Smocking: a beginner's guide
Embroidery that gathers fabric so it stretches.
- Smocking gathers fabric so it can stretch, and was used before elastic in cuffs, bodices and necklines.
- It developed in England and is named after the smock, a labourer's shirt.
- First the fabric is pleated, then decorative stitches hold the pleats.
- It needs about three times the finished width of fabric.
- Cable stitch is a classic beginner stitch.
Watch
Learn to Smock: 10 Essential Stitches for Beginners (18:59)
By HandiWorks · Open on YouTube
Chosen from its title and channel: an 18-minute video from HandiWorks 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 November 1, 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.