At Havel’s Sewing, we’ve been inspired by Posie Gets Cozy’s current sewing obsession: dresses for little girls. Of these dresses, our favorites are the ones in which she smocks. Smocking is often considered a “lost art” among those dedicated to the craft. It’s not a popular technique, necessarily, but it is treasured by heirloom sewers.
Inspired to learn more about smocking, we headed over the website of the Smocking Arts Guild of America. They offer an annual conference with classes by artisan smockers, correspondence courses, DIY courses and an artisan apprenticeship program. The website is full of resources for those of you interested in growing your cache of sewing skills. Look for a chapter in your neighborhood, too.