In the knitting world, one learns the craft by starting with a scarf. In the smocking world, may I suggest one start with an ornament. Why an ornament? First, It is a small project. Instant, or at least quick gratification, helps when one is learning a new skill. Second, it has minimal sewing. I love to sew and enjoy the sewing as much as the smocking, but if one's goal is to learn smocking, then being able to bypass the sewing portion of a project can be a big help. Finally, it is a small commitment in terms of time and money. You can give it a try and if its not for you, move on. You haven't invested much of your time or finances determining if this is an art form you enjoy. In case you already enjoy smocking, and I hope you do, you might still want to give an ornament a try for all the reasons I have already listed. Everyone could use a little instant gratification in their lives!
So now that I have convinced you to try to smock an ornament, how do you get started? I first resource I have for you is our new