Friday, May 22, 2009
Smocked or shirred?
Smocked Sundress project on Martha Stewart: I call this shirring, not smocking. It actually drives me a bit bonkers to see so many references to "smocked" tops in catalogs and things when, well, it's made with elastic thread. Am I the only person who calls these different things?
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3 comments:
I do have to read closely in a product description or tutorial to see if something is really smocked or just sewn with elastic thread to resemble smocking. These days, 99 times out of 100, a smocked item is not smocked at all.
I think catalog copywriters use words that are commonly known...and in this case smocking is something that everyone has an idea of and shirring is a more technical term. The main goal is to get it out the door without having it returned...so terminalogy that someone recognizes is preferable to words they don't get. It's the same with fabric names - they are as basic as possible so there is no confusion.
And I can see how it would drive you crazy but that's because you know better! The general public doesn't!!!
You are not the only one. Smocking is my passion, therefore I am often browsing for smocked clothing just to see the beauty of it. More than three fourths of the links are for the elastic thread stuff. Such a disappointment.
Julie S
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