Sailor Jon-Jon Band
Sailor Jon-Jon Band is a beginner smocking plate charted on 33 pleats and 3 worked rows. Navy and powder blue for the front of a boys' jon-jon or a sailor style romper. It uses cable and outline, stitched in navy and powder blue.
The plate at a glance
| Level | Beginner |
| Pleats charted | 33 |
| Worked rows | 3 |
| Pleater setup | 5 pleater rows (3 worked plus one holding row above and below) |
| Mirrored | yes, around pleat 17 |
| Pleated width | 8.25 in at 0.25 in per pleat |
| Raw fabric width at 3:1 | 24.75 in |
| Colors | 2: navy and powder blue |
| Thread in all | 2.06 yd |
Row by row
Rows 1 to 3 read top down, pleats 1 to 33 from the left.
| Rows | Stitch | Color | Pleats | Bites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cable | Navy | 1 to 33 | 33 |
| 2 | Outline | Powder blue | 1 to 33 | 33 |
| 3 | Cable | Navy | 1 to 33 | 33 |
The needle movement for Cable and Outline is described in the glossary.
Floss for this plate
| Color | Thread (yd) | Skeins needed | Skeins to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy | 1.39 | 0.09 | 1 |
| Powder blue | 0.67 | 0.04 | 1 |
Navy carries 67 percent of the thread; estimate for 3 strands, formula in the floss guide.
Pleats by chest size
The plate is mirrored around pleat 17, so the garment sizes keep an odd pleat count. The chart's 33 pleats cover 8.25 in; a front panel for an 18 in chest pleats to 41 pleats (30.75 in of fabric), one for a 28 in chest to 61 pleats (45.75 in); the full table by chest size is in how the sizing works.
Compared with the other free plates
- Same 33 pleats as Diamond Trellis.
- Outline also appears in Outline and Stem Ladder, Wave Sandwich.
- With 3 worked rows it is among the shortest free plates; 10 are longer.
- It belongs with Boys' Jon-Jon Plates, eight plates on 33 and 34 pleats; the closest to this plate are Train Track Ladder and Sailor Stripe.
Print at 100 percent and check the inch square. See also how to read a plate and using a pleater.