Smocked Louise

Just when you thought Louise couldn’t get any better we add smocking to the skirt for an entirely new look. Beautifully positioned for a small amount of smocking at the waist, girls of all ages will love to wear this dress.

Supplies

Children’s Corner Louise Piping – additional 1yd Featherweight Interfacing – additional 1/4 yd Wonder Tape

Cutting Instructions

1. Cut two skirt pieces according to the dimensions in the table. Transfer placket marks from skirt pattern piece. 2. Cut the skirt placket strip 2 1/2” wide by the same length as dot on the pattern piece, so that your finished placket width is 1”.

Construction

1. For lawn weight fabric, cut 2 strips of featherweight interfacing 3” long by the width of skirt pieces. Fuse interfacing to the top edges of the skirts. Mark the center front and back of each skirt. 2. Pleat 8 rows across the top of front and back skirts. Place the first pleater row ¼” from the top. The rows to pleat include a holding row at the top and bottom. It is helpful to have long pleater threads on the back skirt to help in the tying off process.

3. Tie the back skirt by flattening the fabric at the center back line and using the eye of a needle, pull each pleater thread up to form a large loop. Clip the pleater threads so that you can release 1 – 2 pleats on each side of the center back to allow for a ¼” seam allowance. Tie off pleater threads together 2 at a time. 4. Before tying the pleater threads at the side, cut a slit down the center back placket line. And make a continuous bound placket. (See steps 15 – 18 of Louise instructions) Press right hand side of placket to the wrong side of skirt. Keep left hand side extended. 5. For the left hand side of the back skirt, pin the placket edge to the soft surface. At the side seam edge pull edge pull 1 or 2 pleats out to allow for a ¼” seam allowance. Pull the pleater threads so that the top of the skirt is the width of the bodice starting at the fold line. Tie off pleater threads 2 at a time.

6. For the right hand side of the back skirt and with the placket folded to the inside, pin in place. At the side seam edge pull 1 or 2 pleats out to allow for a ¼” seam allowance. Pull pleater threads so the top of the skirt is the width of the bodice. Tie off pleater threads 2 at a time. 7. Tie off the front skirt to the width of the front bodice, leaving a ¼” seam allowance in the same manner as the back bodice. 8. Smock the front and back skirts. Cut out the bodice and bodice linings. Stitch the bodice following the directions up until step 14 (side seams). Piping at the neckline and armhole is optional. 9. Stitch the piping to the bottom of the bodice front and backs. 10. Stitch the bodice front and backs to the skirts using Wonder Tape to hold in place. 11. Stitch side seams, taking care to match the smocking. Continue with Louise instructions at step 22 to finish the dress. Adaptation by Susan Whitman

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