cut off just to save time but things could get messy.
INSTRUCTIONS
If you have completed smocking patterns 9, then you should be able to execute this pattern with no problem.
Draw out your grid. I used a 1.5cm grid on a medium satin fabric.
Mark in the instructions.
You could repeat the pattern as much as you want but remember to have clusters of 4 squares. These clusters form the cross.
The tubes will be formed between the rows of clusters.
You may start at any corner of the square.
You must pick up a few threads on the fabric at points 1, 2, 3 and 4. You then pick up point 5 (Which is point 1) but be careful not to sew through the sewing thread.
Pull up and gather the stitches together, secure the stitch. A flower pattern should appear. If not, just poke underneath of the fabric.
Once you have completed sewing the clusters you should have something like this.
Rows of 4 petal flowers.
Make sure you poke all the petals upwards towards the wrong side the fabric so that they are showing.
This is what it will look like on the right side of the fabric.
Now concentrate on the rows of petals.
Where there is a cluster of 4 flowers, you are going to gather the inside 4 petals and sew them together at the peaks.
Secure and move on to the next cluster.
The clusters should form an X in the centre.
You should start seeing diagonal squares forming between the X.
Once you have completed all the rows of petals, move onto the tubes.
All you need to do is sew 3 side petals together.
You should find one either on the left or right of any diagonal squares, and the other 2 are just above and below it.
Secure and then move onto the next stitches.
Here is a better look at the edge petals with the centre petals not sewn together yet so you can see where to locate the edge petals.
Don’t get confuse with the side petals and edge petals. They are similar but the edge petals are at the edge and they are sometimes made of 2 petals and sometimes 3 petals.
It also helps complete the design but it may not form a complete tube/cluster/pattern.
This picture shows you where to locate other edge petals that you should sew together. You could use the needle to help pick out the peaks to make it easier to sew together.
You may sew up to this point to complete the edge of the pattern or you could sew one more stitch along.
It is not necessary but it helps.
The 2 black dots indicted where you need to sew next if you want a nice finish to the edge of the pattern. Sew the 2 dots together. Repeat and complete the rest of the edges of the pattern.
On the right side of the fabric you can see the tubes going out towards the edge of the fabric.
If you did not sew the 2 dots together you will not have this edge.
This design does not require ironing if you are using a bouncy fabric. If you are using cotton, you might want to iron it.
Using a bouncy fabric like a medium weight satin with a 1.5cm grid made the design much more effective. With a heavier weight satin you may have to use a larger grid.
Let me know how you’re getting on with this pattern.
I’ll see you in my next blog.
Shan x
Leave a Reply