How to Use a Smock Stitch on a Sewing Machine

Choose a soft lightweight fabric such as batiste, gingham or challis. Cut the fabric three times longer than the finished width.

Select the straight stitch option on your sewing machine. Set the stitch length to "5," which means the length of the stitches is 5 millimeters.

Sew across the area you have designated for smocking, making rows of straight stitches that are 3/8- to 1/2-inch apart, Before you start stitching each row, make sure you have a thread about 2 inches long. When you finish the row, leave a 3-inch thread tail. Tie the thread tails along one edge. If you have five rows of stitches, for example, you will tie the ends five times along the same edge.

Locate the honeycomb pattern or a similar decorative stitch in your machine's stitch chart and set it there. Bring the needle to its highest position. Turn off the power switch. Raise the presser foot and remove it. Load your machine with the color of thread you want to use for the decorative stitch.

Place the satin stitch foot so the horizontal pin on the foot lies just under the groove of the shank. Lower the presser bar and you will hear a click when the foot is locked into the bar. The wide cutout of the satin stitch foot is designed to accommodate a dense stitch formation. Most domestic sewing machines such as Singer, Brother, Babylock, Viking, Janome, Bernina and Elna are equipped with this foot.

Rotate the foot pressure dial from to "2" to reduce the foot pressure. Stitch between the rows of the straight stitches.

Pull the ends of the stitching lines on the side that was not secured with the ties. Remove the stitching lines.