Wave Stripe
Wave Stripe is a beginner smocking plate charted on 29 pleats and 4 worked rows. A single wave row over cable is a quick way to see how a wave rises and falls across the pleats. It uses wave and cable, stitched in blush and navy.
The plate at a glance
| Level | Beginner |
| Pleats charted | 29 |
| Worked rows | 4 |
| Pleater setup | 6 pleater rows (4 worked plus one holding row above and below) |
| Mirrored | yes, around pleat 15 |
| Pleated width | 7.25 in at 0.25 in per pleat |
| Raw fabric width at 3:1 | 21.75 in |
| Colors | 2: blush and navy |
| Thread in all | 1.28 yd |
Row by row
Rows 1 to 4 read top down, pleats 1 to 29 from the left.
| Rows | Stitch | Color | Pleats | Bites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Wave | Blush | 1 to 29 | 29 |
| 4 | Cable | Navy | 1 to 29 | 29 |
The needle movement for Cable and Wave is described in the glossary.
Floss for this plate
| Color | Thread (yd) | Skeins needed | Skeins to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blush | 0.64 | 0.04 | 1 |
| Navy | 0.64 | 0.04 | 1 |
Blush carries 50 percent of the thread; estimate for 3 strands, formula in the floss guide.
Pleats by chest size
The plate is mirrored around pleat 15, so the garment sizes keep an odd pleat count. The chart's 29 pleats cover 7.25 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 29 pleats as Three Cable Rows, Outline and Stem Ladder, Soft Baby Wave.
- Wave also appears in Bishop Yoke Classic, Wave Sandwich, Sunrise Wave Panel.
- With 4 worked rows: 5 free plates are shorter, 7 longer, 2 the same length.
- It belongs with Wave and Trellis Sampler, eight plates on 45 pleats; the closest to this plate are Wave with Cable Edges and Single Wave.
Print at 100 percent and check the inch square. See also how to read a plate and using a pleater.