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.
This is absolutely gorgeous- you are a genius
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Thank you.
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Mary, I so enjoy your blog/tutorials… beautiful work and lovely outfit. Thank you for sharing your talents.
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Thanks Arleen. Glad you enjoyed.
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Expertly done! Beautiful!!
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Thank you.
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Thanks. Glad you liked this.
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So glad I found your blog! This is beautiful!
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Thanks. Glad you are following.
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Gorgeous. Very fine work!
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Thank you Denise.
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Your ecru embroidery with the inset roses is genius, and the shirt is perfection with it. The cording at the waist is a wonderful detail. Beautiful and inspiring!
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Thanks Kathy. It took some searching to find matching shirt fabric.
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I always look forward to your posts. Your work is so inspiring! Did you actually digitize the additional flower motifs, or find them online?
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I used Chic Lace from OESD and did some heavy editing to get just the little sections I needed. Thank you.
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I love seeing the details on this fabulous skirt. Thanks, Mary!
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Thank you Karen. I always enjoy seeing your projects.
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Simply amazing. Hope to see u in the fall. We r getting ready for CO.
Tina
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Thanks. Have fun; no more injuries. See you in the fall.
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Mary, I agree with Wendy – you are a genius. Creating the navy points of florals to use as a border was the perfect solution! Gorgeous skirt.😊
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