Use a gentle fabric detergent and lukewarm water to wash your lace by hand in a clean sink or bucket. Avoid wringing out the lace. Squeeze it gently to get the excess water out.
Try marking the wrong side with chalk on all of your lace pieces. This will help to ensure that you sew the lace with the right sides facing out. Identifying the right and wrong sides of your lace fabric will help to ensure that the right side is facing out on your garment.
Do not cut right through the major design elements of your lace or you may damage it.
Avoid using prints as lining for lace material because this will probably clash with your lace. Stick to solids for your lining. Lace is often lined with satin in formal dresses and skirts, but you can experiment with other types of materials as well. Try lining your lace with cotton or jersey for a casual alternative to satin lining.
Try taking a swatch of your lace fabric with you to your local craft or fabric store and use it to find the color of thread that best matches your lace. A poly-blend thread is stronger than cotton thread, which may be more likely to break when you’re working with lace. [6] X Expert Source Mia DanilowiczMaster Tailor Expert Interview. 8 January 2021.
If you decide to hand-sew your lace, then all you will need to do is thread a needle with some thread that matches your lace and then sew along the edges of your lace to attach the piece to your garment.
It’s a good idea to use a thinner needle when you’re working with lace. [8] X Expert Source Mia DanilowiczMaster Tailor Expert Interview. 8 January 2021.
Sew the zigzag stitch along the edges of the lace to secure it. Do your best to sew the zigzag stitch right over the edges of the lace to help the stitches blend in with the lace.
Set your machine to the baste stitch setting and then sew along the edge that you want to gather. Hold onto one of the ends of baste thread and push the lace material in the opposite direction to gather it. Then, repeat this on the other side. Keep moving the lace inwards until you achieve the level of gathering you want. Then, you can sew your gathered lace onto your garment as desired.
Set your machine to the baste stitch setting and then sew along the edge that you want to gather. Hold onto one of the ends of baste thread and push the lace material in the opposite direction to gather it. Then, repeat this on the other side. Keep moving the lace inwards until you achieve the level of gathering you want. Then, you can sew your gathered lace onto your garment as desired.
Make sure that the scrap fabric does not overlap with the lace fabric. This will make it easier to cut the stitches between the lace and scrap fabric to separate the two when you have finished sewing.
Tear the paper away from the lace carefully to avoid damaging the lace.
For example, if you are sewing two pieces of lace together that have flower petals on the ends, then you might be able to find a way to make it seem like the petals are interlocking. Sometimes it might be necessary to overlap your lace pieces slightly to achieve a seamless look. Try different ways of connecting your lace before you sew to see which option looks best. Consider using an iron-on webbing to reinforce your sleeves if you have a really delicate lace. [14] X Expert Source Mia DanilowiczMaster Tailor Expert Interview. 8 January 2021.
If you think that your lace fabric would look better with a hem, then use a baste stitch to test it out first. If you like the look of your lace fabric with a hem, then sew a straight stitch over the baste stitch to secure it.
