Adventures in Smocking 2

My path towards better smocking became much, much easier this week. A lady from my church loaned me her pleating machine. Up until now I've been pleating everything by hand. That would take me hours, literally, to do one dress front to get it ready to embroider. My hands felt like they were about to fall off. :) Some of the pleats would be uneven and imperfect and it was difficult to make the embroidery look neat.
   All that is past me now.  With the pleater it only takes me about 10 minutes to do what normally take several hours. Below are some photos of projects I have going and some pictures of the amazing pleating machine.

 Newborn dress. Pleated by hand.

 Size 6 dress pleated by hand. Still in progress.

 The amazing, wonderful pleating machine, all threaded up and ready to go.

 Perfect pleats.

 All ready to smock.

 Finished :)

Close up detail of smocking.