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

When you download the FSL Deer Head design, you'll find ten files. Nine are embroidery files (labeled a-i), and the other one is a dieline file, marked with the letters DL. Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the right shape and size.

Open the dielines files with embroidery software and print them. If you do not have embroidery software, Wilcom TrueSizer is a free program to use.

First prepare the fabric piece. Cut around the paper dieline, and spray the back of it. Smooth it onto the felt.

Cut out the shape, and remove the paper.

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.

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

Hoop a piece of water-soluble stabilizer firmly. Make sure it is nice and tight and has no wrinkles.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery file "a" (not the dieline files). Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a dieline, or outline stitch. This marks the area on the stabilizer where we'll place the fabric piece.

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Spray the back of the fabric piece with a temporary adhesive, and place it right inside the sewn dieline.

Attach the hoop back onto the machine and continue embroidering the design. A tack down stitch will sew next. This binds the fabric in place for the remainder of the design.

Once the fabric piece is stitched in place, all of the inner elements will sew.

After embroidering, trim away the excess stabilizer. Leaving about a 1/4" around the edges of the embroidery.

The stabilizer's packaging should give instructions for removing the excess. For Vilene, soak the lace pieces for a few moments. The allow the lace to air dry, then press the piece with a pressing cloth on top.

The rest of the embroidery files (labeled "b"-"i") sew out normal lace without any fabric pieces. Hoop a piece of water-soluble, and wind a matching bobbin. Then load the embroidery file onto the machine, and embroidery the design all the way through.

Once the embroidery is finished, soak, dry, and press the lace piece. Repeat until all the pieces of the FSL Deer Head are embroidered and pressed.

First take the main neck piece (piece "a"), and cut slits in between each of the sewn channels along the top edge. Make sure to only cut the stiff felt, and do not cut any of the embroidered borders.

Place the flat side of the main neck piece ("a") into the open slot of the back piece (piece "b"). Make sure the right side of the back piece is facing towards the neck. Using fabric glue, adhere the two pieces together. Make sure to hold the pieces together securely until the glue is dry.

Now take the first lace neck piece (piece "c"), and insert it into the cut slit that is closest the back piece ("b") with the wrong side of the lace piece facing the back. Make sure the slit of the new neck piece ("c") is facing downwards and goes around the main neck piece ("a"). Adhere the two pieces together along the inner, straight edges, and hold it in place until the glue completely dries.

Then take the next neck piece (piece "d"), and repeat the previous step to slide it into the cut slit next two where we place piece "c". This slit will be the second away from the back piece. Glue the piece in place along the straight edges, and hold it until the glue is dry.

Repeat to add each of the remaining lace pieces to the main neck piece. The pieces will go in alphabetical order ("c"-"i") starting from the back and going forward towards the nose of the deer. This means the piece labeled "e" will go next to the previously placed "d" piece, and the piece labeled with an "i" will be the last piece added to the smallest slit located at the tip of the nose. While gluing, make sure to let the glue dry before continuing onto the next piece.

If desired, fold the largest tines of the antlers forward and press them firmly with your fingers to get a fun 3D effect.