<b>A guide to sewing beautiful and modern smocking for the modern sewist.</b> <p/>Rocking Smocking is a contemporary guide to using joyful colour and bold graphic pattern to create smocking that adds a beautiful decorative touch to handmade garments. This image-led, modern guide is suited to both smocking learners and experts as well as lovers of colours and patterns. <p/>Offering both instruction and inspiration this fashion-forward guide walks you through the basics of English smocking and offers a kaleidoscope of ideas for how to bring these hand stitches to life by combining thread colours, stitch motifs, and dramatic smocking placement to fabulous effect. <p/><ul><li>It starts by setting out the basics of smocking--what you will need, how to choose and prepare fabric, and basic stitches. </li><li>The second section lays out different strategies for choosing thread colours</li><li>The third section goes through the design process: using 10 smocking panels to replicate at home, it shows readers how to rock their smocks by blending fabrics, smocking patterns, and colors to sensational graphic effect</li><li>The final section looks at how and where to place smocked panels on your garments, adding volume to dramatic effect with 6 smaller on-trend fashion projects.</li></ul><br>Equally appealing on the coffee table or in the studio, Rocking Smocking is a visually beautiful guide celebrating modern applications of this ancient craft.<br><br><b>Author:</b> Laura Burch, Kasja Mc