Snowflake Bowl (Battenburg Lace)

Bring a cool look to your winter decor with stunning freestanding Battenburg lace snowflake bowls! The intricate embroidery designs combine the elegance of lace with winter's natural beauty.

Supplies & Materials:

Supplies
- Water-soluble stabilizer
(Vilene or Sulky Ultra Solvy)
- 30-35 weight cotton thread
(and/or 40 weight rayon thread)
- Size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle

The designs featured in this tutorial is:
- X13315, Snowflake Bowl (Lace)

Finished Size:
Small: 4 1/2" x 1 1/2"
Medium: 6" x 2 1/4"
Large: 7" x 3"

Gather Materials:

Battenburg lace designs are embroidered onto water-soluble stabilizer.

When the stabilizer is soaked away, beautiful lace remains behind.

When you download the design, you will find a total of two files.

The file marked with the letter A is the side piece of the bowl, and the file marked with the letter B is the bottom piece.

Two pieces of white Battenburg lace on a blue background. Left piece is fan-shaped with floral and geometric patterns, right piece is hexagonal with a flower motif.

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.

Hand holding a clear plastic sheet above a square piece of white fabric on a wooden surface.

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.

Two spools of Coats Cotton thread on a wooden surface. One labeled "Machine Quilting," 30 wt, 350 yds; the other "All Purpose," 35 wt, 225 yds. Both made in Egypt.

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 its bobbin case on a white sewing machine.

Start Embroidering:

Hoop the stabilizer firmly.

Make sure it is nice and tight with no wrinkles.

Embroidery hoop holding taut white fabric on a light wooden surface, fabric edges slightly wrinkled outside hoop's gray plastic frame.

Attach the hoop to the machine and embroider the design.

First, the cotton portion of the design will sew.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching on white fabric with a delicate mesh or lace pattern, showing a snowflake-like design being embroidered.

Then, change the bobbin for the second color.

In this example, 40 weight rayon thread was used in the second color to add extra shine to the flourish.

This color can also be sewn using 30-35 weight cotton thread or 40 weight rayon thread.

The first color, however, must always be sewn using 30-35 weight cotton thread.

Hand holding a small spool of light blue thread next to a large spool of matching light blue thread on a wooden surface.

Continue embroidering the design.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching white and light blue lace fabric with a circular and curved pattern on a white textured base.

After embroidering, trim away the excess stabilizer.

Light blue and white lace piece with floral pattern on beige fabric, lying next to orange-handled scissors on a wooden surface.

The stabilizer's packaging should give instructions for removing the excess.

For Vilene, soak the lace pieces for a few moments.

Hand holding a piece of blue and white lace embroidery with floral and geometric patterns above a gold-colored, textured bowl with concentric circle ridges.

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

Close-up of a white lace trim with a geometric pattern being ironed onto a piece of black fabric using a Black+Decker iron on a beige surface.

Repeat the steps above to embroider the other five sides of the bowl as well as the bottom center piece.

In the end, you should have a total of one center piece and six identical side pieces.

Seven white lace pieces arranged in a circular pattern on a wooden surface, each with a floral and geometric design and scalloped edges.

Using the same thread you used to embroider the outer border of the lace, zigzag stitch the bottoms of the side pieces to the bottom center piece.

Make sure the right side of the embroidered lace pieces are facing down, and continue until you have sewn on all six sides.

Light blue and white lace doily with six connected petal-shaped sections arranged in a circular pattern on a light wooden surface.

Finally, use the same thread to zigzag stitch the adjacent sides together.

Sew the seam from the edge to the inner corner along the inside of the lace bowl.

In the end, the right side of the lace should be the outside of the bowl.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching light blue battenburg lace fabric with floral and geometric patterns, forming a circular shape with cutouts.

Get Inspired:

Place battery-operated candles inside these lace bowls to add winter flair to your home decor.

Crocheted lace bowl in light blue with scalloped edge holding a small, battery-operated yellow flame candle, placed on a dark wooden surface with glittery white decorative branches nearby.

Or, fill the stunning snowflake bowl with treats to share the sweetness of the season with friends and family.

Delicate white lace bowl with a snowflake pattern, filled with individually wrapped purple and red peppermint candies, placed on a wooden surface.