Smocking Plates:
20% off during August

I carry all of the latest smocking plates.  Last count was over 1300 plates in stock. If you see it in the magazines we probably have it. 

Designers include:

New Smocking Plates.   Too cute!!  

$4.50 ea.

Fancy Flip Flops from June Bug Designs:   Best summer sundress used with flip flop pique and bright piping.

  Charming Cherries from June Bug Designs:  pair up with the Cherry pique fabric.

Pretty Pocketbooks by Wonderfully Made

"Let's Play Dress Up!" by Jeanne Rogers Womack

 Frances Messina Jones  $4.50 each.

Salamanders   Lazy Hippos   Precious Poodles   Palmetto Tree   Pocketful of Purses

Make a Lady      Dazzling       Be My Prince        Fancy           Lets go Buggy                      
 Bug Wish          Dragonflies                           Flamingos                                    

Red Hot Pinchers          Turtle Trot             Snorkel Bears

Kickin Cowgirl                  Princess Crowns                Christmas Purses

Hanging Around      Hippity Hop Hop     Under The Sun    Sweet Tea

New Smocking Designs from Ellen McCarn

Laura Mae                            Roseann

The Voyage       April           Happy Birthday

Have a Ball        Lindsey       Little Lambs and Friends

New Smocking Plates by Ellen McCarn $3.50 each

A B C's               Bulldogs         Elephants 

 
     Christina    Yellow Jackets and Hornets

     
  Gators             Fun Frogs        Tiger Cubs    

       
Laurel                Genny          Ballet Slippers 

                                             and Roses   

 Lady Bug Family 
                                             

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Smocked ornament kits:  $9.00 each.

Includes Pleated fabric,  floss, beads, ribbon, Styrofoam ball, needles, 
basic smocking instructions with three different smocking designs.                                                                                 

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School Days
by
Martha Bailey

This dress, pictured in the current issue of  Sew Beautiful is my step-granddaughter Leah Bailey. The graph, article and instructions are deeply buried in the pullout section of the magazine.  The following is my own graph and instructions for my design. Click on the image to enlarge.

This dress was worn by my daughter Ellen when she was in the first grade and was always one of her favorites. My step-grandaughter Leah Bailey is modeling the dress for the photo shoot. This dress was also entered in the SAGA Design Show in Portland, Oregon in 1995.

  Click on picture to enlarge. To print graph, print in landscape form to include full graph.

Pleat 17 rows. This includes two holding rows. Design covers 15 rows of smocking.

DMC: red 321, yellow 743, grey 415, black 310, yellow 972, grey 318, salmon 351, brown 435, blue 996, gold 972, purple, 553, green 700, blue 792, white.

3 strands for geometrics, 4 strands for picture smocking. 1 - 2 strands for outline stitches.

Buttons: 2 1/2" black four hole buttons for the school bus wheels.

Borders: Cable with 321 across rows 1, 3, 8, 13, and 15.

Dividing lines: Work a satin stitch over two pleats 19 pleats right of center between rows 3 and 8, and 1 pleat left of center between rows 8 and 13.

Backsmock: In a cable and matching the floss to your fabric backsmock rows 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14.

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Pencil: Colors: 972, 318, 351 435 and 310. Start the design 47 pleats left of center on row 2. Follow the graph. After smocking with an outline stitch work the work DIXON.

Bus: Colors: 743, 415, 310. Flip your work over. Starting 1 pleat left of center on row 7 work the design following the graph. The works School Bus or the name of your childs school can be done in outline stitch after the design is worked. 2 1/2" four hole buttons are used for the wheels attached with white floss.

Chalk board: Colors: 310, 415, white. Start design on row 4, 20 pleats right of dividing line. Work according to graph. Chalk is 2 straight stitches in white. Numbers are outline stitch worked in white.

Scissors: Colors: 996, 318, 310. Flip your work over. Begin design 18 pleats from dividing line on row 8 1/2. Work design according to graph. Place a black French knot in the center of the blades.

School House: Colors: 321, 972, 321, white, 310. Begin design 15 pleats right of the dividing line. Work according to graph. For the top of the school house work a satin stitch over 1 pleat and a trellis for the roof. Use black outline stitches for the window panes. Your childs school name can be done in outline stitch over the door of the school.

Flag: Colors: 972, 321, white, 415. Work a satin stitch over two pleats 11 pleats right of the school house between rows 13 and 9. Work the flag according to graph. Place small French knots for the stars on the flag.

Crayons: Colors: 553, 700, 310. Begin each crayon 5 pleats left and right of center dividing line in section above. Work according to graph. The words Crayola can be embroidered over the black section of the crayon in white. Straight stitches are worked over the ends of the crayons to outline the wrapper.