How to add a lace embellishment to one of my free shirt patterns @ ChellyWood.com #SewWithMe #SewingHacks

Spools of various trims hang from three horizontally aligned metal bars. many of the trims are lace trims, but some are braided and some have more of a ribbon-ish look to them. The lace trims come in white, off-white, and black. The photo looks like it was taken against the back wall of a sewing room or fabric/craft store.
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

Today I want to talk about how easy it is to add a swatch of lace to the front of a garment, to give it an extra kick!

Lace is considered a notion or embellishment, and it isn’t a necessary addition to a garment. But it can really jazz up an ordinary shirt or blouse.

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Sew the lace to the outer garment front’s “right side” before you begin sewing the shirt itself. Image shows the ruffle-edged lace being sewn to the front of an unattached garment front piece. Sew ribbon over the top, right down the middle of the lace. Image shows a woman's fingers laying a strip of quarter inch wide velvet ribbon over the top of the ruffled lace.
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

As you can see in the image above, I’m using a double-sided lace trim that has already been gathered. But you can do this with any type of lace. If it only has scallops along one side, run two rows of lace, side by side, down the front of the garment, with the scalloped edge facing out.

But I’ve found it works well if you do this before you begin sewing the garment itself. I didn’t like the stitch line down the front of my shirt, so I sewed a velvet ribbon down the center of my lace after applying the lace itself.

Let your creative juices flow. Experiment with different widths of ribbons, different styles of lace, until you find a look you really like.

You can even experiment with different lace layouts, like the lace ruffle that I added to this wedding dress bodice:

The front of a Barbie wedding dress bodice has darts and is trimmed around the rounded neckline with a gathered lace ruffle.
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable sewing patterns for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

The idea behind adding embellishments like lace is to change the look of a garment, so it doesn’t seem like you’re making the same ol’ Barbie shirt over and over again.

Question: What are some embellishments you like to add to a garment? Buttons? Rickrack? Lace trim? Embroidered trim? Ribbons?

Feel free to add some additional ideas and thoughts on both lace and other embellishments in the comments section.

This image of a turquoise blue sewing needle pulling purple thread away from a line of cross-stitching is used as a divider between sections of a blog post.

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To read more about my free sewing patterns and tutorials, please visit the “Helpful Tips” page.

Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:

*Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s Privacy Policy page.

Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with any of the doll or toy companies mentioned in this blog post, but Chelly enjoys designing her doll clothes to fit a variety of dolls. To learn more about the doll companies mentioned in today’s post, please visit the doll or toy company’s website.

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