Ever wondered how they get that gorgeous peek-a-boo effect with lace? It's a kind of applique, traditionally done as part of French hand sewing. But guess what? The options go far beyond heirloom sewing --- and even better, it's really easy!
For this tutorial I'm adding lace down the shoulder of a tee. This technique is super versatile though -- you could do it around the hem of a sleeve, make reverse 'patches' on the knees of jeans, or use it to make polka dots or stripes on an overskirt. So many options... so let's get started!
We're building this tee from scratch, once again using our trusty, free Liberty Jane trendy tee. But you can use this technique on already-finished clothes, provided you can lay the area to be embellished out flat.
Here, I've stopped sewing just before getting to the underarm and side seams. See how the embellishment area is laid out flat?
Pin your lace where you want it to go.
Next, set your sewing machine to a narrow, closely-spaced zig zag stitch. Practice first on a scrap of fabric to be sure you get the stitch set up just the way you want it, and use a thread color to match the lace. Here I'm using black.
Zig zag over the edges of the lace to attach it permanently to the fabric. (For this project, that means sewing down both sides of the lace strip. If you were using a round motif, you'd just zig-zag around the whole thing.)
Flip your garment over, and carefully cut away the fabric from behind the lace. Sharp scissors help!
And that's it! (well, except for finishing up the garment.... unless of course you're using a pre-made garment :D )
--Melinda
15 Comments
Beautiful.
So so cute I will be making this.
I am so fascinated by this idea, can’t wait to try it. However, i think a smooth finish is needed.
What a sownderful idea this is. However, I do have to agree with some of the ladies who say the look is too ragged. There are a few options to deal with that. If you are using a ready made shirt after you trim away the fabric, trim the netting close to the design on the lace and apply the fray check. That would give you a much more finished look. Or if you are making your own shirt, before you turn under the neck and sleeves make your lace long enough that when you turn under it will be the same lengh and just hem it all. I personally like to do a double fold on my hems as it makes it look much more finished. Another option here is to use bias binding. But it’s a great idea for embelishment. I might give that a try on one of my tee shirts or blouses. Thanks for sharing a great tut.
I would place the flower of the lace as close to the edge as possible and then trim around the flower. I tried this on something else, and I think it could work. Otherwise, I’d want to put some black1/4-inch bias tape around the neck and around the sleeve.This would change the look somewhat but it would be more finished. I appreciate this tutorial. I recently purchased some wide lace to use for long sleeves, but the lace will go around the arm, instead of down the arm. I will have the ends of it in the seam line.