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Ruffled Brooch (Battenburg Lace)

Completed Ruffled Brooch (Battenburg Lace) design, with pearls and roses in the background

Bring a little antique charm to any outfit with this ruffled Battenburg lace brooch! Stitch this freestanding lace machine embroidery design, then pull the center points together and add a button to complete your brooch. Our step-by-step instructions will show you how!

Supplies & Materials:

Project Needs & Notes:


  • Water-soluble stabilizer (such as Vilene or Sulky Ultra Solvy)
  • Needle for hand sewing
  • Small piece of felt
  • Button (1" - 1 1/2")
  • 1" safety pin
  • Craft or fabric glue (optional)

The design featured in this tutorial is:


M16208, Ruffled Brooch (Battenburg Lace)

Gather Materials:

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

White lace brooch with a ruffled circular design featuring intricate Battenburg lace patterns, placed on a dark wooden surface.

There are a couple of 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. 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 sheets, one opaque white and one clear plastic, laying on a dark wooden surface with visible grain.

Battenburg lace is digitized for 30-35 weight cotton thread. This thread brings a classic, hearty, and traditional look to the lace pieces. 30-35 weight cotton thread is found under different names, such as mercerized cotton or all-purpose cotton.

Four spools of cotton thread on a dark wooden surface: two large white spools with blue and brown labels, one smaller beige Coats Cotton spool, and one small light blue Coats Cotton spool with a yellow label.

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

Close-up of a white sewing machine bobbin wound with white thread, seated in the bobbin case area on a cream-colored machine surface.

Start Embroidering:

Hoop the stabilizer firmly. Make sure it is nice and tight with no wrinkles.

Embroidery hoop with white fabric stretched inside, on a dark wood surface; fabric edges extend beyond hoop, with a plastic hoop clamp detached and beside it.

Attach the hoop to the machine and embroider the design. The one color lace piece will sew all the way through.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching an intricate white lace circular pattern on a sheer fabric hooped in an embroidery frame.

After embroidering, trim away the excess stabilizer.

White circular lace piece with intricate floral and geometric patterns on wooden surface, partially covering orange-handled scissors.

The stabilizer's packaging should give instructions for removing the excess. For Vilene, soak the lace pieces for a few moments.

Hand holding a delicate white circular lace piece with intricate patterns above a clear glass bowl with concentric ridges, on a wooden surface.

Allow the lace to air dry, then press with a pressing cloth on top.

Close-up of a blue and black iron pressing the seam of white fabric with a scalloped, lace-edged battenburg lace insert against a green surface.

This lace brooch has 18 triangle darts that create ruffles when folded and sewn.

Circular white lace piece with intricate embroidered patterns and ruffled edges on a dark wooden surface, showing a small green marking near the outer edge.

Pick one dart, and fold it with the wrong sides of the lace together.


Match up the two opposite straight sides, and sew them together by placing four or five whip stitches along the edges from the inner point to the outer point.


Be sure to sew on the right side of the lace for this dart.

Close-up of a hand sewing white lace with a needle and white thread, creating a ruffled effect on a circular lace piece against a dark wooden surface.

Make sure to also place a few stitches over the very end of the two edges to make the dart more secure.

Close-up of a hand sewing a white ruffled lace brooch edge with a needle and thread against a dark blurred background.

Then go to the dart directly next to the one that was just sewn.


Fold the lace piece in the opposite direction along that dart, making sure the right sides of the lace are touching this time.


Then hand stitch on the wrong side of the lace to close the dart.

Close-up of a hand sewing white lace with a needle and thread. The lace features a scalloped edge with intricate floral and geometric patterns.

Repeat the last few steps to sew all of the darts around the entire lace brooch.


Make sure to keep alternating which way you fold the dart every time (one with right sides together, then one with wrong sides together, then the next with right sides together again, and continued like an accordion fold.)

White lace brooch with ruffled edges, featuring intricate Battenburg lace patterns, placed on a dark wooden surface.

Once the darts are all sewn, re-fold and press each of them with your fingers. This will fix any darts that tried to become flat again while sewing.

Hand holding a white, circular lace piece with scalloped edges and intricate patterns, placed on a dark wooden surface.

Cut a small circle out of felt that has a diameter of 1".

Small white circular lace piece next to metal scissors with teal plastic handles on a dark wooden surface.

Place the felt circle on the back of the ruffled brooch, lining it up so that it covers the center hole.


Using a hand sewing needle or glue, attach the felt circle only to the darts that bend towards the backside of the brooch (those sewn with right sides together).


Connecting the felt circle to only those darts will reinforce the ruffles.

Close-up of a handcrafted white lace brooch with intricate Battenburg lace pattern, ruffled fabric petals, a central felt circle, and a sewing needle threaded with white thread.

Take the button, and place it over the center hole on the front of the brooch. Sew or glue it to the felt backing piece to hold it in place.

White lace ruffled brooch with a round ornate bronze button center, placed on a wooden surface next to a threaded needle.

Finally, sew a safety pin to the backside of the felt circle.

White lace brooch with ruffled circular design, featuring intricate floral Battenburg lace patterns, lying on a dark wooden surface.