Lace page tutorial AND a giveaway

Here is the promised tutorial on how I put together a lace page. Now there are many ways to create a beautiful page, and you will add your own touch to your creations. This is just the way I do it. Here is the finished page we will be making:

Start with a piece of heavy fabric, such as upholstery or canvas as your support page.

Next, position a piece of lighter fabric which will serve as a background for your image. It’s most likely it will disappear after you’re finished with all the embellishments.

Check the size and position of your image, which you have already printed on fabric.

I like to use scrim, or cheesecloth. You can age it in coffee or tea, or leave it natural.

Next, I add a doilie from my collection. I put it in the back of the fabric background, behind the image and scrim.

At this stage, some would probably want to start sewing. I start testing the embellishments I might use, so I can sew more pieces at once. I  let the colors from the image guide me in my choice of fabrics and flowers. Here, I’ve added a fabric flower, a piece of velvet fabric from an old scarf, and a piece of letters on fabric. I have a soft spot for any script on fabric.

I’ve decided to add another piece of lace at the bottom. It’s actually a linen handkerchief that was lined with lace.

I’ve added a bit of khaky lace on the left, gifted by beautiful lady Suzy Quaife. I have a soft spot for that lace.

I like to frame the bottom of the image with a piece of lace and a bit of decoration. It keeps the eye traveling within the picture.

Following that same reason, I cut a piece of doilie and add it to the right side of the image.

Here’s what the image looks like:

I’ve added another piece of doilie at the bottom, because… more is better, right? Then it’s off to the sewing machine to capture all the pieces together. I like to use a contrasting thread, but using a matching color would work beautifully too. I sew around the image, then I sew around the background fabric. That way, most of the laces and doilies are captured at once. I tend to add some stitches on the bottom lace, just to be sure that everything is tacked down.

Now, I go to my stash of embellishments, starting with the buttons.

I admit to glueing the buttons down, and some of the embellishments. Sewing them on would probably be more ‘proper’. A trick to keep your ever fabulous and wonderful Aileene’s Tacky Glue flowing: store it upside down in a bottle or, as I do, because I’m French, in a champagne glass. A French woman should always have champagne around. Or at least a glass of champagne…

I like to use Tacky Glue because it dries rather fast, and it dries clear. And in my experience, it really holds lots of heavy embellishments. Hard worker, that glue.

I like to decorate with buttons, as you can see on the pictures.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Do leave me a comment, and email me if you have questions.

If you don’t have all the lace you need, or no pictures printed on fabric, you can find a complete kit, all ready to go following these instructions here.

And just because it was Valentine’s Day, and because it was my birthday, and really because I feel like it, I’ve made a little heart to give away to one of you. Just leave me a comment, and I will draw a name on February 28, since there is one this year!!!!