A stunning combination of organza fabric and freestanding lace comes together to create this three-dimensional angel. Great for topping your Christmas tree, or as a gorgeous table decoration!
Supplies
1/4 yard or organza
Water-soluble stabilizer (like Vilene or Sulky Ultra Solvy)
Tools
Hand Sewing Needle & Thread or Glue for assembly
Temporary Spray Adhesive (such as Gunolds KK100)
Designs Used
To make a completed Lace Organza Angel Tree Topper, you will need to sew two of the cone pieces (labled with an "a"), three of the outer skirt pieces (labled with a "c"), and just one of the rest of the files (labled with a "b", "d", "e", and "f").
In this tutorial we sewed the Angel by hand, but you can also use glue to assemble this project if desired.
For a sturdier Angel, starch the lace Organza pieces before assembling. After assembling the cone, you can also starch it in a cone shape to help the tree topper stand on it's own.
When you download the angel design, you will find a total of eighteen files. Six of the files are embroidery files and the other twelve are dieline files marked with the letters DL.
Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the right shape and size. Open the dieline files with an embroidery software, and print them.
Starting with piece "a", spray the backside of the front dieline printout with temporary adhesive and smooth it on top of the fabric.
Cut out the shape and repeat to make the back dieline piece for file "a".
After cutting, make sure to fold up one corner of the paper dieline to make it easier to remove later.
Freestanding lace and organza designs have been specially digitized for water-soluble stabilizer.
After the stabilizer is removed, beautiful lace and organza remains behind.
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.
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Freestanding lace and organza is seen from both sides, so wind a bobbin with the same thread that you're using in the needle. |
Hoop the stabilizer firmly. Make sure it is nice and tight with no wrinkles.
Load the embroidery file labeled with an "a" onto the machine, and 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 front fabric piece.
| Spray the back of the front piece with temporary adhesive. Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Place the fabric piece right inside the sewn dieline. |
| Reattach the hoop to the machine and continue with the design. A tack down will sew next. This binds the front fabric piece in place for the remainder of the design. |
Look at the color change sheet, and stop the machine before sewing "back piece tack down".
Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer.
Spray the backside of the back dieline with temporary adhesive, and place it on the back of the embroidery.
| Place the hoop back on the machine, and embroider the back piece tack down. Next, all of the inner elements will sew followed by the final outer border along the edge of the organza pieces. |
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After embroidering, cut the excess stabilizer away. |
| The stabilizer's packaging should give instructions for removing the excess. For Vilene, soak the organza pieces for a few moments. |
Let the piece air dry, then press using a pressing cloth.
| Repeat the previous steps to prepare and embroider the other lace organza pieces. Make sure to sew two of piece "a" and three of piece "c". |
| Now it is time to assemble the angel. First take the two "a" piece that make the cone, and lay them on the table with the right sides facing up. Sew or glue the two pieces together along one long side. |
| Then make the two pieces into a cone shape and sew the remaining two long sides together. Make sure the right side of the embroidery ends up on the outside of the cone. |
| Next take piece "b" (the head and torso), and center the middle of the three tabs on the back cone piece. The top of the cone should match up with the point of the top "V" on the angel's shirt. Make sure the right side of the embroidery on the torso is facing the cone, and then sew the tabs down flush against the cone. |
With a hand sewing needle or hot glue, tack the angel's torso to the top of the cone to secure it in place.
| Add the arms (piece "d") to the angel by lining up the shoulders and hand sewing starting at the top points of the arms and a 1/4" down each sides. Not sewing down the whole arm will allow the arms to float out in front of the angel and cover the top of the cone piece. |
| Take one of the three "c" pieces and lay it on the table. Then place one of the other two "c" pieces on each side, and sew them together along the long straight edges. Make sure the right side of all three pieces is facing up. This will be the outer skirt of the angel. |
| Take the outer skirt and wrap it around the angel's waist with the right sides facing out. Sew the two long edges of the outer skirt together just at the top corner, so it opens in a v-shape over the front of the cone. Then carefully hand tack the outer skirt to the cone to keep in center and prevent it from spinning. |
| Next lay the two wings (pieces "e" and "f") on the table with the right sides facing up. Line up the two straight edges and sew them together. |
| Finally, line the wings up with the center of the angel's back and sew them in place along the wing's seam. |
