Fast, Fake and Easy Smocking Sewing Machine Style

Do you want to be remembered? Personalized gifts are the bomb and can easily become family heirlooms. No pleating machine, no problem. You can get this look in a little over an hour with a regular sewing machine!

I had every intention of doing this project by hand the correct way. I was gifted a cute 1940s vintage pattern. My baby shower recipient, Tracy, was kind enough to send me her colors, likes and dislikes before I started the project. Then time seemed to get away from me and so I made some short cuts happen.

If you do not have a ready to sew smocking pattern I suggest you cut out your pieces to be smocked about 5x larger.

I got my fabric at a really cute local fabric shop in Miamisburg, Ohio called The Little Shop of Stitches.

Ok lets get started. You will be amazed at how easy this is!

: Transfer those lines! If you do not have a pattern you should instead make lines about 1/2″ apart where you want the smocking to be.

: Baste a gathering stitch on those lines you marked. A basting or gathering stitch is the longest straight stitch on your machine. Use a contrasting thread color that is easy to see.

: Pull your gathering stitches until the size matches the pattern size you need.

: Tie ends in knots so the dress stays the size needed.

: Check gathers to make sure they are as even as possible from the back. It’s easier to see them from this side.

Next is the fun part!

: Put 2 or 3 threads in the top of the machine. Do this by filling bobbins and using a topstitching needle. The topstitch needle has a larger eye.

: Find a stitch you love and test it! Do you see how two threads in the top needle look like one dark thread? This really makes my stitching pop!

: I stitch over every other basting stitch. Next time I will stitch in between every other basting stitch.

The not so fun part!

Remove those basting stitches.

Changes! If I were to do this again I would use my walking foot and I would have stitched my fake machine smocking lines in between my basting stitches. This technique would make the temporary gathering stitches much more easily removed.

Behind the scenes~

Here are just a few other baby gifts I have made over the years. I hope to inspire you.

Have you seen my beginner Insta Dress PDF pattern? This is not a tradition pattern. My pattern is made to get you started making your very own garments.

Photos are taken by Leaf Photography.

Thank you for reading,

Tracy McElfresh

Dream It, Sew it!

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Tracy McElfresh

Owner at Tracy's Sewing Studio

Tracy McElfresh is an alterations and fit specialist, Kettering Arts Council member, and Kettering resident. Tracy has a skillset built from multigenerational roots in the sewing and garment industries. Operating out of a studio located inside Rosewood Art Centre she provides alterations, garment design (including a strong passion for swimwear), formal and casual dressmaking, and sewing classes. Tracy founded a meetup group in 2014 called the Dayton Garment Designers Meet Up that is open to all newcomers at any skill level. In her free time, she is an avid writer and blogger and was a recognized award winner in 2018 as having one of the Best Dressmaker Blogs on the Planet from Blogspot. You can follow her work on Facebook and Instagram at TracySews.

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