Hi Everyone! Shari is back to continue with part two of the Renaissance Era topic. Here's more from Shari:
One of the many things the Renaissance period is known for was the beginning of High Fashion. It was during this time that we started to see more and more structure and elaborate details added to garments. The purpose of the smock was as a protective barrier between the skin and the outer garments, which meant it would be visible along the edges. As a result, as clothing became more detailed, so did the smocks.
The pattern we are using for this tutorial is the 16th Century German Smocked Hemd. The term hemd is simply the German word for shirt, chemise, or smock, but what sets this design apart, is the smocking that is used to shape the collar. Although there are no extant examples of a hemd with a complete smocked collar, there is evidence in German portraiture and archaeological finds that suggest this style originated in Germany in the early 16th century. By the 1520s, this elegantly detailed hemd had become a fashionable undergarment with upper class men and women throughout Europe and England.
In the previous tutorial, I showed you how to prepare the hemd for smocking. So without further adieu, let's get started. For this project, we will be using two strands of embroidery floss.
Genius Tip! I like to separate a long single strand of floss that I fold in half. This way I can secure the starting point of my floss with the looped end instead of a knot.
Let's begin the stitching on the garment. If you would like a detailed diagram of each stitch, refer to the SWC bonuses section for the PDF download.
- Working on the right side of the collar, work a Stem Stitch just underneath the first and second row of running stitches. A Stem Stitch has very little stretch and this will help to stabilize the collar portion of the smocking.
- Start at position 1 at the left side of the collar. We will be working the smocking stitches from left to right, taking each stitch at the top fold of a pleat.
- With the thread ABOVE the needle, take a small stitch from the right side of the next pleat at position 2. Draw the floss to bring the pleats together. The stitch should be snug, but not tight.
- Continue the stem stitch following this sequence at each successive pleat.
- Secure thread ends on the wrong side of the fabric between pleats.
- When the first row of stem stitching is complete, make a second row of stem stitching just under the second row of running stitches.
- When the two rows of stem stitching are finished, fill in the space between with a Trellis Stitch.
- The Trellis Stitch is worked much like the Stem Stitch except each successive stitch steps up or down along the row. Working from left to right, start at position 1.
- With the thread ABOVE the needle, take a small stitch from the right side of the next pleat at position 2.
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Keeping the thread ABOVE the needle take a stitch from the right side of the next pleat at position 3, which is a step below position 2.
- Repeat for the stitches at positions 4 and 5.
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With the thread BELOW the needle, take a small stitch from the right side of the next pleat at position 6, which is directly across from position 5.
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Keeping the thread BELOW the needle, take a small stitch from the right side of the next pleat at position 7, which is a step aboveposition 6. Repeat for the stitches at positions 8 and 9.
- Starting again at position 1 repeat the Trellis Stitch sequence of stitches to the end of the row.
- Secure the thread ends on the wrong side of the fabric between pleats.
In the row beneath the collar portion of the smocking, work a Honeycomb Stitch just under the Stem Stitching. This stitch has more stretch to it and will help the smock lay smoothly over the shoulders.
If you're looking for the teeny tiny bronze shank buttons shown on the collar, you can find them here.
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