Stitch a Cheerful Butterfly Smocking Design

This design first appeared in SB Issue #100.

Picture smocking is a great way to add both style and personality to a child's garment. From classic designs like rocking horses or sailboats to unique plates featuring storybook characters or even sport themes, smocking allows you to make your sewing projects almost as unique as the child who will wear them. Add a touch of nature to a special little girl's wardrobe with this cheery butterfly and flower smocking plate designed by Angela Atherton and stitched by Linda Richards. Work it up in bright colors as pictured on our sample, or change the palette to softer pastel hues for an alternative perfect for spring.

Floss used on sample:
• DMC Six-Strand Cotton Embroidery Floss: #498 - red, #704 - lt green, #988 - dk green, #3845 - blue, #3823 - lt yellow, #743 - yellow, #976 - tan, #3837 -dk violet, #722 - lt orange, # 970 - dk orange

"Butterfly Sparkle"

Smocking notes:
• Cut an insert 4-1/2 x 45 inches. Pleat 10 rows. First and last two pleating rows are holding rows. Mark center valley of pleated insert. Design covers 86 pleats and uses six rows.

• Backsmock 10 rows in matching yellow floss including the holding rows.

• Begin butterfly on Row 3-3/4 on second pleat left of center valley with light green. Complete body alternating light green and tan floss.

• Pay close attention to half stitches. 

• Butterfly wings require working with two needles and two floss colors alternately.

• Work upper right red flower between 16th and 33rd pleats to right of center. Work mirror image on 16th and 33rd pleats to left of center for left flower.

• Work middle right orange and yellow flower on 31st and 44th pleat to right of center. Work mirror image on 31st and 44th pleat to left of center for left flower.

• Work lower right orange flower on 20th and 32nd pleat to right of center. Work mirror image on 20th and 32nd pleat to left of center left flower.

• Use a backstitch to create antennae for butterfly and tendrils for orange flowers according to graph.

• Add HotFix™ Swarovski™ Crystals to center of the flowers and inside wings according to photo.

"Butterfly Sparkle" Smocking Plate

For more smocking inspiration, check out our Ready-to-Smock Kits! Available in sizes 3 months, 6 months, 24 months and 2T, each kit comes with five ready-to-smock garments plus DMC floss. All you'll need to do is add the smocking designs of your choice!

Sew On, Sew Well, Sew Beautiful,
Cyndi and Amelia

Choosing Materials for Embellishments and Trims

Flowers and trims using various types of ribbon.

Fabrics and ribbons come in a wide range of beautiful colors, textures and styles. With so many options, the seemingly simple decision of choosing materials for a trim or embellishment can turn into a daunting task! Designer Kari Mecca's new book, Whimsy Flowers & Trims, is full of helpful tips for selecting materials. For example, she says it's a good idea to look for styles that are appealing on both sides, as many embellishments feature both sides of the material. Read a few more of Kari's tips below:

Two-sided ribbons: These ribbons are finished on both sides, such as grosgrain ribbon.

Two-color ribbons: Not only are these ribbons finished on both sides, but each side of the ribbon is also a different color or design.

Wired ribbons: These ribbons have a lightweight wire woven into the edges. Look for narrow styles for the most versatility.

As seasons change, not all materials and colors are available at all times.

Metallic ribbons or fabrics: Choose a subtly colored metallic weave, or go bold with a bright metallic weave. Look for metallic ribbons that also have wired edges.

Sheer ribbons or fabrics: Try organdy or organza in solids and stripes and made from natural or synthetic fibers.

Taffeta ribbons or fabrics: Look for solid, two-tone weaves and iridescent weaves.

Bias-cut ribbon or fabric: Choose silks, satins or cottons cut into strips on the bias. Overdyed silks and satins are especially pretty.

Linen or burlap ribbon or fabric: These materials are a heavier weave and can add texture to trims and flowers.

Kari Mecca's Whimsy Flowers & Trims

Be sure to check out Whimsy Flowers & Trims for more tips and inspiration. This book includes 35 techniques that teach you unique ways to work with ribbons, rickrack, picot trim, soutache, fabric strips, spaghetti bias, lace and more. Plus, it includes three sizes of Whimsy Stick punchouts made of durable cardboard, so you can start creating your embellishments immediately!

