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 a total of 8 files which contain all of the pieces of the 3D manger.

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". Embroider the first piece 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. Each of the files (a-h) only needs to be sewn out once.

To being putting the manger together, start by taking the Holy Family (file "h") and inserting into the open slit on the base piece (file "g"). Hand sew them in place.

Then hand sew the back piece, File "a", to the long back side of the base piece (file "g").

After sewing the back to the base piece, hand sew the walls, (files "c" and "b") to the two short sides of the base piece. Then hand sew each side piece to the back piece along adjacent edges.

When both walls have been sewn in place, move on to the roof pieces (files "e" and "f"). Hand sew the top edges together, matching up the hanger loop at the top.

Next take the attached roof pieces, match up the top points, and hand sew them to the top of the back piece. The roof will hang past the bottom edges and that is okay.

Finally, take the front piece (file "b"), match up the edges, and hand sew it onto the base piece, walls, and roof pieces.

To add a hanger, take a 6" piece of ribbon and slide it into the hanger loop. Tie a knot at the top so it can be hung.