Backsmocking for Smocking: why, when & how?

I have received several questions about when, why and how one backsmocks in smocking so in the video and blog post below I am answering those questions.

Backsmocking is Literally Smocking on the Back of the Pleated Fabric.

The purpose of backsmocking is to hold the pleats in place to allow negative space on the front of the fabric. It is most often done with picture smocking but it doesn't have to be.

The pattern should explain when to Backsmock.

It is the designer's responsibility to determine when to backsmock and the pattern should instruct the smocker when backsmocking is necessary. A general guideline is that there needs to be stitching, either on the front or on the back, for every full space pleating row.

Backsmocking is usually done with 2 strand of floss

Backsmocking is usually done with 2 strands of floss and the cable stitch. Shallow bites of the pleats are taken so that the stitching doesn't show on the front of the work. The stem or outline stitch can also be used. Each pleating row that doesn't have smocking. on the front is usually backsmocked.

Backsmocking can be done before the smocking on the front or after the front is smocked.

There are pros and cons to both approaches. If the backsmocking is done first, it helps set the pleats and this can be espeically helpful when picture smocking. The negative of backsmocking first is that the backsmocking can get caught when smocking on the front and the threads of the backsmocking pulled to the front, Untangling the threads often means it needs to be pulled out. Picture smocking often distorts the pleats and so not having the pleats sets means the front often is not as sharp and clear as it would have been if the pleats are set first. An advantage of backsmocking afterwards is there is not as much backsmocking to do. I don't both backsmocking across the large motifs of picture smocked designs on the front.

My preference is a hybrid approach. I smock the rows that frame the picture smocked design to set the pleats first. In the turtle design above, I smocked the cable and wave stitches first and then smocked the turtles. This set the pleats for me. After the turtles were smocked, I back smocked the rows in between but not across the turtles. In Mama & Little Giraffe, I smocked the grass on the front first. Then I backsmocked the top row on the back to help set the pleats. I then smocked the front of the design and then filled in the back on each pleating row where there were no motifs (the giraffes and tree).

I hope that helps explain backsmocking. Happy Smocking!