Sizing a smocked yoke by chest size

Before you pleat, you need three numbers: how many pleats the plate spans, how wide the pleated panel is, and how wide the raw fabric must be. This guide shows the arithmetic the Plate Designer performs.

The formula

1. Finished width = (chest + ease) for a full circumference, or half of that for a front panel.
2. Pleats = finished width divided by the pleat pitch, 0.25 inch.
3. Pleated width = pleats times 0.25 inch.
4. Raw fabric width = pleated width times the fabric ratio, 3:1 by default.
5. Widths of fabric = raw width divided by usable fabric width (fabric width minus 1 inch for selvages), rounded up.

Table for a front panel

Front panel, 2 inches of ease, 3:1 ratio, 45 inch fabric:

Odd and even pleat counts

A mirrored plate needs an odd count so one pleat sits on the center line. Honeycomb and surface honeycomb need an even count because they work pleats in pairs. The designer rounds up to the next valid count and tells you when it did.

Ease

Ease is the extra width beyond the chest measurement. Smocking stretches, so many makers use less ease than for a woven bodice. Set it to your own preference in the Plate Designer; the limits are 0 to 8 inches.

After sizing, estimate your thread with the floss guide.

Worked example

For a chest of 22 inches with the defaults, the table gives 48 pleats. That is 12 inches of pleated width, and 36 inches of raw fabric at 3:1, which fits in a single 45 inch width. Change the ratio to 4:1 and the raw width rises to 48 inches, which needs a second width. The designer does the same sums live as you change the numbers.

Choosing ease and ratio

Leave ease near 2 inches for a first try, then adjust after making a test panel on scrap fabric.

Two ends of the table

With the default settings, a chest of 18 inches needs 40 pleats and 30.0 inches of raw width, in 1 fabric width. A chest of 28 inches needs 60 pleats and 45.0 inches of raw width, in 2 widths. The jump in fabric is the reason to work out the widths before you buy.

Front panel and full circumference

The table is for a front panel. If your design smocks the whole circumference in one piece, use the full circumference for the finished width and expect roughly double the pleats and fabric. Decide which one you are making before you look up a size.

Sizing with a plate

Each plate page states the number of pleats it was charted on, for example 29 for Wave Stripe. If your pleat count is different, the chart still applies: keep the center of a mirrored plate on the center pleat and repeat the pattern outward on both sides. Honeycomb needs an even count, so add or remove a single pleat rather than changing the stitch.

Common sizing mistakes

• Measuring the chest over thick clothing. Measure over a thin layer.
• Forgetting that a second fabric width adds a seam in the smocked area.
• Mixing a 3:1 table with a 4:1 fabric plan. Pick the ratio first and keep it.
• Cutting all the fabric before making a scrap test panel.

A quick test panel

Pleat a short length of the same fabric, smock one row and measure the width. Divide the smocked width by the pleats to confirm the pitch of 0.25 inch, and scale your plan if your fabric behaves differently.

Rounding and odd pleat counts

The pleat counts in the table are rounded to a valid number for the plate type, so you may see one or two more pleats than a plain division gives. Keep the extra pleats: they keep a mirrored center on a single pleat and keep honeycomb in pairs.

Read next

• Geometric Plates for Beginners: Geometric Plates for Beginners: eight printable smocking plates with sizing tables and floss estimates, $19 once, delivered as PDF and SVG.
• Honeycomb and Lattice Plates: Honeycomb and Lattice Plates: eight printable smocking plates with sizing tables and floss estimates, $19 once, delivered as PDF and SVG.
• Nightgown and Blouse Plates: Nightgown and Blouse Plates: eight printable smocking plates with sizing tables and floss estimates, $19 once, delivered as PDF and SVG.