Working with Lace
In early 2023, I volunteered to speak at one of our monthly meetings about lace. I hadn’t previously sewn much with it – but I wanted to use lace. I liked the look of it. And I had some stretch lace and trim lace in my stash.
So I watched a presentation on Craftsy by Alison Smith. Craftsy called it “The Essential Guide to Sewing with Lace”. The visuals in this Craftsy class were excellent. Alison gave underlining choices for lace, advice for cutting out lace, and seams on lace. The third video in the class is wonderful for construction. She suggests a 3/4 inch wide strip of tulle or net on each side of the seam. Stitch the seam through all 4 layers. Then zigzag and cut next to the zigzag. Or you can choose a second option. Do a straight seam first. Then do a small zigzag next to this stitching and trim next to the zigzag. This is good for all over lace. She says that you probably need a straight stitch foot and a single hole stitch plate so lace doesn’t go into the hole in the stitch plate.
Her last video in the class is how to apply lace pieces to garments. She suggests a tearaway fusible backing. Then zigzag pieces of lace with a SW of 2.5 and SL of 1.0. Use a clear embroidery presser foot and follow the outline of the lace. Cut away any background netting after you’re done.
There are many other tips. The next time that I was on Zoom with the Chicago ASG, a sewer that I admire recommended a book titled “The Sewing Book” by Alison Smith. I was truly surprised. This sewer said it was her go to reference book. I had not heard of Alison before this lace class on Craftsy. Alison is from the UK. Alison’s “The Sewing Book” has a “new edition”. I found this book “used” on Amazon and added it to my already bulging sewing library. After I got the book, I had occasion to need tips on 2 sewing techniques. I checked some of my sources with no results and found the information in Alison’s book.
It’s fun to sew lace. I added lace sleeves to a knit shirt and really liked the look and comfort. So you don’t need to save lace for special occasion wear. Enjoy it!
-Submitted by Gretchen W
If you are interested in following along with this class, you can find it here: https://www.craftsy.com/class/the-essential-guide-to-sewing-with-lace/