How To - Free Standing Lace - Fundamentals

How To - Free Standing Lace - Fundamentals

by Stephen Wilson in fundamentals



ANITA GOODESIGN | Anita’s Tutorials

Free Standing Lace

Master the lace technique — one delicate design at a time



SKILL LEVEL

Beginner Friendly

HOOPINGS

Single Hooping

TECHNIQUE

Free Standing Lace



Free standing lace designs are embroidered directly onto a water-soluble stabilizer — with no base fabric underneath. Once the stitching is rinsed in hot water the stabilizer dissolves completely, leaving you with a delicate, self-supporting lace piece. These designs are specially digitized with an adjusted stitch density so the threads lock securely to the bobbin thread and hold their shape entirely on their own.


The possibilities are endless. Hand-sew several lace shapes together into a runner, frame them as one-of-a-kind home decor, tie them onto a gift, or arrange them into a stunning lace mosaic on your wall. The very same designs can even be stitched onto fabric as standard embroidery.



MATERIALS LIST

◆ Wash-Away water-soluble stabilizer — 2 pieces

◆ Embroidery threads

◆ Coordinating bobbin thread

◆ Embroidery hoop

◆ 75/11 embroidery needle



Step

1

Hoop Your Stabilizer

Layer two pieces of Wash-Away water-soluble stabilizer and hoop them together as a single unit. Pull the stabilizer drum-tight so there is no slack — a firm, even surface is what keeps your lace stitches crisp and accurate. Note: two layers give most freestanding designs the support they need, but if you are working in a 5” x 7” hoop or smaller, a single layer is usually enough.




Step

2

Stitch the Lace Design

Load your free standing lace design and begin stitching. Because there is no fabric beneath the needle, the machine builds the entire piece from thread alone, layering the outlines and fills directly onto the stabilizer. Let each color sequence finish completely before moving on to the next.




Step

3

Match Your Bobbin Colors

Because a finished lace piece is seen from both sides, the bobbin thread shows just as much as the top thread. Each time you change the top thread color, swap in a bobbin wound in a matching color (shown in the close-up here). Coordinating the two keeps the front and back of your lace looking identical and polished.




Step

4

Remove, Trim & Rinse

Once the stitching is complete, take the hoop off the machine and remove your design from the hoop. Trim away the excess stabilizer from around the edges. Then rinse the design in hot water, gently rubbing the stitches until every trace of stabilizer has dissolved away. Lay the piece flat to dry.




Step

5

Your Lace Is Finished!

Once it is dry, your free standing lace is complete — a delicate, self-supporting design with no stabilizer left behind. It is now ready to frame, gift, or sew into your next project.




💡 PRO TIP

Always confirm your design is digitized specifically for free standing lace before you begin. These designs use a special high-density structure so the stitches lock to one another and keep their shape after rinsing. A standard embroidery design that has not been digitized this way will simply unravel once the stabilizer washes out.



Your Free Standing Lace Is Complete!

Frame it, gift it, or stitch a whole set — with free standing lace, the possibilities are endless.


Download Files

Free Standing Lace | Anita’s Tutorials | Anita Goodesign

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How To - Folded Fabric - Fundamentals

