I am back with the next in our Smocking: The Basics series. Today we are going to discuss fabric selection. Many different fabrics may be smocked, but some are definitely easier than others, so the purpose of today’s post is to give you a sense of where to start. What is the easiest fabric to work with, both from a pleating and smocking perspective? I mention both a pleating and smocking perspective because the two are not the same thing. In general, a loosely woven fabric wi

This is our adorable flower girl and ring bearer from my daughter's wedding! They did a wonderful job. The flower girl made sure to toss all of her petals (overhand), and the ring bearer considered it his job to stomp on them as they went up the aisle! I loved sewing their outfits. The flower girl dress is a basic square yoke with the collar simply piped. The sleeve is a slightly gathered cap sleeve. If you have access to Pascale by Martha Pullen, that is the sleeve pattern I

Last week I headed into New York City to do some fabric shopping and I thought you might like to know about my favorite shops. First up, a few caveats. I have to let you know that NY is not where I go for fabric bargains - sorry, but if you are looking for a bargain, you're probably going to find a better deal online. It is also not the place to go for quilting cotton - while there is some, it is called "Fashion Avenue" and it is known for fashion fabrics. So why go? You will