Lace can be a difficult fabric to sew, but there are several things you can do to make it easier. You can prepare your lace by washing it, cutting it, and making sure that you have the right complementary materials to go along with it. You can also make sure that your sewing machine is set properly for sewing lace and use some special techniques to avoid common problems. Change your approach to sewing with lace, and get the best results possible for your project!
1. Preparing Lace and Selecting Materials
Pre-wash your fabric. Lace can be stiff and difficult to work with before it has been washed. To make it easier to sew your lace fabric, wash it gently by hand and then lay it flat to dry before you begin sewing.
- 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.
Identify the right and wrong sides of the lace. Right and wrong are sewing terms for the front and back of your fabric. The front of the fabric (the side you want to be visible) is the right side. The back of the fabric (the part you want to be hidden) is the wrong side. Lace may have an easy to identify right and wrong side, or it may be difficult to tell the difference. In some cases, the sides may be identical. Inspect your lace fabric closely to determine which side is the right side and which side is the wrong side.
- 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.
Consider ironing your lace. Your lace fabric may not need to be ironed if there are no wrinkles in it. However, if there are wrinkles or if you want to be extra sure that it is completely flat, then you can iron the fabric before you sew it. Put your iron on the lowest setting and iron the fabric in sections until you have worked out all of the wrinkles. You may also want to lay a towel or cloth over the lace to protect it while you iron it.
