English Smocking is embroidery on pleats that have been pleated before smocking. It is an art form whose origin has been obscured in history but has been handed down from generation to generation much like the sagas; songs and myths, however its roots are traceable to a point through looking at the art of the past and in stitchery. Paintings from the Italian and German Renaissance often depict examples of smocking on men's shirts and ladies chemises. Italian Shirring, which has its roots in the basic running stitch, maybe interpreted as a form of smocking all dressed up.

The origins of smocking are elusive. There are clues but nothing was put to writing until the late 19th century. Until this point, smocking was handed down from generation to generation. Examples of smocking or embroidery on pleated fabric can be found all around the world, tucked away in museums, from indigenous cultures to examples of smocking in paintings and wooden carvings as early as the 12th century. There is also a mention of an embroidered smock in the household accounting of Elizabeth I. The oldest account of smocking dates back to 1175 BC!From the late 17th century to the Industrial Revolution of the late 19th century Smocked Frocks were a very popular piece of clothing for people in rural Britain to wear. The garments were made out of Linen and waterproofed by wiping them down with linseed oil. Big collars added protection from the weather. These smocks were often embroidered with symbols of what trade the wearer did (bakers, farmers, blacksmiths, etc.) and were worn to protect the underclothing.It was the Industrial Revolution

The Smocking pleater was invented by Mrs. Read's husband in South Africa during the late 1940's to assist in his wife's smocking venture. He was a very ingenious man. Since then we've had two other innovators, Lord Stanley (Mr. Read's son-in-law) who invented the first 24 row pleater that worked and Jerry Konistra of Australia who took the 24 row pleater to another level by changing the traditional metal plates and screws that hold the front roller bar ( and needles) in place and adding side pins as well as enlarging the handle bars to accommodate thicker pieces of fabric such as corduroy.In the 1950's Grace Knott, a Canadian, pioneered the smocking movement as it is known today. She promoted the technique known as English Smocking, which differs from the American style, in that you make up the pleats first and then do the embroidery stitches. The effect is basically the same but the look is much different. Around this same time, the smocking pleater, invented in South Africa in the 1950's by Read Company, became readily available to the American and Canadian public through Grace's company - Grace Knott Smocking.The 1980's saw the growth of Smocking Guilds around the world.

that brought about the demise of the smock frock as a utility garment. The big voluminous smocks were a hazard to the new reaping machines so they quickly became obsolete for everyday wear. They were still worn on Fair Day or to church but the style soon evolved to be a 'fashionable' garment for the female gentry. The new Aesthetic Dress movement took hold and the two styles of the smock evolved into fashionable garments such as bishop blouses & dresses while the smock frock became basic square yoke dresses for young girls.

A Brief History of Smocking