We have recently added some Vintage Victorian smocking magazines to the website. They are over one hundred years old now and so the magazines themselves were very much fraying at the edges, so we have rescued them by digitalising and offering them on the website. They show the basics of plain and quite simple smocking, and then how to apply it onto garment and accessories, and also there are more more complicated types and designs of smocking too.
This one shows how to mark the fabric and then work some simple smocking designs- it gives instructions for a very pretty smocked muff whic could be made today , and also lots of ideas of how to apply smocking to garments
As an example, here are some very pretty little girls dresses from the very early 1900s victorian era seen in the magazine.
This next one has some more complicated smocking designs
And some lovely ideas again for using the patterns in garments and accessories
We do like their idea of combining smocking with bead embroidery
According to the first magazine,
'the art of smocking was supposed to be of ancient origin. though really little is known of it until the 13th Century,at which period it was usual for women and girls to wear loose garments called 'smocs'or 'smickets' , the name being derived from the anglo saxon word 'smocc' signifying 'a garment to creep into'
Quite how historically accurate that is we do not know, but it sounds interesting and quite possible. if anyone knows therwise, please let us know!
You can find the Victorian Smocking digitalised magazines here
