Don't mock my smocking!

About five years ago I bought some fine silver greylinen in Brixton of all places, intending to make a full smock. Three years ago I actually cut it out. All instructions say to do the embroidery of the side panels first. I don't enjoy embroidery, especially when I have to draw the pattern first. It's got circles to represent my spinning wheel and circular sock machine. I chose linen thread which is a pest to work with, not a bit flexible. The smock is back/front reversible, but I gave up after only doing part of the front - the back can stay plain, unless I do some machine embroidery on it, which is probably sacrilege, although I full intend to sew the seams by machine anyway I got the smoking dots - worked okay on the back piece BUT didn't like a second pressing on the front on an old dippy ironing board and half the dots aren't there. Also, I seem to have done them on the front side of the work. Put it aside with yet another sigh. Today got a board, covered it with cloth, used a brand new piece of dot paper and pressed onto the wrong side. Sewing lines in one dot, out the next and only every other line as they all seem so close together. Have done five lines. Only another 31 to go... Also to day my have bought a 60 slot 3D printed circular sock machine from Scotland. Delivery in three months. Watch this space.