Padmé's Nightgown Costume

The hand smocking (or english) I'm used to is used mostly for children's clothing--it's worked in rows and done on top of pleats--it looks alot like shirring done with elastic on a lot of shirts today. Smocking is a old fashioned type of needle art that isn't done much today--there is a slight variation called counterchange which some of you may know. The best example of hand smocking I know is on the old girl's dresses Polly Flinders made in the 70's. I could offer more info on how to do it (I have taught classes in it) but from the pics I'm not sure if it is the variation of smocking I know.

 

Does anyone know of a good website to illustrate hand-smocking?

Also I was at Trisha presentation and I think the fabric used was a silk velvet. Is this correct? I can't remember the whole weekend was a blur!

 

Sorry-not so web savvy to give addresses--but know of a good step by step book called The Joy Of Smocking by Martha Pullen--also country bumpkin puts out a magazine called Australian Smocking and Embroidery which has great detail. The big wigs in the smocking world are martha pullen, ellen mccarn, and creative smocking--maybe you can find sites using those key words.
They do make a silk velvet that is a little more flowy than regular acetate velvet-it would probably being easier to do hand work on and wouldn't crush as easy. Another great velvet to work with is panne' which has lycra in it--it is crushed. Hope that helps