Reading the Pleats Before You Thread the Needle

Hand smocking is one of those crafts that rewards a little forward thinking. Once the fabric is pleated — usually at a ratio of about three to one — you have a narrow band of neat little folds and a decision to make. Honeycomb and wave stitch are the two most often taught, and both are worked over the same prepared pleats with much the same needle and thread. What separates them is how they behave: honeycomb pulls the pleats into firm, elastic cells, while wave stitch lets them settle into gentler, flowing lines.

Neither is better than the other. Each has a job, and choosing well at the start saves a great deal of unpicking later.

Honeycomb: Stretch, Depth and a Little Architecture

Honeycomb stitch is built from pairs of pleats held together with short stitches, then separated by longer ones, creating a trellis of small hexagonal cells. The effect is deeply textured and, crucially, elastic. A honeycomb band will stretch comfortably and spring back, which makes it invaluable wherever a garment has to pass over a head or a hand.

• Baby gowns and nightdresses: the classic honeycomb neckline opens wide and closes neatly again.
• Bonnets and caps: the stretch follows the curve of a small head without gaping.
• Cuffs and wristbands: firm enough to hold their shape, soft enough for delicate skin.
• Bodice bands on smocked dresses: the depth of texture stands up to a full skirt below.

Two cautions. Honeycomb eats thread, so plan for generous lengths — a metre of stranded cotton per band is not unusual on a wide yoke. And on very fine lawn or batiste, a dense honeycomb can overwhelm the cloth; keep the rows few and the stitches small.

Wave Stitch and the Art of a Softer Line

Where honeycomb is structural, wave stitch is lyrical. Worked in rows — often three or five, in matching or alternating colours — it sends a gentle undulation across the pleats, rather like ripples on water. The pleats still lock together and hold their shape, but the surface stays flatter and lets the fabric's own sheen show through.

• Christening gowns and heirloom dresses: wave stitch sits beautifully beneath a lace edge.
• Yokes and collars: it flatters finer fabrics where honeycomb would look heavy.
• Home textiles: cushion borders, bolster ends, table runners and the edges of a bedspread.
• Layered work: a wave band above honeycomb gives contrast without cluttering the design.

Wave stitch has less give than honeycomb, so it suits panels, yokes and hems rather than openings that must stretch. It also shows every wobble, which is why many smockers work it over a lightly marked guideline in the early stages.

Thread, Tension and the Small Details

Whatever you choose, the ground rules are the same. Use a fine needle — a size 9 or 10 crewel or a long darner — and a thread with a little body and a good sheen, such as stranded cotton, silk or a fine perlé. Match the thread to the weight of your cloth, not to your enthusiasm.

Work with an even tension. Honeycomb will pucker unevenly if you pull one cell tighter than its neighbours, and wave stitch loses its rhythm if the rows drift apart. Keep your working thread relaxed, let the needle do the guiding, and resist the urge to tug the band into shape as you go. Pressing afterwards, face down on a thick towel, settles the stitches and restores the stretch.

If the piece will be washed — and baby clothes always are — test your thread for colourfastness before you commit to a whole gown.

Matching the Stitch to the Project

A quick guide that has served me well over the years:

• Anything that must stretch: honeycomb. Necklines, cuffs, bonnet backs.
• Anything that must drape or lie flat: wave stitch. Yokes, hems, borders.
• Very fine fabric: wave stitch, or a single row of honeycomb worked small.
• Heavier fabric or bold colourwork: honeycomb, which carries depth and weight well.
• Wanting both: honeycomb on the bodice, wave on the sleeve bands. They sit together happily.

Pleat a Sample and Let It Tell You

Before you cut into the good lawn for a gown, pleat a square of the same cloth and work a row of each stitch. Look at them in daylight, run your thumb across the surface, and give the sample a gentle stretch. One will almost always announce itself as the right choice: honeycomb when the piece needs to move and hold, wave stitch when it needs to breathe and soften. That small square of practice is the most useful twenty minutes you will spend on the whole garment.