I love working with lace but shudder at the thought of a turned up edge for the hem. To me, the finishing edge of lace is as much a part of the beauty as the center. I found this unusual guipure lace at Mendel Goldberg Fabrics
I wanted to use this lace in the lengthwise direction which meant creating a decorative edge for the hem.
Finding matching lace motifs to create a finished edge would have been impossible so I created tiny floral designs and embroidered them as free standing lace. Additional blue motifs were cut from fabric scraps. The edges were reinforced with a narrow zip-zag stitch to prevent fraying.
This wasn’t the most stable lace in the world so it benefited from a lightweight linen under layer plus light cotton lawn. Handstitching tacked the lace to all under layers and prevented the lace from sagging as it’s worn.
Thin cording covered in linen, a grosgrain waist stay and silk crepe de chine lining finished the interior. The zipper crossed through one of the blue flowers, so that flower was treated to an appliqué finish. Tiny snaps secure it after the zipper is closed.
B&J Fabrics had a silk/linen blend perfect for a matching shirt.
