adesertdryad

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my daughter's axolotl OC, Daisy

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Juniper's outfit is done! Really enjoying taking pics of the gals

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My OC Summer got an outfit

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It’s lady Aurelia Malys

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I knitted my wolfhound gal, Summer

Self drafted this pattern!

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the ongoing planning process. I've settled on the pattern but need to work thru some other things before i buy material

in the planning phase for a new long term project! i want a long coat with a lot of applique - maybe some kind of nighttime theme? I was going to do a quilted patchwork coat (4), but also this hungarian suzr (1) pattern suggests wool felt applique and that sounds way easier than learning to quilt?

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it's me! in the yarn

still need to make the leaves (probably in felt?)

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just finished my bead embroidery project 🪩 🐦

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A linen smock

18257, Linen smock frock. 19th century.

This linen smock was donated by Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth. We do not know exactly when she acquired it, but it is listed in her 1958 catalogue. She recorded that the smock was from the South-West of England, possibly Dorset, and dated from the 19th century.

"Smock frocks" developed from the more generalised construction of a man’s shirt, and their use as an outer work garment was at its height between 1800 and 1870.

Rachel also wrote that the embroidered tree symbols on the front identified this as a forester’s smock: these can be seen in the detail photograph below. This symbolism was once thought to have been of use at hiring fairs, but this is now discredited - although some smocks were specific to certain occupations, such as blue smocks for butchers.

Smocks were worn by the early navvies constructing the railways and canals in the 1830s - many were former agricultural workers seeking better wages on local projects, before the influx of Irish labour. Later adopted by urban “dirty trades” such as dustmen, fishmongers, warehouse-men and porters, the smock was never just a rural garment, worn only by shepherds and agricultural-workers.

18257, Detail showing the tree symbols on the right.

The smock was a cheap, practical and hard-wearing utility garment , made from linen or cotton with a very simple cutting layout. Shaping was achieved by the pleating and smocking, which is not only decorative but also gives some elasticity and stretch to the fabric, plus added thickness and warmth.

Smocks could be home-made, but were also bought ready-made from drapers – these were factory-produced, with minimal smocking and embroidery added later by women outworkers. There was a thriving second-hand trade as well, as although smocks were relatively cheap it was still a significant cost for a worker, in relation to wages.

Elizabeth Bishop wrote in 'Embroidery' in 1972 about a treasured family heirloom - her great great grandfather’s smock. He was John Bishop (1823-1908), a carter living in Groombridge, Sussex. His smock was made by his wife, Ann - "... the work is done so neatly and evenly that it hardly seems possible that it is all done by hand." In addition to ones for other family members, Ann also made smocks at home for local labourers, “doing all the smocking and making up the smock for one shilling and sixpence a time". At that time, this was a significant amount of money, which no doubt provided much-needed extra income for the family.

18257, showing the "box", and "tubing"

The better-off would have a "best" smock to wear at church, for social occasions such as weddings and funerals, when going to market and even to the pub! They were white or cream with highly decorative and ornamental embroidery - stitched by a wife or mother as a visual and distinguishing sign of wealth. They were worn with a colourful neckerchief knotted at the neck, and a shirt, waistcoat and trousers underneath.

Just like christening gowns and wedding dresses, it is these “Sunday best” garments that have mainly survived, unlike the plainer, workday smocks, which were discarded when they eventually wore out. Smocks identified the wearer as a manual worker, but increased mechanisation would make the wearing of loose smocks hazardous and they were superseded by more closely fitted clothing.

There were two styles of smock, and Rachel's is a “round smock", and being identical at the back and front, is reversible and slips over the head. Finishing well below the knee, the exact length was determined by the height of the wearer. (The other style was a “coat smock”, which had a buttoned opening all the way down the front.)

This smock is handmade from linen with a large rectangular collar in two halves, held down at the four outer corners by clear glass buttons. The design follows the typical pattern of “boxes” of embroidery on either side of the central smocked gathers, known as ”tubing”. The smocking stitches are worked in the same colour thread as the linen fabric and include basket, rope and double chevron in diamond patterns. The embroidery in the boxes is mainly in feather stitch, with some herringbone.

18257, cuff detail

There are two side pockets, with reinforced embroidered top edges and a bone button fastening, and a small panel of smocking at the head of each sleeve. Both cuffs are also smocked and embroidered, complete with two bone buttons and hand-worked buttonholes.

We have two other smocks in the Collection with more detailed provenance about their owners - Rachel fully appreciated the pressing need to record lost and disappearing customs and occupational clothing. She was particularly keen to preserve needlework skills. The intricate smocking and embroidery patterns were highly creative and individual, requiring many hours of sewing. Smocks are the perfect example of beauty and utility going hand-in-hand.

The Women's Institute popularised smocking from the 1920s onwards and it was still widely used for children's clothing in the 1940s. Smocking continues to be used in both adult and children's clothing today.

Jane H.

REFERENCES:

The Hidden History of the Smock Frock: Alison Toplis, Bloomsbury, 2021

English Folk Embroidery: Oenone Cave, Mills & Boon Ltd, 1965

A family heirloom: Elizabeth Bishop, article in ‘Embroidery’, Summer 1972

Old English Smocks and Smocking: Oenone Cave, ‘Embroidery’, Winter 1961

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this is my favorite sweater silhouette

Second sleeve is completed, huzzah! Only the collar left. I have not decided, but am leaning towards a long turtle neck as the pattern instructs. The yarn is soft enough that I don't think it will be a problem, and it shouldn't interfere with my current winter wardrobe.

I had to take a break for a few weeks due to school and the wrist pain. Gah! Blasted carpal tunnel! It's a dangerous thing when I can watch anime and knit endlessly and forget that time is passing. Mindless stockinette really is dangerous even when combined with subtitles.

(Currently on my first watch through of Sailor Moon Crystal and my millionth watch through of Horimiya if anyone cares to ask)

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Roman bath🛀

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a goblin knight I knitted for my son

still needs a scabbard and cloak. that silver yarn is a nightmare but it looks so cool!

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Current work in progress on denim jacket

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in the planning phase for a new long term project! i want a long coat with a lot of applique - maybe some kind of nighttime theme? I was going to do a quilted patchwork coat (4), but also this hungarian suzr (1) pattern suggests wool felt applique and that sounds way easier than learning to quilt?

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I was wearing the lichen themed hair clip I made, while on a walk yesterday. I spotted some beautiful lichen and moss and decided to have an impromptu photo shoot. So here are a whole bunch of pictures of my hair clip alongside the organisms that inspired it, just because.

Plus 2 bonus pictures of lichen because I love it.

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All done! I might change up the collar to match the cuffs eventually but it's wearable now. I think it's going to be a surprisingly versitle staple in my wardrobe. The blouse pattern is the Folkwear Russian Settler's Dress blouse, and the embroidery is my own design based on Severian's sword, Terminus Est, and his necropolis arms. You can find out more about the project on my blog.

https://adesertdryad.neocities.org/botnsblouse

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the scanned version of my paper cut out