Starter Honeycomb
Starter Honeycomb is a beginner smocking plate charted on 28 pleats and 3 worked rows. Honeycomb stretches, so this one is the plate to practice on before a full honeycomb panel. It uses cable and honeycomb, stitched in blush, navy. 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 | 28 |
| Worked rows | 3 |
| Pleater setup | 5 pleater rows (3 worked plus one holding row above and below) |
| Pleated width | 7 in at 0.25 in per pleat |
| Raw fabric width at 3:1 | 21 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: Cable in Navy, pleats 1 to 28, 28 bites, 3 strands. Pick up each pleat on the row line and let the working thread fall alternately above and below the needle.
- Rows 2 to 3: Honeycomb in Blush, pleats 1 to 28, 54 bites, 3 strands. Pairs of pleats are joined on the upper row, the thread travels down behind the pleat, and the next pair is joined on the lower row.
Floss for this plate
| Color | Thread (yd) | Skeins needed | Skeins to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blush | 0.97 | 0.06 | 1 |
| Navy | 0.62 | 0.04 | 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 | 40 | 30.0 | 1 |
| 20 | 44 | 33.0 | 1 |
| 22 | 48 | 36.0 | 1 |
| 24 | 52 | 39.0 | 1 |
| 26 | 56 | 42.0 | 1 |
| 28 | 60 | 45.0 | 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
- Wave Stripe: Wave Stripe, a free beginner smocking plate: 29 pleats, 4 rows, floss estimate and row by row instructions.
- Surface Honeycomb Band: Surface Honeycomb Band, a free advanced smocking plate: 36 pleats, 4 rows, floss estimate and row by row instructions.
- About Smocking Plates Studio: Smocking Plates Studio designs printable smocking plates with one calculation engine behind the free Plate Designer, the free plates and the paid collections.