Cryptic crossword clue
Son making fun of fancy needlework 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SMOCKING

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "fancy needlework" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fancy needlework = smocking.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does SMOCKING mean?

SMOCKING verb
  1. To provide with, or clothe in, a smock or a smock frock.
  2. To apply smocking.
SMOCKING noun
  1. An embroidery technique in which the fabric is gathered and then embroidered with decorative stitches to hold the gathers in place; the product of the use of this embroidery technique.

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