Craft a warm glow when you create these freestanding lace lanterns! Stitch each panel separately on your embroidery machine, then assemble and add an electric candle. We'll show you step-by-step how to make your own lace lantern!
Supplies & Materials:
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-Heavy-weight water-soluble stabilizer
-Embroidery thread
-Hand sewing needle or hot glue gun
-Sewing machine
-Electric tea light, votive candle, or fairy lights
-Iron
Freestanding lace designs have been specially digitized for water-soluble stabilizer. After the stabilizer is removed, beautiful embroidery remains.
There are a couple different kinds of water-soluble stabilizer. One is clear and plastic and that brand is Sulky Ultra Solvy. The other is soft and fibrous, called Vilene. Vilene is used in this demonstration.
Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle as it has a finer point than an embroidery needle and it will make smaller holes in the stabilizer.
As the freestanding lace will be seen from both sides, wind bobbins with the same thread colors that are being used in the top needle.
Hoop the water-soluble stabilizer tightly. Make sure it is taught with no wrinkles.
Attach the hoop to the machine, and load file "a". Embroider the first piece using a matching bobbin for every thread color.
After embroidering, trim away the excess stabilizer.
The stabilizer's packaging should give instructions for removing the excess. For Vilene, soak the embroidered lace for a few minutes.
Allow the lace to air dry, and then press it with a pressing cloth on top.
Repeat the steps above to embroider the rest of the lace pieces. For the lace lantern, sew out one base piece and a total of four side pieces.
The lace lantern can be assembled in different ways. Some pieces can be sewn together on a sewing machine with a zig zag stitch. Other pieces will need to be either hand sewn together with a needle and thread or glued.
For this tutorial we will machine sew all the pieces we can and then hand sew the rest.
Take 2 side pieces and lay them next to each other with the right side facing up. Match up their sides, and then attach the two pieces together side by side using machine sewing, hand sewing or glue.
We machine sewed these pieces together with a zig zag stitch to attach them.
Once the first two are connected they should lay flat side by side with the right side of the lace facing up for both.
Repeat to attach all four side pieces in a row with the right sides facing up using your preferred method. We machine sewed these pieces together with a zig zag stitch to attach them.
To connect the base, match up the edge of the base with the bottom edge of one of the end side pieces on the left or right. Use a hand sewing needle or glue to attach them. We used a hand sewing needle and matching thread.
Repeat to attach the base piece to the bottom edge of all four side pieces, carefully folding the side pieces are you go to create the corners of the lantern.
To finish the lantern, line up the edges of the last two sides together and attach them with a hand sewing needle or glue. We used a hand sewing needle and matching thread.
This completes the 3D Lace Lantern. Add an electric candle inside or fairy lights to create a beautiful piece of home decor.
