The smocking phase is finally done and I’m delighted at how quickly the parts are coming together …
I’ve been using Londonderry 80/3 linen thread to backstitch the seams at about 10 stitches per inch …
I confess to being concerned about how the bulky edge of the smocking would work into the seams, but so far so good …
Which reminds me, these are my new favorite marking pens, which erase with an iron or even a blast with the hair dryer. They make a finer line and glide on more smoothly than the felt-tipped pens I’ve used in the past. And at $17 for a set of 8, they’re reasonably priced …
Of course, in looking them up online, I’m now seeing a lot of lower priced alternatives … please comment below if you’ve had experience with any other brands!
And my post wouldn’t be complete without some grandkid pix …
I'm Going to Texas (version 2.0) 
aha, a hairdryer makes the pen disappear! Of course! I wouldn’t have thought of that – an excellent solution for something that would be difficult to iron. And kudos for stitching with linen thread, I find it difficult to work with. The garment is coming along beautifully.
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I love stitching with linen thread on linen cloth … have long read that one is supposed to wax it first, but have never found it necessary, especially as I love how the thread fibers “hug” the cloth, making the stitches extremely secure … it’s almost as if the thread melts into the fabric
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maybe I’ve just never tried it on linen fabric before. Though I know what you mean, silk thread on silk fabric has the same effect of course.
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Such exquisite stitching in your smocking and seam work, Liz! And ten stitches per inch! I once used a similar pen that was felt tip like, making a thin purple mark. All was well until I abandoned it for a while, with some quilting lines still marked on it. Months later, the marks couldn’t be removed.
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hmmm … I haven’t “erased” the marks, thinking I’d just throw the whole piece into the dryer when I’m done stitching … now I’m thinking I should get my hair dryer out, just in case
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Liz….looks like I have to sign in to something now. Here is my comment. Too tired for more tonight. Liz~ This is looking great!! The precision is amazing. The grands look happy and healthy and fresh off of a good summer break!
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Thanks for letting me know … WordPress appears to be “fixing” things that aren’t broken … sigh
I’ve tweaked the comment settings, so hopefully that improves the experience … please let me know if you encounter any other roadblocks
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Hooray for firsts! 🙂 I am in awe of your shirt…
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thanks much … and yes, there’s something about the beginning of the school year that brings out the biggest smiles
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I’m posting this for Marti, who was unable to leave a comment. Please email me if you also had any problems (lizackert@gmail.com)
“When I tried to login via the email icon, up popped a kind of shaded patch that stopped me…! SO here is my comment:
What patience and incredible skill you have in creating your lovely smocked blouse. It is a spectacular FIRST; simply beautiful.
My favorite FIRST- Logan’s first apartment. She radiates joy and it is so touching to see her truly become an independent young woman…our girls were juniors at San Francisco State College before we let them leave the dorms and get an apartment. They had a third roommate, a male friend of our daughter Erika whose name ironically was Erik…little did we know at the time, that he was more than a friend! it all worked out and Erik is one of our favorite people and a good family friend.
Marti”
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And in reply to Marti: I got my first college apartment my sophomore year and was so relieved to be able to cook for myself … Logan had commented last March that she was already tired of eating at the dining hall so I’m glad she has moved on … which I’m pretty sure was a necessity as Virginia public universities are notorious for having less housing than needed for entire student populations
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Beautifully stitching, as usual. Can’t wait to see you model it!
I think my favorite photo was the rainbow cake.
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I’ve recently been asking the grandkiddos to “Say Yay” instead of “Say Cheese” which has yielded some good photo results … so it was fun to find birthday candles that read “YAY IT’S YOUR DAY” and just use the candles that spelled “SAY YAY” … the cake was chocolate, with layers of yellow, orange and pink in-between layers, per the birthday girl’s instructions (chocolate cake with rainbow icing, no jelly please … which I what I usually layer in with ganache) … I had more fun than usual putting it all together
As for modeling … I’m struggling with the finishing and fit … fingers crossed that it’s something I want to wear when all is said and done
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Hoping I can leave a reply. I like the linen thread on linen – I wouldn’t wax it, but then what would I know?!? I wax it for pulling through paper, but have never waxed for fabric…maybe I am meant to? I agree that it kind of melts into the fabric, and is very secure and huggy. Continue to enjoy – it is looking lovely.
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BTW Anonymous is Fiona – lost the ability to identify myself!
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I don’t know what’s up with WordPress right now … the phone app that I use for writing posts has been funky, too … hopefully things settle down sooner rather that later … meantime, thanks for your persistence
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Fiona – I bought some wax to try, but wasn’t happy with how the resulting thread felt in hand … besides being too impatient to spend the extra few seconds to draw the thread through the wax block … I’ve heard the wax strengthens and smooths the thread, but I use 20-24″ lengths with no problem … and I love the slubby variations
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LA – there is a serious amount of work in the smocking – I’m tired from just reading. So many firsts with the grandkids – such joy. Go well. B
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smocking has turned out to be more time (and thread) intensive than I realized (I’ve already gone through three spools of linen thread) … there’s nothing like trying something new to open your eyes to appreciate others’ efforts
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