* This article can be found in Sew Beautful Issue #103, Nov / Dec 2005 *
For a printable PDF version of this article, click here
For a printable PDF version of this article, click here
“The night will never stay,
The night will still go by,
Though with a million stars
You pin it to the sky,
Though you bind it with
the blowing wind
And buckle it with the moon,
The night will slip away
Like sorrow or a tune.
The Night Will Never Stay by Eleanor Farjeon
Pearls and smocking on midnight blue velvet capture the starry sky on a clear winter’s night. The smocking is basic trelliswork for nine rows. Over the final four rows, the trelliswork doubles up creating pearl diamonds within diamonds.
SMOCKING DETAILS
Pleat 18 rows, smock on 16 rows. The first and last rows are holding rows and are not shown on graph.
SMOCKING
1. Beginning at center two pleats on Row 1, work an up cable, trellis down five to Row 2, down cable, trellis up five to Row 1. Continue across row. Invert work and trellis across to finish row.
2. On Row 3, across center two pleats, work a down cable, trellis up five to Row 2 while mirror imaging previous smocking. Slide a seed pearl over needle and down floss to lie against fabric. Work an up cable, securing pearl. Trellis down five, down cable, trellis up five, and repeat, adding pearl. Continue across row. Invert work and complete row.
3. On Row 3, across center two pleats, bring floss up through left valley, add seed pearl, work an up cable, trellis down five to Row 4, down cable, trellis up five, add pearl with up cable and continue across row. Invert work and complete row.
4. Alternate steps 2 and 3, across pleats from Row 4 to Row 12.
5. Trellis work will continue across Rows 13, 14, 15 and 16 in the same pattern, but without adding any seed pearls. Final row of pearls is Row 11.
6. At left side, in large diamonds formed between Rows 11 and 13, 12 and 14, 13 and 15, 14 and 16, create smaller diamonds by working a down cable with pearl (consult graph for placement inside larger diamonds), trellis up two, up cable adding pearl, trellis down two, invert work, down cable adding pearl, trellis up two, up cable adding pearl, trellis down two, insert needle into pleat underneath pearl at this point. Turn work right side up and bring needle up inside next large diamond where small diamond will begin. Complete smaller diamonds on rows noted in above.
NOTE: On the sample dress shown, Sue stopped her smocking inside the armscye from Rows 1 to 8 the same amount on each side so the smocking plate would finish even across the dress and she would not have to worry about catching pearls in the seams. For the remainder of the plate, she worked an extra half diamond on each side, which extended the smocking further at the wider part of the dress. -SB
About the designer
Sue Johnson is the owner of The Country Mouse. She specializes in custom designed and made-to-order heirloom clothing for children and adults. Sue has contributed to Sew Beautiful for 10 years. See her listing in the Shopping Guide on page 84).
| SMOCKING: Geometric Smocking with Pearls on Velvet IN THIS ARTICLE:
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For a printable PDF version of this article, click here