There’s Still Something Special about Smocking

For many years Inspirations Magazine had a sister publication called Australian Smocking & Embroidery. A total of 100 issues were published between 1987 and 2012, during a time when smocking was hugely popular.

Little Women from AS&E issue #50

If you thought that smocking was a thing of the past, you might need to think again. There are still many passionate smockers making beautiful dresses, clothing and accessories. We know, because hardly a week goes by that we don’t get asked about it.

We wanted to let you know that, although our magazine Australian Smocking & Embroidery (AS&E) is no longer being published, the timeless designs featured are still available through numerous printed copies and can be purchased HERE.

L – Cherry Pie by Martha Broyles R – Kelmscott by Susan O’Connor from AS&E issue #96

Further, if there is a particular project you’d like from an issue that is no longer in print, you can check our collection of digital patterns from AS&E  that is growing by the month HERE.

We also have copies of Perfect Party Dresses in stock. This book showcases some of the most gorgeous, smocked designs available, perfect for weddings, parties, special occasions or just for that special little girl who wants to look like a princess.

And if you’re looking for practical tips, you can’t go past our A-Z Series especially for smockers: A-Z of Smocking and A-Z of Sewing for Smockers.

Oh, and here’s a tip you may not know about… if you’re searching for a specific smocking pattern try using our online Smocking Index which contains many of the projects that appeared in AS&E in an easy to use searchable website HERE.

Baby Blue by Robyn Beaver from AS&E issue #47

Finally, if all that wasn’t enough, we’d also like to remind you that if there are any patterns from past magazines that you can no longer get hold of, let us know and we’ll add them to our growing list of projects to release as digital patterns.

We look forward to hearing from all the smocking lovers out there!