How to do Canadian Smocking
AKA Lattice Smocking AKA North American Smocking
Canadian smocking is a very quick and easy way to elegantly gather fabric. Use it in home dec projects, accessories, bags, or clothing.
You can find Canadian smocking in the SavvySeams Tudor Rose Purse pattern. You can find some examples of beautiful costumes that use Canadian smocking at the Padawan's Guide to Star Wars Prequel Costuming. Check out Padme's nightdress and robe in particular.
 (1) Decide on the size of the area you want to smock. Multiply length and width by 3, and add 2" for a generous seam allowance. Use a quilting ruler or L ruler or just any nice ruler to mark a grid for the smocking. Use a washable fabric marker to make the dots, which should be 1/2" to 1" apart. |
 (2) Use a strong thread. Knot it at the end. Start by making a small stitch under the dot one in the from top and one in from the side. Pull the thread taut. Now make another small stitch under the dot in the top left corner. |
 (3) Pull the thread taut again, bringing the two dots together and forming the first pleat. Make a small stitch through both dots, leaving a small loop. Thread the needle make through the loop to make a knot, and pull the thread taut. |
 (4) Now make a small stitch under the dot directly below the starting dot. |
 (5) Leaving a little slack in the thread, make a knot over this dot. |
 (6) Now make a small stitch under the dot to the upper-right corner of the one you are currently working on. |
 (7) Pull the thread taut, bringing the two dots together to form the second pleat. Make a small knot across the two dots as you did before in step 3. |
 (8) Repeat steps 4 and 5. Then take a small stitch at the dot to the upper-left corner, as in step 2. |
 (9) Again, pull the thread taut to form the pleat and make a knot to secure the pleat. |
 (10) Keep working the smocking all the way down the vertical row. The slack threads will form a zig-zag as the pleats below them are formed. When you are finished with the row, double-knot your thread and clip it. |
 (11) The front will look like this after the first verticle row is stitched. |
 (12) Start the second vertical row. Knot the end of your thread and make a small stitch under the next dot, one down from the top (fourth from the left side). Pull the thread taut, and make a small stitch under the dot to the upper-left corner. This row of dots is "shared" between the stitches you just made and the stitches you will make now. |
 (13) Pull the thread taut and knot the pleat in place. |
 Repeat steps 4-10 to complete this vertical row. |
 If you run out of thread in the middle of a row, don't worry. Just knot the thread where you are, thread the needle anew, and start where you left off as if you were starting again at the top of a row. You will have a break in the zig-zag pattern at the back but it will be completely invisible on the front. |
 After adding the second verticle row the herringbone pattern begins to emerge. |
 Continue adding vertical rows until you have finished the piece. You can see all the now loosely zig-zagging threads. |
| Gently straighten the pleats on the front side so they make a tidy pattern. If any threads are visible on the front side, rearrange the pleats to hide them. Hold an hot iron about 1/2" above the fabric (don't directly press it unless you really want to flatten it). Use generous amounts of steam to help set the pattern. |
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