Sew Beautiful Magazine

* This article can be found in Sew Beautiful Issue #108, September / October 2006 *
For a printable PDF version of this article, click here

Our Humpty has no
intention of falling off
his perch. He’s content
to toss posies and a
warm hello to passersby,
as he flashes them his
sweet Mother Goose
grin. Picture smock this
classic fellow, whose
story has a happier
ending, on your little
one’s romper.

Picture Smocking: Humpty-Dumpty

IN THE ARTICLE
• Materials List
• Smocking Information
• Smocking Graph

MATERIALS
Pattern

•	“Jordan” by Maja’s Heirlooms with short sleeves (See listing in Shopping Guide.)

Fabric

•	Baby wale 100 percent cotton corduroy in baby blue (Sew Beautiful Catalog)
•	White cotton broadcloth for collar

Trim

•	Skye blue whipstitch piping (www.handmades.com)

Notions
(See pattern for required notions.)

•	Snap grippers for snap crotch (www.sewbaby.com)
•	DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss #321 - red (wall and bow) #3818 - dk emerald green (stems) #445 - lt lemon (shoes, hands, vest detail, flower and flower centers) #794 - lt cornflower blue (vest and flower) #3326 - lt rose (face detail and flower) #819 - lt baby pink (flower) #3753 - lt antique blue (backsmocking) black (arms, legs and face detail) white (Humpty, flower, and mortar)

The inspiration for this design began with a gift. Kathy Barnard received this precious sweater as a gift from Sue Johnson and felt that it needed a smocked romper to match. We had Angela Atherton create a smocking design to fit the small center front space of Maja Clayton’s “Jordan”pattern. This was the perfect pattern to be worn with a cardigan, as all of the smocking is focused in the center. The short sleeves also provided a comfortable fit under the long sleeved sweater. We happened to have the exact color of light blue corduroy in stock, so the two came together perfectly. The Humpty Dumpty sweater shown is from Baby Bliss by Bella Bliss Collection and is available from Max and Maudes (866-629-6283). Visit their website to see more Bella Bliss sweater designs and accessories (www.maxandmaudes.com).

PREPARATION
• Prepare front romper for smocking according to instructions provided in “Jordan”pattern.
• Pleat fabric allowing 10 rows from neck seam down.
• Top and Bottom rows are holding rows and are not smocked.
• Design is worked across 40 pleats.

SMOCKING INFORMATION
• From neckline backsmock Rows 1 through 9 using floss color to match fabric. Row 10 is a holding row.
• Begin stacking cables in white on Row 3. Beginning with a down cable on 17th pleat from left side, cable nine. Stack up to complete top of Humpty and down to complete bottom of Humpty and wall according to graph. Note color changes. Top of wall should be worked across Row 7. NOTE: Flowers on wall are worked on top of wall cables.

About the designers
Angela Atherton is an artist for Sew Beautiful magazine and Martha Pullen Company.

Christy Cooper is a commissioned handwork designer for Sew Beautiful. Her hand embroidery design was featured on the “Autumn” dress on the cover of Issue 102, September 2005.

DETAILS

• Eyes and nose are French knots in black.
• Mouth is a 15-wrap bullion in lt rose (#3326) worked between cheeks.
• Top loops of neck bow are lazy daisy stitch worked over two cables; bottom loops are lazy daisy stitch worked over single cables all in red (#321).
• Center of vest is a straight stitch; button is French knot both worked in lt lemon (#445).
• Flowers in hand are three-cable combinations, worked down, up, down, then mirror imaged. Top flower is lt rose (#3326) just above Row 6; bottom flower is lt baby pink (#819). Centers are French knots worked in lt lemon (#445). Stems are straight stitch worked on, above and below hand; leaves are lazy daisy all in dk emerald green (#3818).
• Flowers on wall are (from left) lt lemon (#445), white and lt antique blue (#3753) worked over cables as positioned on graph. Centers are lt lemon (#445) French knots.
• Flower stems are straight stitch; leaves and greenery at bottom of wall are vertically placed lazy daisies in varying lengths all in ultra v dk emerald green (#3818).
• Mortar is two strands of white floss worked in elongated buttonhole stitch over cables as pictured.

For a printable PDF version of this article, click here