facilitates later removal and are analogous to basting stitches. Then a row of cable stitching stabilizes the top and bottom of the working area. Smocking may be done in many sophisticated patterns. Standard hand smocking stitches are: A. Cable stitch: a tight stitch of double rows that joins alternating columns of gathers. B. Stem stitch: a tight stitch with minimum flexibility that joins two columns of gathers at a time in single overlapping rows with a downward slope. C. Outline stitch: similar to the stem stitch but with an upward slope. D. Cable flowerette: a set of gathers worked in three rows of stitches across four columns of gathers. Often organized in diagonally arranged sets of flowerettes for loose smocking. E. Wave stitch: a medium density pattern that alternately employs tight horizontal stitches and loose diagonal stitches. F. Honeycomb stitch: a medium density variant on the cable stitch that double stitches each set of gathers and provides more spacing between them, with an intervening diagonal stitch concealed on the reverse side of the fabric. G. Surface honeycomb stitch: a tight variant on the honeycomb stitch and the wave stitch with the diagonal stitch visible, but spanning only one gather instead of a gather and a space. H. Trellis stitch: a medium density pattern that uses stem stitches and outline stitches to form diamond-shaped patterns. I. Vandyke stitch: a tight variant on the surface honeycomb stitch that wraps diagonal stitches in the opposite direction. J. Bullion stitch: a complex knotted stitch that joins several gathers in a single stitch. Organized similarly to cable flowerettes. Smocker's knot: (not depicted) a simple knotted stitch used to finish work with a thread or for decorative purposes. Organizations Smocking organizations and groups include the Smocking Arts Guild of America (SAGA), the Smocking Arts Guild of NSW, and the Embroiderers' Guild of America. See also Smock-frock References Bibliography The Reader's Digest Association, Complete Guide to Embroidery Stitches, Pleasantville, New York: Marabout, 2004. Ed. Cecilia K. Toth, Good Housekeeping: The Illustrated Book of Needlecrafts, New York: Hearst Books, 1994. External links Smocking Arts Guild of America Smocking Arts Guild of NSW The History of Smocking Examples of historic smocks Glossary of Smocking Terms Embroidery