I enjoy doing smocking and used to do mostly geometric smocking. I would find picture smocking more time consuming because it has to be back smocked before the picture is smocked. Back smocking holds the pleats in place.
After doing quite a bit of geometric smocking I was left with odd lengths of embroidery floss. So I had no choice but to do some picture smocking and use up theses threads.
It does require more concentration with counting and stacking the stitches. With more beginning an ending, picture smocking is not very neat at the back. So I usually do picure smocking on a project that is going to be lined.
I did break the rules. I used crochet cotton to back smock because I have lots of crochet cotton and don’t crochet much. I hope the “smocking police’ don’t come after me.
When I teach smocking, I usually recommend using more than one needle for geometric smocking. With picture smocking, I strongly suggest you use multiple needles even when using the same colour.
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| I adapted a cross stitch pattern to create these airplane pictures. I don’t recommend this for a beginner picture smocker. |
Picture smocking is also great to use scraps of fabric and used as inserts. It easy to carry an insert with some thread in your bag. For a thread cutter, I use an empty dental floss container and use the cutter to cut threads. I try to keep some pre-pleated inserts for back smocking with me, especially when I know there’s going to be a long wait like the doctor or government offices and also long waits at the airport. That way they are ready when I want to do some picture smocking.
I also teach picture smocking as an advanced workshop.