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

When you download the design, you will find multiple embroidery files which contain all of the pieces of the design.

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.

As the freestanding lace will be seen from both sides, wind a bobbin with the same thread that is being used in the top needle.

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

Attach the hoop to the machine and load file "a". Follow the color change sheet, and embroider the first color of the design using a matching bobbin.

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 moments.

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.

To assemble the lace swan, first take the two side pieces (files "a" and "b"), and match up the short straight edge with the wrong sides of the lace together. Using thread matching the lace, hand sew the two side pieces together along the short straight edge.

Next, take the chest piece (file "c"), and match up one lower corner with the front corners of one of the side pieces. With wrong sides together, begin to hand sew the chest piece onto the side piece.

Continue sewing the pieces together until you reach the top point of the chest piece. The point should match up with the chin of the swan.

Take the two side pieces, and match up the edges of the swan's head. Sew the two halves of the head together only along the bottom edges of the head.

Do not sew all the way around the head. This will help everything line up later.

Hand sew the other side of the chest piece (file "c") onto the opposite side piece.

Next, take back neck piece (file "d"), and match one lower corner up with the indentation where the neck and wings meet on one side piece. Hand sew the side and neck piece together along one edge. Make sure wrong sides are together.

Sew them together until you get to the top point of the neck piece.

Then line the two side pieces up again, and sew the two halves of the head together from the point of the neck piece to where you stopped sewing earlier.

Sew the other half of the neck piece onto the opposite side piece.

To add the base (file "e"), match the center of the curved end up with the back center seam of the side pieces, and hand sew them together just at the seam.

This will tack the piece in place, and help with lining everything up later. Make sure wrong sides are together.

Then match up one of the front corners of the base piece with one of the corners made by the neck and a side piece.

Hand sew the base piece to one side piece starting at the front corner and sewing backwards towards the center back seam.

Continue sewing around the shape until the base piece is completely sewn to the bottom edge of both side pieces and the neck piece.