Archive
2011 June
Summer Hiatus
Posted by Claire on Jun 29 2011
Just a quick note to my blog readers letting them know I’m going to be spending some time with family over the next two weeks, so my usual blogging will be on hiatus until then. June has been incredibly hectic and I just want to chill. I will be posting the second and third portions […]
Tutorial: Designing Geometric Smocking Plates in Illustrator
Posted by Claire on Jun 23 2011
This is the third lesson in my series of tutorials on how to use Adobe Illustrator to create smocking plates. This geometric plate features some of the most common geometric smocking stitches, including cable, wave and trellis. It also features a simple cross-over design to introduce working with multiple layers. It seems counter-intuitive that creating a geometric […]
Tutorial: Blocking Smocked Yokes with Freezer Paper
Posted by Claire on Jun 15 2011
The moment that always scares me when I’m making a smocked dress always comes when I’ve got to cut away my smocking for the armholes. Typically, the instructions say something like. “Block smocking. Trace armholes using pattern guide. Zig-zag inside the tracing. Cut.” Sounds easy enough. How hard can it be? Well, smocking is […]
A New Project Underway
Posted by Claire on Jun 09 2011
Now that soccer season has started and I’ve got two boys playing this year, I’ve started another smocking project to keep my hands occupied on the sidelines. I know, I know, what kind of a parent smocks during the game? Who am I, daring to look away from all the scintillating action of 12 five […]
Cherie, the Swiss dot bishop, finished
Posted by Claire on Jun 06 2011
I’ve finished “Cherie”. Put the last stitch in Saturday evening. The deadline was tight but after promising myself I would get this UFO FO’d it’s all done and I love it. You can see my progress over the past few weeks here and here. (Stanley’s standing up straight; the wind is blowing the dress crooked. :)) I […]