Sew On, Sew Well, Sew Beautiful,
Cyndi and Amelia

Ideas for Embellishing Doll Clothes

Embellishing is one of our favorite parts of the sewing process. Those little extras that "make the outfit" are important - whether you're sewing lace shapes on a christening gown or stitching a ribbon motif on a casual outfit for playgroup. This week we would like to share with you two ideas for embellishing doll clothes from designer Joan Hinds' book All Dolled Up. First, learn how to make a pretty rickrack flower and then discover how to embellish a garment using fusible appliqué:

Rickrack Flower

Rickrack Flower
What You Need:
• 3 pieces of rickrack, 1/4-inch wide and approximately 5 inches long
• 3 beads, 5mm
• Sewing thread and needle

How to Create:
1. Insert the needle about 1/2 inch from the end into a peak on a 5-inch piece of 1/4-inch wide rickrack. Insert the needle through each peak until you come to within 1/2 inch of the other end (figure 1). There should be 8 folds in the rickrack for the petals. Pull the needle through the peaks and pull tightly. Connect the ends of the rickrack together and tie off securely at the back. Repeat with the two remaining 5-inch pieces of rickrack.

Figure 1

2. Stitch the beads to the center of each flower with the needle and thread. Arrange the flowers in a cluster and tack to the upper right side of the T-shirt.

Fusible Appliqué 
Instead of a rickrack flower, choose a flower from fabric to use as embellishment on the shirt. Adhere the cut-out flower onto fusible web, then fuse it onto the T-shirt.

Joan Hinds Sewing for Dolls Collection

Check out our new Joan Hinds Sewing for Dolls Collection for more doll clothes inspiration. This bundle includes three books and two DVDs by Joan!

Sew On, Sew Well, Sew Beautiful,
Cyndi and Amelia

Sewing with Lace and Fabric

Lace to Lace

Whether we're making a christening dress, a child's garment, ladies' clothing, a wedding gown or special linens, the same basic techniques are at the core of many heirloom projects. This week we'd like to share tutorials for two such techniques with you: sewing lace to lace and lace to fabric. If you're new to heirloom sewing, these instructions shared by Sue Pennington Stewart in our Favorite Heirloom Sewing Designs edition will help give you the needed know-how to dive into your first project. If you're a seasoned heirloom sewist, perhaps you can share the tutorials with a friend who is new to the craft! 


Things to know before you begin:
• The stitch settings given are not absolutes. Different machines stitch out differently. Use the settings given as starting points, adjust up or down as needed and use what works best for you.

• These techniques work best on very lightweight, natural-fiber fabrics; one hundred percent cotton batiste is the easiest, and most traditional, fabric to work with. The fabric should almost always be starched and pressed before it is sewn.

• For the following techniques, use soft, fine thread and a small needle.

• Fabric pieces should be on grain for this work. A torn edge is a good way to ensure that fabric is on grain; remember that it may be necessary to trim away the fuzzy edges before performing the heirloom techniques described in the following instructions.


Lace to Lace:
1. Press lace without stretching if it is wrinkled, but I do not usually starch lace.

Photo 1

2. Place laces side by side, right sides up (if you can tell a right side) with headings butted together (photo 1).

Photo 2

3. Zigzag (L=1.0; W=2.5) laces together, so that one needle swing goes over heading of one lace, and other needle swing goes over heading of other lace (photo 2). Press this joined strip of lace.


Lace to Fabric (roll and whip):
1. Place starched fabric right side up. Place a lace strip right side down on top of fabric with edge of lace 1/8 inch in from raw edge of fabric (photo 3).

Photo 3

2. Zigzag (L=1.0; W=4.5) so that one needle swing stitches over heading of lace, and other needle swing goes just off edge of fabric. After a few stitches, raw edge of fabric should start rolling in toward and covering lace heading (photo 4). If it doesn't, try increasing needle tension slightly.

Photo 4

3. Press rolled hems toward fabric. This next step is optional, but I use it, almost always, as it gives a much neater look and keeps the rolled seam from folding back under lace. From right side, zigzag (L and W=1.0) with a very tiny stitch so that one needle swing stitches over folded-under edge of fabric and into lace, and other needle swing just catches fabric.

4. Press this lace-embroidery strip again.


Learn many more heirloom sewing techniques on our Sew Beautiful DVDs. These DVDs are full of inspiration and instruction for beginning and advanced heirloom sewists alike, and they are on sale now through March 6 as part of our huge National Craft Month celebration!

Sew On, Sew Well, Sew Beautiful,
Cyndi and Amelia