Add smocking to the top of a panel.

A customer needed new panels for two dining room windows and wanted the top to be smocked. I made this time-lapsed video of the smocking process.

First is creating the pencil folds that will become the smocking ridges. For this I used pencil pleat tape (not shown on video). The pencil pleat folds have to be spread out evenly over the desired panel width and then the tape string must be tied so that the length doesn’t change. With a straight edge, each of the tacking points needs to be marked and then the real fun begins. Tacking. It takes awhile but is beautiful when complete.

This side is done.
This side is almost done. Still have about 6″ at the very top right to tack.