A guide to smocking in Birmingham

Smocked baby clothes are quite the tradition in the south, and Birmingham is no exception. Who else loves seeing babies in these adorable outfits? If you’ve ever thought about making a smocked outfit for your little one, there are several spots in Birmingham where you can learn the skills and get supplies. Check out the list below.

The Smocking Bird

The Smocking Bird is an heirloom sewing shop in Homewood offering fabrics, laces, sewing supplies and more. They also have lots of classes, from basic sewing to smocking, pleating and stacking. More info about classes can be found here. 

Location: 2831 Linden Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35209

Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

The Sewing Room

The Sewing Room is another heirloom sewing store off 280 in Hoover. You can find sewing supplies (including sewing machines) here, along with laces, fabrics and classes! For a full class list, visit this link. 

Location: 1040 Inverness Corners, Birmingham, AL 35242

Hours: Monday–Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Thimbles

Learn how to smock, quilt, sew, etc. at Thimbles in Patton Creek. Check out their class offerings by visiting this link.  

Location: 181 Main Street, Suite 221, Hoover, AL 35244

Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Local smocking group

Did you know that Birmingham has a Smocking Arts Guild of America chapter? The group’s mission is to preserve the art of smocking through education and communication. More info can be found here. 

Have you tried making clothes for your baby? What did we miss? Let us know @bhamnow.