Outline and Stem Ladder
Outline and Stem Ladder is a beginner smocking plate charted on 29 pleats and 3 worked rows. Outline over stem gives a flat, ropelike ladder that suits cuffs, collars and the top of a jon-jon. It uses outline and stem, stitched in blush, powder blue. Everything below comes from the same engine as the Plate Designer, so you can change the colors, stitches or chest size there and get a new chart.
The plate at a glance
| Level | Beginner |
| Pleats charted | 29 |
| Worked rows | 3 |
| Pleater setup | 5 pleater rows (3 worked plus one holding row above and below) |
| Pleated width | 7.25 in at 0.25 in per pleat |
| Raw fabric width at 3:1 | 21.75 in |
It is a beginner plate: few stitch types, no counting beyond the pleat lines, and every row sits on a single pleater line.
Stitch by stitch
Work the rows from the top of the plate down. Each line gives the row number, the color, the pleats covered and the movement to use.
- Row 1: Outline in Powder blue, pleats 1 to 29, 29 bites, 3 strands. Pick up each pleat on the row line with the working thread kept above the needle the whole way along.
- Row 2: Stem in Powder blue, pleats 1 to 29, 29 bites, 3 strands. Same movement as outline, with the working thread kept below the needle the whole way along.
- Row 3: Outline in Blush, pleats 1 to 29, 29 bites, 3 strands. Pick up each pleat on the row line with the working thread kept above the needle the whole way along.
Floss for this plate
| Color | Thread (yd) | Skeins needed | Skeins to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blush | 0.62 | 0.04 | 1 |
| Powder blue | 1.24 | 0.08 | 1 |
The estimate assumes 3 strands, a quarter inch of thread per bite, four inches of tail at each end and 15 percent waste. The floss guide explains each number and how to scale it for 2, 4 or 6 strands.
Pleats by chest size
The chart above is one width. To smock the same plate on a garment, use the pleat count for the chest size in the table (front panel, 2 in of ease, 3:1 fabric ratio, 45 in fabric).
| Chest (in) | Pleats | Raw fabric width (in) | Widths of 45 in fabric |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 41 | 30.75 | 1 |
| 20 | 45 | 33.75 | 1 |
| 22 | 49 | 36.75 | 1 |
| 24 | 53 | 39.75 | 1 |
| 26 | 57 | 42.75 | 1 |
| 28 | 61 | 45.75 | 2 |
Mirrored plates use an odd pleat count so a single pleat sits on the center line. Plates with honeycomb use an even count because honeycomb works pleats in pairs. Sizing by chest shows the full calculation.
Before you start
- Print the plate at 100 percent and check the one inch square on the printed PDF from any collection.
- Pleat a test strip first and stitch two rows to check your tension.
- Read how to read a plate if the graph notation is new to you.
Read next
- Picture Smocking Basics: Picture Smocking Basics: eight printable smocking plates with sizing tables and floss estimates, $19 once, delivered as PDF and SVG.
- Bishop Yoke Classic: Bishop Yoke Classic, a free intermediate smocking plate: 41 pleats, 9 rows, floss estimate and row by row instructions.
- Christmas Cable Band: Christmas Cable Band, a free beginner smocking plate: 31 pleats, 3 rows, floss estimate and row by row instructions.