What is a smocked bishop?

I don't know about you, but I am pretty excited about this "smocking a bishop" series that I am blogging about in my Sewing Journal! I hope that you share my blog link with those who want to join us! Since some of my followers might not be familiar with smocking or even what a "smocked bishop" actually is, so I am going to do a little introduction before we actually get started.

A smocked bishop dress is one of the most traditional garments for babies and little girls. A bishop dress is a loose fitting, comfortable style dress, and is the easiest smocked garment to construct. What I like best about a smocked bishop dress is that it seems they fit longer than any other style dress. For a bishop dress to be authentic, it must be smocked by hand from the neckline out to the shoulders with raglan sleeves. The front, back and shoulders are all smocked at the same time, creating a decorative round yoke. 

Most bishop dresses look somewhat similar, but there are a few variations, with sleeves and in how the closure is done. Some bishop dresses open on the shoulder, some in the front, but most common is a back closure, which is what I am going to demonstrate in this lesson series.

To get started, I will be using a Smocking Pleater and a bishop pattern by The Children's Corner.

Quite a few of my followers already smock and have smocked a bishop style dress, but some may have never pleated and smocked a bishop using gingham fabric, or perhaps have been a little hesitant to do so. I am going to add in a demonstration using the brown gingham you see pictured above. This will be sort of a bonus for those who have been afraid to pleat up a gingham bishop dress. However, I will be using a light colored fabric for the class, as I think it will be much easier for you to see seam lines, pleats and the smocking as we work along together.

It is not necessary that you use the same pattern that I am using. If you have another favored bishop-style pattern, you are welcome to use whatever you prefer to follow along with me. I will be making View A "Betsy", which is the style on the far right.

Get your supplies together this weekend - we will begin on Monday with laying out the pattern pieces, cutting out the bishop and prepping for pleating!

Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have in the comment section. I will do my best to answer your questions in the following blog post.