A-Z of Smocking: A complete manual for the beginner through to the advanced smocker (A-Z of Needlecraft)

I am so pleased I bought this book. It's easy to follow with lots of great photos showing how to do things. I've made my first smocked garment thanks to this book - well, I'd had a go before but nothing like I've now achieved. I would recommend this book to anyone starting out with smocking. And it's such fun. I had no idea, for example, that we should do backing smocking to stabilise the pleats. That is SUCH good information. So much easier once that's been done. And lots of other good suggestions too. Thank you so much.

This is a wonderful book. It really helped me indivualise a dress I made for one of my great grand daughters and I am sure it will help again many times.

The A-Z of Smocking is one in a series of needlework books from the Inspirations magazine team. It is copiously illustrated in colour and shows all the main smocking stitches. There are fetching photographs of children in smocked garments. The book is a good size and format for the work table but it does not lay flat, of course.Some of the stitches shown (Vandyke stitch, feather stitch) are subtly different from, but not an improvement of, the stitch versions found in instructions from 1900. There is something a bit facile in the feel of the book and for me the layout is a bit of a graphic artist's exercise.The book (softback) has a card dustjacket that does not have retaining flaps to keep it on the book proper. It is a laminated card printed to duplicate the book cover and folded to fit the book spine. The card is the same width as the book cover and falls off when you pick up the book. Or worse, the book slips out of the cover and biffs its corner on the floor. I cannot see the purpose of the cover and it has irritated me no end. This is why I have discarded it and have deducted one star.

Very pleased with all the information inside.

I spent many hours researching internet sites for how to do smocking. You tube provided basic information on pleating etc. One well known lady rambled on about the cat going up and down the stairs and about keeping the cat's tail either up the top or down to the bottom when showing you her stitches. Maybe this works for some but I found it very childish. Another lady gave good close ups of her smocking methods, but from a viewer’s position her work was upside down. NO... I wanted more. I wanted to know how to mark and block fabric, plus I want to be able to use an ordinary dress pattern, and convert it for smocking. The big pattern companies no longer include smocking patterns in their books. So the patterns that are available are difficult to find and expensive. I looked long and hard for books on smocking, in the end I chose this one. The book having only three reviews made me hesitant to buy it to say the least. However it, claimed to have everything you need, so I bought it. Wow I love it; it has everything that I could ever need. There are hundreds photos are of close up work, so I can't see how anyone could have a hard time working on a project. I can only imagine that there are very few people who want to do sewing smocking. So on a closing note; I will say it's a brilliant buy.

I love this book as it is easy to read. Smoking is such a ancient thread technique that I had to get it and hope to learn to do smoking one day. Excellent book.

Bought other embroidery books in this range, they are great reference& idea books. It gives the basic instructions& details needed without all of the design ideas. This is just what I need as I am full of my own ideas. I will buy more books from this range.

lovely book - but not clear enough instructions for a complete beginner looks like i will have to buy another!

Muy util para aprender a bordar smock. Explicaciones y graficos sencillos de entender.

If you are just getting into smocking this is a must have. It has a great visual aids and description for all the stitches you will need

Contente de mon achat

Es gráfico para los que necesitamos hasta el mínimo detalle. El proceso de máquina no está muy bien explicado pero vale la pena. Fácil.

Bought for my wife who loves this book.Very good both for beginners and experienced smockers.