Surface Honeycomb Band
Surface Honeycomb Band is an advanced smocking plate charted on 36 pleats and 4 worked rows. Surface honeycomb is charted here as two crossing diagonal passes between two cable rows. It uses cable and surface honeycomb, stitched in blush and navy.
The plate at a glance
| Level | Advanced |
| Pleats charted | 36 |
| Worked rows | 4 |
| Pleater setup | 6 pleater rows (4 worked plus one holding row above and below) |
| Mirrored | yes, around the center line between the two middle pleats |
| Pleated width | 9 in at 0.25 in per pleat |
| Raw fabric width at 3:1 | 27 in |
| Colors | 2: blush and navy |
| Thread in all | 3.10 yd |
Row by row
Rows 1 to 4 read top down, pleats 1 to 36 from the left.
| Rows | Stitch | Color | Pleats | Bites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cable | Blush | 1 to 36 | 36 |
| 2 to 3 | Surface honeycomb | Navy | 1 to 36 | 72 |
| 4 | Cable | Blush | 1 to 36 | 36 |
The needle movement for Cable and Surface honeycomb is described in the glossary.
Floss for this plate
| Color | Thread (yd) | Skeins needed | Skeins to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blush | 1.47 | 0.1 | 1 |
| Navy | 1.63 | 0.11 | 1 |
Navy carries 53 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 36 pleats cover 9 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 36 pleats.
- The only free plate that uses surface honeycomb.
- With 4 worked rows: 5 free plates are shorter, 7 longer, 2 the same length.
- It belongs with Honeycomb and Lattice Plates, eight plates on 44 pleats; the closest to this plate are Honeycomb with Cable Edges and Surface Honeycomb Panel.
Print at 100 percent and check the inch square. See also how to read a plate and using a pleater.