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 and navy.
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) |
| Mirrored | yes, around the center line between the two middle pleats |
| Pleated width | 7 in at 0.25 in per pleat |
| Raw fabric width at 3:1 | 21 in |
| Colors | 2: blush and navy |
| Thread in all | 1.59 yd |
Row by row
Rows 1 to 3 read top down, pleats 1 to 28 from the left.
| Rows | Stitch | Color | Pleats | Bites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cable | Navy | 1 to 28 | 28 |
| 2 to 3 | Honeycomb | Blush | 1 to 28 | 54 |
The needle movement for Cable and Honeycomb is described in the glossary.
Floss for this plate
| Color | Thread (yd) | Skeins needed | Skeins to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blush | 0.97 | 0.06 | 1 |
| Navy | 0.62 | 0.04 | 1 |
Blush carries 61 percent of the thread; estimate for 3 strands, formula in the floss guide.
Pleats by chest size
Honeycomb works pleats in pairs, so the garment sizes keep an even pleat count. The chart's 28 pleats cover 7 in; a front panel for an 18 in chest pleats to 40 pleats (30 in of fabric), one for a 28 in chest to 60 pleats (45 in); the full table by chest size is in how the sizing works.
Compared with the other free plates
- The only free plate charted on 28 pleats.
- The only free plate that uses honeycomb.
- With 3 worked rows it is among the shortest free plates; 10 are longer.
- It belongs with Honeycomb and Lattice Plates, eight plates on 44 pleats; the closest to this plate are Honeycomb with Cable Edges and Single Honeycomb Panel.
Print at 100 percent and check the inch square. See also how to read a plate and using a pleater.