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Heather Ross magic
2009 @ 8:23 am
I bought Heather Ross’s latest book, Weekend Sewing, a few weeks ago and have been dying to try her signature “elastic in the bobbin” smocking trick. Two years ago I tried another smocking technique and it was really difficult (for a combination of reasons). Maybe this doesn’t seem crazy to seasoned sewers, but for me, it was a little daunting. What if something went wrong? Ms. Ross even did a demo over at my favorite shop, the Brooklyn General Store. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend. Mary, though, went absolutely smocking crazy after that workshop. Since she knows her way around a sewing machine on a professional level, I had to start believing. And then another good friend decided she wanted to make that dress for her daughter’s first birthday and things started rolling…
We spent the afternoon corralling babies and trying to thread her sewing machine. Unfortunately, without the manual neither of us was able to do it, although we did have fun trying! When I got home and put Cassie down for bed, I got right to business with a piece of scrap fabric. 14″ of scrap, to be exact. I pressed, I marked and I wound the bobbin. I needed a pin to pull the thread through to sew, but i was ready. And, it worked! Sewing went off without a hitch.And then the magic–a little water and a hot iron and that puppy shrunk right up.
It required some smoothing out of the fabric as you continued along the (6) lines for stitching, but it was far easier than the last method I tried.
Look out daughters, nieces, and friends… this is bound to become a gift item! A dress in one night? I never would have guessed I’d see this day. Next? Some bloomers to match.
Comments
Oh, I love it! I want little girls and I want to be able to rock the smocking like you! Don’t think I’m missing the fact that the fabric matches my awesome Spider-gifted knitting tote, either. 
The dress is cute, but the dress with matching bloomers? MIght just kill me.
She is too cute in that!
I want to make these for my girls. It’s so easy I don’t know what I’m waiting for. Maybe a sunny day?