Last week I was asked at a church meeting to bring a dress from home and talk about it. It could be handmade or bought, just a dress that meant something to me.
I brought this dress…
It’s a dress that I made when my oldest daughter was to be baptized. I wanted her to have a special dress to wear that day. It was not the dress that she was baptized in (in our religion children wear white to be baptized) but her special dress to wear for the day.
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| 2nd daughter with her twin brother |
Years later, my 2nd daughter also wore the same dress when she was baptized. (Mostly because I didn’t get to finish the one I was making for her, but now I’m glad they both wore the same dress).
This got me thinking….
A long time ago, before I had a blog… this dress was the kind of thing I made. I love to smock and had really wanted to learn how to for years. When my twins were babies, and I was a bit overwhelmed with taking care of them, I found a smocking class at a local store a night. It was great to get out of the house at night and sit and sew and learn. I loved to talk to the ladies in my class and found such relaxation going there once a week in the evenings. It was a much needed break.
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| yes, that was a lot of work |
I have a friend that used to joke “do one thing a day that a kid can not undo”… Dishes and laundry do not count as they are easily “undone” by children. Hang a photo on a wall, write a letter, call a friend, sew a dress. I took the advice to heart and soon my “one thing a day” was sewing and scrapbooking. I am convinced that those hobbies got me through those tough first years with twins. And yes, they were tough, I try to keep a “never let em see you sweat” mentality, but it was hard. I could not go to the grocery store (at the time there were no double grocery carts with seats for 2 kids), I had to wake them up from a nap every day to pick up my oldest daughter at school. Anyone with a baby knows it’s a cardinal rule NOT to wake a sleeping baby. I feel like I spent countless hours sitting outside their room thinking “please go to sleep, please go to sleep”.
Yet with all of the work that was required in those early years, I look back on those days with such happy fond memories.
Mostly I look back and think, “wow, I actually got to stay home!”.. and by stay home I don’t just mean not have a payroll job (I had been working full time until they were born). I mean I was in my house! Something that now is such a rare commodity!
I would take care of the kids and sew. I loved to sit in front of the tv in the evenings and pull out my smocking.
I haven’t smocked in a while, and I do love to smock… which fits perfectly in with this month’s theme of LOVE.
That dress made me think about it.
So I pulled out this:
My last smocking project that’s been sitting for over a year unfinished. It’s time to bring it out and finish it. Remember how much I loved to sit and sew without the creative pressure.
Hopefully I’ll have a finished project to share with ya’ll this Spring. Smocking is not a quick craft, (much like quilting sometimes), but one that I think is worth the effort involved.
If you want to see more of my smocked dresses you can view them here.
Chris says
I am a huge fan of smocking…something I’ve always wanted to learn. There is something about the process that entices me. In a world where so many things are about getting done fast, I love the idea of slowing down and making something that takes that much effort. Someday!
Sheila says
Your smocking just beautiful – how lovely to see these crafts kept alive.
Lori says
I remember when you started smocking Melissa! I thought your new machine at the time did the smocking. Do you do it by hand? I am smocking illiterate. I know absolutely nothing about it. Maybe you should do an informative blog post for people like me! Smocking 101. It is so beautiful by the way. I should have joined you way back then, but I guess I was overwhelmed with my first baby, even though it was only one!! Thanks for sharing these nice memories!
Char @ Crap I've Made says
Beautiful (the dress and the post)!
TheFancyFritter says
Oh wow! What a beautiful dress & I’m sure your 2nd one is going to turn out just as pretty! I have always wanted to learn how to smock since I loved to cross stitch. I took a class about 4 years ago to learn how to sew & loved it so I need to get back into a class & get time away. I loved your quote about “one thing a day.” That’s so important for ourselves! Great post! Thanks! 🙂
Leslie says
I did smocking in a class in college and loved it! I made a couple of things, but never had a girl to wear them 🙁
Staci says
How lovely! This is a craft I’ve always been interested in. Maybe someday I’ll find a class to take, too!
Linda says
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I smocked my first daughter’s blessing dress and her 4-year-old daughter was also blessed in it. I too, miss those days, although at this stage of life (with only a 15-year-old left at home) I find myself returning to those fun things more and more. There is hope!
Stephanie says
So pretty! I am so interested in smocking, but I don’t really know how to get stated. Would you consider doing a tutorial or two? Pretty please?
toots2u says
beautiful!! lokks like a lot of work and very professional! love the colors!
suesueb says
Beautiful! I love to smock too and finally started again last year for my granddaughters. I started when I had my second child (a boy) who was born with club feet and had various little problems. I couldn’t go out too much but one day my best friend’s mother brought me to New Orleans and bought me a pleater and some smocking plates. I fell in love! I smocked for both my girls and boys until they outgrew the fashion. I’m so glad too that I have some new little ones to smock for again. It’s a soothing past time for me. Thanks for sharing!!
SarahB says
Beautiful! Such a special dress!
Brooke says
Your dress is lovely, and this charming post is very touching.
I still have the smocked dresses my grandmother and her sister made for me when I was a baby. Both my girls have worn them. They mean so much to me.
Smocking, like quilting, is a special legacy….one to be enjoyed by future generations! It is a blessing to have a tangible way to invest in our family…doing something we love that expresses to them they are worth our time and our effort.
You are right, those “in the trenches” days are tough, but the pay off is priceless.
Can’t wait to see your beautiful spring project. Enjoy the process!! 🙂
Jodi says
I would love to learn to smock – might ask the girls at embroidery on Thursday if one of them has that particular skill.
I am so inspired by your “do one thing a day a child can not undo” suggestion. I have a 6 month old baby and the days go so fast but I think I might try that. Sounds like great wisdom from someone who knows.
Thank you
katie jean says
wow! good job. I love sewing or such little things like that in the evening while I watch tv. I have never done smocking before, but my goodness! looks like a feat of love for sure 🙂
Army Wife Quilter says
i have never smocked like that before. just a sample for a sewing class i took at Ricks college back in the early 90’s. I can really apprieciate the work that goes into smocking. It is not my favorite to do. but wow you have a talent for smocking and that dress is beautiful. I cant wait to see the unfinish project. keep up the work.
Ellie-CraftSewCreate says
I love smocked dresses! I have always wanted to learn how to smock. It’s one of those “someday” kind of things. Looks like a fun project, good luck!
edeenut says
I love the look of smocked dresses. My grandma used to do that, she made a dress for each of her grandchildren to keep for their kids when we had kids. I still have mine, but no girl to wear it 🙁
Sew Much Ado says
What a sweet post, thanks :).
Jane says
I’ve been smocking for almost 35 years and love it!!!! I’ve been teaching smocking for many years as well. There’s a modern twist to it now but for the most part I love the traditional styles too. Melissa I love following you on Pinterest!
sally beaty says
I’ve been looking for a pattern to make a dress just like this for my daughter. Where did you find the pattern? Do you have the name of the pattern? My mom is teaching me how to smock and I love it!
Heather Moxley says
Hello,
Your blog is great. I’ve been searching for patterns to make a 1 year old’s sundress… and love the yellow baptism day dress you did. I’m fine with the smocking component, but having trouble finding a pattern for the fabric that is suitable for modern day children. Would you know where I could get a copy of the pattern for the yellow dress?
Thanks,
Heather
The pattern is called Mary Jane and is from the Childrens Corner Patterns- I’d google them to see who carries it online.
Leslie Cantwell says
I love the yellow dress.
Do you happen to know wjat design plate you used?
I would like to use the plate for my granddaughters for Easter.
I might be able to figure it out, but when I try to enlarge the picture it doesn’t work very well.