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But it wasnt just the notoriously tight deadlines of episodic television that made things stressful.
She also had to contend with tours of fans being treated to impromptu performances from the puppeteers.
Somehow, she always did.
Forty-three years later, shes still not sure how.
She left The Jim Henson Company in 2002.
It was like [the Muppets] were my stepchildren, she says.
Then there was a divorce and I didnt get to see them anymore.
They didnt write and they didnt call.
Still, she remembers those early years working with Henson fondly.
He was just a fabulous boss who really brought the best out of all of us, she says.
I would just jump out of bed.
I couldnt wait to go to work in the morning.
Shortly before joiningThe Muppet Show, Smith helped her two friends create the first sports bra.
But Smith has never regretted not following them into the corporate world.
My friends were spending their time at sportswear trade shows, she says.
While I was in London measuringDavid Bowies inseam.
But that was just really dissatisfying for me.
She worried about the effect an unfinished hem could have on a young fan.
I didnt want it to be on my watch that they become distracted and realize that isnt the case.
To get the tailoring on these unusual bodies just right, the designers had to get creative.
Back then, wed have an old Miss Piggy body and put it on a stand, she says.
Then youd have your dress form.
The same couldnt be said of the other brightly colored Muppets.
Gonzo was a nightmare, she says.
His skin color was so hard to work with.
A lot of colors didnt look good on him.
Not the case with Kermit, whose style was sensible.
He always dressed for the occasion that is, when he was dressed at all.
She could put him in a shirt and tie and hed look ready to hit the town.
He looks brilliant in eveningwear, she says.
Black and white and green, you cant get any better than that.
The most difficult part was figuring out Kermies formalwear fits.
Once they figured out how to set his lapel and collar, he was practically set for life.
In fact, for 2011sThe Muppets,Brooks Brothers gifted him hisfirst new tuxedo since 1979.
Yet, he earned the honor of the most difficult Muppet to dress.
I could have done something I loved if I had been left alone, she says.
When designing Gonzos attire, Smith always felt the more eccentric, the better.
Its why shes still annoyed that Gonzo never wore the beautiful little black-and-white checkered suit she designed for him.
Unfortunately, Goelz, according to Smith, hated black-and-white, so the Muppet never wore it.
Still, she was able to make some iconic looks for the argyle sweater vestwearing Muppet.
I guess he takes good care of his stuff.
The teeny-tiny details matter
Nothing drives me crazier than the wrong-sized buttons, Smith says.
The fun part of dressing the little guys was making sure the accessories were proportionate.
It was just the teeniest crochet hook in the world and it was amazing, she says.
It sort of took my breath away.
The fine details of her work were rarely visible onscreen, but that didnt bother her.
I could see it and Jim Henson could see it, she says.
Not to mention, she found it very therapeutic.
I think its just calming for me to sew or knit a little something for Rizzo.
I remember I did it all with felt, she says.
I did a lot of cutting out of squares and dots and gluing them to create patterns.
She was the only host who hung out in the workshop with us, she says.
Due to child-labor laws, Shields could only spend so much time working.
To keep her occupied in between scenes, she helped make some puppets for the show.
Shieldss handiwork shows up in the episodes trulysurreal Jabberwocky sketch.
Miss Piggys style evolution
When Smith joinedThe Muppet Show,Miss Piggys look was well-established.
Piggys body was hand-clipped, which meant they could easily change her proportions.
Like any woman, she goes in and she goes out, Smith says.
During those early years, Piggy was as glamorous as they come.
Her old-Hollywood style is why Smith believes Piggys puppeteer Frank Oz never trusted her to dress the stylish swine.
I didnt have the hair and the makeup.
Davis ended up making most of Miss Piggys clothes and she became the fluffer, Smith says.
She would go on trips and be the one to hand Piggy to Frank Oz.
She could do the hair and everything.
Smith was just as happy.
I ran screaming when Piggys hair got messed up.
I didnt know what to do.
Theyve tried to change her into Jennifer Aniston.
Shes just a movie star of this day and thats just not quite as silly.
She tried watchingthe newest Muppet TV show,Muppets Now, but theyre not my guys.
Though she doesnt want to keep anyone else from enjoying.
Thats just me, she says.
