Illuminate your decor with this little lantern, inspired by multi-tiered Asian pagodas! Just stitch each lace piece separately, then stitch together to create a gloriously dimensional shape. Add battery-powered tea light inside to light up your lantern!
Supplies
- Heavy duty water-soluble stabilizer
- Hand sewing needle
- Battery powered tea light
- Ribbon or cord
Designs Used
Finished size: 4 1/2" wide by 8" tall
Special notes: To make a completed lantern, embroider a total of 4 copies of the pieces labeled with an "a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f", and "g". Embroider only one of the base piece (labeled with a "h").
In this tutorial, the lantern is sewn together by hand. If preferred, some steps can also be sewn together using a zigzag stitch on a sewing machine. If this is possible, it will be noted in the text of the given step. To do this, simply lay the pieces side by side (instead of back to back), and sew a zigzag over both of the pieces edges to hold them together.
Freestanding lace designs have been specially digitized for watersoluble stabilizer. After the stabilizer is removed, beautiful lace remains behind. When you download the design, you will find a total of eight files which contain all of the pieces of the lantern.
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 the stabilizer firmly. Make sure it is nice and tight with no wrinkles.
Hoop the stabilizer firmly. Make sure it is nice and tight with no wrinkles.
After embroidering, trim away the excess stabilizer.
The stabilizer's packaging should give instructions for removing the excess. For Vilene, soak the lace pieces for a few moments.
Allow the lace to air dry, then press with a pressing cloth on top.
Repeat the steps above to embroider the rest of the lace pieces. Remember to sew a total of 4 for pieces "a"-"g".
To begin assembling the lantern, take two of the side pieces (labeled with an "g"), and match up the long sides with the wrong sides of the lace pieces together. Make sure the tops and bottoms are also matched up, and hand sew the pieces together along one long edge. This can also be sewn with a zigzag stitch on a sewing machine.
Then repeat to sew all five of the side ("g") pieces together side by side. Make sure to always sew them with wrong sides together. This step can also be sewn on a sewing machine.
Next, take one roof piece that was sewn from file "f". Match up the edge to the top edge of one side piece ("a"). Make sure the right sides are together this time. Then hand sew the pieces together along that edge. This step can also be sewn on a machine.
Repeat to add all four of the "f" roof pieces onto the top edge of the sides. This step can also be sewn on a machine.
Then with wrong sides together, hand sew an "e" roof piece on top of an "f". This step can also be sewn on a machine.
And repeat to add all the "e" roof pieces. This step can also be sewn on a machine.
Continue to add all of the roof pieces. With right sides together, hand sew the "d" roof pieces onto the "e" roof pieces. This step can also be sewn on a machine.
With wrong sides together, hand sew the "c" roof pieces onto the "d" roof pieces. This step can also be sewn on a machine.
With right sides together, hand sew the "b" roof pieces onto the "c" roof pieces. This step can also be sewn on a machine.
Finally, with wrong sides together, hand sew the "a" roof pieces onto the "b" roof pieces. This step can also be sewn on a machine.
Now that all the roof pieces are attached, match up the edges of two side by side rook sections. Make sure wrong sides are together, and hand sew them together all the way from the side piece ("g") to the top of the roof ("a").
Then repeat to sew together the other side by side sections of the roof. However, don't sew the two opposite sides together just yet.
Instead, take the base piece ("h"), and line up one edge with the bottom of one side piece ("g"). Make sure wrong sides are touching, and hand sew the two pieces together.
Then continue to sew each side of the base piece ("h") onto the bottom edge of each side ("g").
Once the base is sewn on, match up the final open side with wrong sides together. Then hand sew all the way from the base to the top of the roof.
To make a hanger, cut a 10" piece of cord or ribbon and thread it through the loops at the top of the roof. Tie the ribbon into a loop to make it a hanger.
A battery powered tea light or fairy lights fit right through the open window of the lantern. This allows easy access for placing the lights and turning them on and off.
