How to hand pleat for smocking
Rows of running stitch on a grid.
Step by step
- Choose fabric with a grid, such as quarter-inch gingham.
- Sew rows of running stitch, going in and out at the same points on every row.
- Pleats should be about 1 cm apart; 1/4 inch also works.
- On dots or stripes, work from the wrong side, just picking up each dot.
- Knot the threads in pairs at each side.
- Pull up to the width in your pattern.
Watch
Learn to Smock Pleating Your Fabric with Judith Adams (9:50)
By smocking arts guild of america · Open on YouTube
Chosen from its title and channel: a 9-minute video from smocking arts guild of america on the same topic as this guide. Embedded from YouTube with credit; we don't host it. It only loads when you press play.
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Sources
All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.