Creative Smocking: Contemporary Designs * Traditional Techniques

I purchaed this book just for the Christmas ball pattern. As it turns out it had great instrucions on other projects. It was a great buy for the $4.00 I purchaed it for.

This book has many lovely color photos and clear explanations of techniques. I found the directions easy to follow, and the pictures provide lots of creative ideas. I really liked the photos of texturizing techniques and the picture smocking ideas (like creating a landscape scene with smocking). I think this book would also be useful for all levels of smockers, from beginning through advanced.

If you are a beginning smocker looking for instructions and patterns, this is not the book for you. BUT if you are an experienced smocker looking for new applications and help in adapting patterns to insert smocking, this book is very good. Many innovative ideas for adding smocking to you sewing. Nice photos of projects.

I really was more than pleased with this book. It contained so many innovative and creative ideas to use in smocking. Most smocking books contain the usual baby and childen's clothing along with other heirloom items. I teach English Smocking and use this book as a resource for all my classes. It gives people great ideas to build on and many of them can be used for ADULT garments which won't look like maternity clothes. I get new ideas every time I go back to it. It's only drawback is not using more creative fabrics and colors, but if you can get past that, the ideas are refreshing. I recommend it highly.