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Freestanding Fabric and Lace Flower (In-the-Hoop)

Freestanding Fabric and Lace Flower (In-the-Hoop)

Craft naturally lovely decor, accessories, and more with this lovely fabric and lace bloom! Stitch the base of the flower on soft felt, then embroider and ruffle freestanding lace to layer on top. A button of your choice adds the perfect finishing touch, making each flower unique. Follow along below to stitch your own!

Supplies & Materials:

- 1/2 yard of acrylic, polyester or wool felt
- 30-35 weight cotton thread (for lace)
- Embroidery thread
- Water-soluble stabilizer (such as Vilene or Sulky Ultra Solvy)

- Ironing board



- Size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle
- Scissors
- Hand-sewing needle & thread
- Iron
- Pressing cloth

The designs used in this tutorial include:

-  X14785, Freestanding Fabric and Lace Flower (In-the-Hoop)

Freestanding felt designs have been specially digitized to sew on only a hooped piece of felt, so there is no stabilizer used of any kind.

After the pieces are embroidered and cut out, only the embroidery and felt remains, allowing for the pieces to look pretty on both sides.

When you download a freestanding felt and lace design, you will find multiple embroidery files containing all the pieces.

White embroidered six-petal lace flower with detailed stitching lies flat on a dark brown wooden surface.

As the freestanding felt will be seen from both sides, wind a bobbin to match every thread color used in the design.

Two large spools of translucent thread and two corresponding small spools placed on a dark wooden surface. The thread is shiny and light gray in color.

Hoop the piece of felt firmly. Make sure it is nice and tight with no wrinkles.

Embroidery hoop holding white fabric with a square piece of white stabilizer underneath, placed on a dark wooden surface.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load file "a". Embroider the design.

The first thing to embroider will be the "cut line". This marks the area on the felt where the piece will be cut out later.

Embroidery machine stitching an outline of a six-petal flower on white fabric secured in a hoop, close-up view of needle and presser foot.

Follow the color change sheet, and embroider the rest of the design, changing out the bobbins to match every thread color.

Close-up of embroidery machine stitching a flower shape with white thread on white fabric, showing textured petals and sewing foot in frame.

After the embroidery has finished, unhoop the felt. Then using a scissor, carefully cut along the inner edge of the "cut line".

Cutting right along the inner edge will remove the cut line from the edge of the felt piece, leaving a clean felt edge after the piece is cut out.

Gray-handled scissors cutting white fabric with an embroidered white lace flower with six petals on a wooden surface.

Freestanding lace designs have been specially digitized for water-soluble stabilizer. After the stabilizer is removed, beautiful lace remains.

Two white freestanding lace flowers with intricate openwork patterns, one larger and one smaller, placed on a dark wooden surface.

Delicate lace is digitized for 30-35 weight cotton thread. 30-35 weight cotton thread is found under different names, such as mercerized cotton or all-purpose cotton.


Two spools of thread on a wooden surface: a small spool of light blue Coats Cotton thread with a yellow top and a large spool of red mercerized cotton thread with a blue and white label.

Freestanding lace is seen from both sides, so wind a bobbin with the same cotton thread that you're using in the needle.

Two spools of white thread on a dark wooden surface, one large cardboard spool with thick thread and one small plastic spool with thinner thread.


There are a couple different kinds of water soluble stabilizer. One is clear and plastic, and that brand is Sulky Ultra Solvy. The other brand is soft and fibrous, called Vilene. Both will work very well. Vilene is used in this demonstration.

Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller finer point than an embroidery needle. That means it will make smaller holes in the stabilizer.

Two square pieces of fabric, one white nonwoven stabilizer and one clear plastic sheet, laid flat on a wooden surface.

Hoop the water-soluble stabilizer firmly. Make sure its nice and tight with no wrinkles.

Embroidery hoop with attached fabric stabilizer on a dark wooden surface, showing a rectangular frame and fabric extending beyond edges.

Attach the hoop onto the machine, and load file "b" (the larger of the two lace embroidery files), and embroider the design.

Close-up of an embroidery machine stitching white lace in a floral pattern on translucent fabric held in an embroidery hoop on a white background.

Once the lace is finished being embroidered, unhoop the design and trim away the excess stabilizer. The stabilizers packaging should give instructions for removing the excess. For Vilene, soak the design to remove the rest of the stabilizer.

Hand holding a piece of delicate white lace fabric shaped like a flower over a large, clear glass bowl with concentric circle patterns inside.

Then allow the piece to air dry before pressing it flat with an iron.

Blue and black iron pressing white fabric with lace trim on a wooden surface, next to a piece of fabric featuring floral lace details.

Repeat for the smaller piece of lace (file "c").

Two white freestanding lace flowers with intricate openwork designs on a dark wooden surface. One flower is larger and more rounded, the smaller has a star-shaped center.

After the lace pieces are embroidered and ready to go, locate the triangle shaped darts on both pieces. These are found around the inner circle (or the hole) of each piece. Both lace pieces have 8 darts.

White lace flower with scalloped edges and intricate openwork pattern, placed on a dark wooden surface.

Take the larger piece (file "b") first, and fold the lace piece along one of the darts with the right sides together. Match up the straight edges of the dart, and hand stitch the two edges together to close the dart.


Hand holding a needle and white lace fabric shaped in a floral pattern, with a brown wooden surface background.

Then move to the next dart that is left, next to the previously sewn one. Alternating the direction you fold each dart is very important. This time, fold it with the wrong sides of the lace together before sewing it closed.

Hand holding a needle and thread sewing through a small, circular piece of white lace with a scalloped floral pattern, on a dark surface background.

Alternating folding the darts with the right and wrong sides together will create the ruffle effect. Continue around the larger lace piece until all 8 darts folded are sewn.

White lace flower with scalloped edges on a dark wooden surface, next to a needle threaded with white thread.

Then repeat these steps to sew the eight darts on the smaller lace piece. Again remember to alternate the direction you sew each dart (so it goes right sides together, then wrong sides together, then right sides together, etc.).

Two white lace flowers with intricate cutwork, one larger with eight petals, the other smaller with five, placed on a dark wooden surface.

Once all the darts are sewn, take the free standing felt piece and center the larger lace piece on top of the felt piece with the right sides of both pieces facing up.

Using a hand sewing needle, stitch them together.

White lace and fabric flower with five petals is placed on a dark wooden surface. A needle with white thread is inserted through the center of the flower.

Next center the smaller lace piece on top of the larger one. Make sure that the right side of the smaller piece is facing up. Again, hand sew this in place.

White lace and fabric flower with six petals on a wooden surface, threaded needle inserted in the center, loose white thread looped.

Take a decorative button, and sew it in the center of the lace pieces to complete the flower.

White layered lace flower with five pointed petals on a wooden surface, a metal decorative button center, and a needle threaded with white thread inserted in the button.