Not by machine, but did you know they have a great smocking thing now to help do it by hand, taking the tedious measuring out of it? It is a grid of sticky squares and you cut it to the size of the material and stick it to your fabric. The dots are marked so all you have to do is sew it.

I don't mind sitting and doing it in front of the tube in the evening at all. I saw it on YouTube, I'd think you could find it by going to You tube and searching in "smocking" (You might find the answer to your original question there too.)

You tear the little squares off, one by one as you get to them. Isn't the smocking going to distort the dragonfly? I machine embroider, and I'm trying to think of a way to duplicate hand embroidery on smocking. I have not tried to embroider it first, but when I try on the finished smocking, it flattens it too much, imo.
Donna

Still working on pants from old T-shirts, so haven't tried it. Yes, will scrunch up the dragonflies on the top but since I haven't found a coordinating piece for the top I figured I'd just use the whole piece for the dress - 1 seam plus hems and it's done! Kind of like the fabric Wlamart sells for $10/yd (I found 2 remnants big enough for DD last summer, but now that's too short since the shirring is near one edge and it's not wide - much less than 44").

Actually, I washed and ironed a bunch of fabric last night, may try this on a piece that has paper dolls along one edge (hem) and very small print on the rest of the fabric. I thought maybe sew rows of zig-zags at the top and then take a crewel needle and thread the elastic under? Might have to be on the outside since DD is so sensitive about seams and such.

Google mock smocking there a lots of instructions on the net.

Thanks - actually I did, that's where I found the 2 different techniques mentioned above, I just was wondering if there was another way or which of the 2 was easier for a beginner.

It's been cold and rainy here, other projects going on, so I haven't made any sundresses.

Winding the elastic thread on the bobbin always worked for me. There is one more thing - you'll need to leave a little extra on the ends from one row to the next. You may not cut the elastic between the rows, it will come undone. You're not doing this for a garment to be handed down or anything, are you? The elastic will relax and lose it's recovery properties in a year or so.

Thanks - I thought you were supposed to cut the end of each row and knot it.