Machine embroidery freestanding lace has a lasting affect when given as a gift or on display in your own home. Here are some of our tips for creating beautiful freestanding lace and some of our favorite freestanding lace design collections, available at your local B-Sew Inn.
About freestanding lace
Machine embroidery freestanding lace is carefully digitized so the final result needs nothing but thread for support. The thread is intertwined together to create a net-like affect, giving it the support it needs without stabilizer or fabric. However, in order to stitch freestanding lace, you’ll need to stitch them on the right stabilizer.
Our freestanding lace tips
- Stitch on sheer fabric — if parts of the design calls for the use of fabric, remember to use a sheer fabric, such as organza, that will allow light to pass through them easier
- Match your bobbin and needle color — ensure the back of your freestanding lace is as pretty as the front. Consider using our 80wt Quilter’s Select pre-wound bobbins. This bobbin thread is thin and the colors match Floriani embroidery thread to use in your needle. An added bonus, these pre-wound bobbins are a thinner weight thread, so they hold more, meaning you get more from your bobbin!
Embroider on a wash-away stabilizer — the great thing about a freestanding design is that when stitched on a wash away stabilizer, like Floriani’s Wet N Gone, once rinsed only the thread or decorative fabric remains leaving beautiful lace- Hoop it tight — while we always recommend a drum-tight hoop, for freestanding lace embroidery this is key! Feel free to put two designs in a hoop if they fit, but make sure that the hoop is tight enough to hold the stabilizer firm. You may even want to use two layers of stabilizer if you’re using one of your larger machine embroidery hoops
- Start with new thread and bobbin — freestanding lace uses more thread than a typical embroidery design, because the underlay has to be “netted” to sure it will hold once the stabilizer is rinsed. To prevent running out of thread halfway through your lace design, start with a new spool of thread and a fresh, full bobbin
- Don’t completely rinse out the stabilizer — this sounds trickier than it is; when you rinse away the stabilizer, concentrate on the outer parts, making sure they’re completely rinsed away. However, with the inner areas, don’t heavily rinse out the stabilizer. By leaving some of the residue inside the freestanding lace, it will provide some form and stiffness to the finished embroidery design
Favorite B-Sew Inn freestanding lace design collections
This is a beautiful freestanding lace bookmark collection with a design for every occasion. Whether it is Mother’s day, a birthday or even a holiday you’re sure to find the right one. Some of the designs have an opening at one end so you can dress it up by adding a ribbon, beads or even a tassel. It is the “perfect project” for creating the “perfect gift” for all those avid readers in your circle of friends and family.
This Premium Collection is the perfect follow up to our Quilting 1, 2, 3 technique, allowing you to create completely custom flower combinations for dozens of different projects as easily as 1, 2, 3! Once you’ve created your 3D flowers, it’s up to you how you’ll use them! This tutorial book includes several ideas and instructions for how you might use your floral designs to create unique and fun projects. Try stitching them in different textured fabrics. They look beautiful tone-on-tone, as well as in all of your favorite colors. You can even spray paint or dye them to create unique centerpieces, topiaries, wreaths, and sew much more!