This is cool! I was just looking at a smocking website but became overwhelmed! Did this one take you as long as the traditional smocking would have? I don't understand the difference between traditional and counterchange.

I don't think it took me as long as regular smocking; I did the front and back pieces in about 6 hours. I've never smocked in any other way so I can't be certain it was quicker. In counterchange smocking all the stitches you see are functional; in other words the stitches are what is pleating the fabric. From what I can tell, counterchange is typically done on stripes, checks, or patterns that are square. It changes the colors on stripes when you pleat with the stitches. Also, there is absolutely no stretch in counterchange smocking as opposed to regular smocking which stretches tremendously without stabilization. I'm by no means an expert since this was my first project and I picked up the book on smocking at the library. I think it was called the ABC's of smocking, but i'm not sure.