Download PDF: Smocking Pattern 13 Rectangle & 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.
If you have completed smocking patterns 9, 10 or 12 you should be able to execute this pattern with no problem.
Prepare your grid on the wrong side of the fabric.
I used 1.5cm on a medium weight satin fabric.
Mark in the instructions.
Start at any corner of the square.
Using needle and thread, pick up a few threads on the fabric at the corners.
Do this to all 4 corners and return back to point 1 which will complete the 5th stitch.
Pull to gather the corners and secure.
You should end up with something like this, on the side you are working on.
This is what it looks like on the right side of the fabric.
Turn back over to the wrong side of the fabric and continue working on the rest of the pattern.
Use your fingers and poke all the petals upwards.
Now just concentrate on the flowers.
You are going to work with a cluster 4 flowers.
You are going to pick out the points of the top, left, right and bottom petals. This will look like a diagonal square when opened up.
You are going to use a needle and thread and sew through the peaks of the petals.
Pull up the thread to gather together the petals into the centre.
Secure the stitches.
Complete the rest of the flower petals.
Now concentrate on the rectangles.
Pinch the corners together. Make sure they are the same length.
Sew only through the peaks of the petals.
Sew the other 3 corners to complete the rectangle.
Complete all the rectangles.
The complete pattern should look like this on the wrong side.
Make sure you work on the edges to help make the pattern neat.
On the edges, you only sew 3 petals together.
The 3 petals should look like this.
The rectangles and crosses will appear like this on the right side of the fabric.
This design does not require ironing if you are using a bouncy fabric. If you are using cotton, you might want to 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
PS: Sorry for the picture lighting. I sometimes work in the living room and sometimes in the bedroom. Depending where my 2 year old is. Sometimes I have to recycle some pictures from my other tutorials. Hope you understand. ❤️
Thank you Marta! I will try my best to bring you more exciting projects. Shan x
Gracias, me encanta ésta técnica, excelente el tutorial, muy bien explicado.