Honeycomb pleats are narrow, rolled pleats used as a foundation for smocking. She achieves this look by using techniques like layering, smocking, and shirring. Often organized in diagonally arranged sets of flowerettes for loose smocking. Early smocking, or gauging, was done by hand. Smocking refers to work done before a garment is assembled. Smocking may be done in many sophisticated patterns. Smocking requires lightweight fabric with a stable weave that gathers well. Smocking was used most extensively in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Smocking is an embroidery technique used to gather fabric so that it can stretch.