How To - Folded Fabric - Fundamentals

ANITA GOODESIGN | Anita's Tutorials Folded Fabric Crisp edges and a seamless finish — one fold at a time SKILL LEVEL Intermediate HOOPINGS Single Hooping TECHNIQUE Folded Fabric Folded fabric is a technique we love for the stunning visual effects it creates. With very little effort you can achieve clean, crisp edges and a seamless, professional-looking finish. The technique is wonderfully versatile — use it inside appliqués the way you would traditional paper piecing, as borders in your quilting collections, or even as the main design element of a block. Every folded fabric design is digitized around three key machine steps: a placement stitch that shows exactly where the fabric will sit, a folding stitch that creates the clean folded edge, and a tacking stitch that locks the fabric securely in place. Follow along with the tutorial below and you'll always know which direction your fabric needs to be placed. MATERIALS LIST ◆ No-Show mesh stabilizer ◆ Batting ◆ Base fabric ◆ Accenting fabrics for folds and appliqués ◆ Embroidery threads ◆ Embroidery tape ◆ Curved-tip embroidery scissors ◆ Ruler ◆ Rotary cutter and mat ◆ Embroidery hoop ◆ 75/11 embroidery needle Step 1 Hoop Your Stabilizer To begin, hoop a single piece of No-Show mesh stabilizer, pulling it drum-tight in the hoop. This stabilizer is the foundation that every following stitch is built on, so make sure there is no slack. TIP: Our design happened to load in rotated 90° to the left. Rather than rotating it back, we simply stitched it as it appeared on screen — in Fundamentals you can rotate any design whenever you need to. Step 2 Run the Squaring Stitch Run the first machine step, which is the squaring stitch for your batting. This outline marks exactly where your batting needs to go and acts as your roadmap for the steps that follow. Step 3 Place the Batting Place a piece of batting over the squaring stitches, making sure you completely cover the stitched outline on all four sides. It is fine for the batting to extend a little past the line — you will trim it precisely in a later step. Step 4 Run the Batting Tacking Stitch Your next machine step is the tacking stitch for the batting. This step stitches the batting down and locks it firmly to the stabilizer underneath. Step 5 Trim the Excess Batting Using a sharp pair of curved-tip embroidery scissors, carefully trim away any excess batting outside the tacking stitch. Cut as close to the stitch line as you comfortably can, taking care not to clip the stitches themselves. Step 6 Run the Base Fabric Placement Stitch Once trimmed, your batting block should look like this — neat and tacked inside the outline. Now proceed to run the next machine step, which is the placement stitch for your block's base fabric. Step 7 Place and Tack the Base Fabric Place your base fabric over the batting with the right side facing up, making sure it covers the placement stitches on all sides. Smooth it flat, then run the tacking stitch to secure the base fabric to the block. Step 8 Trim Around the Base Fabric Once the base fabric is tacked down, you can remove the excess — this particular block is going to receive folded fabric borders, so a clean edge matters. Use your curved-tip scissors to trim away any extra material from around the tacking stitch. Step 9 Check Your Progress You should now have something that looks like this: a tidy base fabric square tacked cleanly inside the outline, ready for the appliqué work to begin. Step 10 Run to the First Appliqué Placement Continue running any standard embroidery steps in your design, following the numbered machine steps and color changes, until you reach the placement stitch for the first standard appliqué. Step 11 Place the Standard Appliqué Fabric Place your standard appliqué fabric right side facing up, making sure that every side of the placement stitch is fully covered by the fabric. Step 12 Tack the Standard Appliqué Your next machine step is the tacking stitch for the standard appliqué. This locks the appliqué fabric in position over the placement outline. Step 13 Trim the Appliqué Using your curved-tip scissors, trim away any excess appliqué material outside the tacking stitches, cutting close to the line for a clean edge. Step 14 Check the Trimmed Appliqué Once trimmed, your design should look something like this — the appliqué shape neatly tacked and trimmed, ready for the folded fabric work. Step 15 Run the First Folded Fabric Placement Run the next step, which is the placement stitch for your first piece of folded fabric. You will notice this placement stitch overlaps a small portion of the fabric you laid down last — that overlapped area of stitches is intentional and will help guide your placement. Step 16 Lay the Folded Fabric Face Down Lay your fabric right side facing down, aligning its edge so it covers the spot where the placement stitch overlapped the last piece of fabric, as shown. NOTE: Be sure your fabric is cut large enough to cover the entire placement stitch area before you fold it back. Step 17 Run the Folding Stitch The next machine step is the folding stitch. This single line of stitching is what gives folded fabric its signature crisp, clean edge. Step 18 Fold and Press the Fabric Now fold the fabric back over the folding stitch line, pulling it taut and pressing the fold firmly with your finger. You can run a piece of embroidery tape along the edge to help hold the fold in place until the tacking stitch is complete. Step 19 Run the Folded Fabric Tacking Stitch Run your next machine step, which is the tacking stitch that secures the folded fabric to the design and holds the crisp edge permanently in place. Step 20 Trim the Folded Fabric Use your curved-tip embroidery scissors to trim away any excess material from around the tacking stitch, keeping your cut close to the line. Step 21 Check the Folded Piece Once trimmed, your block should look something like this — your first piece of folded fabric tacked down with a clean, finished edge. Step 22 Run to the First Border Placement Continue running any standard embroidery steps, following your design's numbered machine steps for the indicated color changes. STOP once you have run the placement stitch for a folded fabric border. Step 23 Position the Border Strip Now position your fabric border strip right side facing down. Align the raw edge of the strip with the trimmed edge of your base fabric, as shown. Step 24 Run the Border Folding Stitch Then run the next machine step, which is the folding stitch for the border. As before, this creates the clean folded edge for your border strip. Step 25 Fold and Crease the Border Fold your border fabric up and over the folding stitch line, giving it a good firm finger crease. You may place a piece of tape along the edges if needed to hold the fabric taut against the folding stitch. Step 26 Tack the First Border Using a thread color that matches your border fabric, run the tacking stitch for the first folded fabric border. Once it is secured, your first border is complete and you can remove any tape you used to hold it. Step 27 Repeat for the Opposite Border Repeat the same folding and tacking steps for the opposing side's folded fabric border. STOP once both the top and bottom borders are tacked down. Step 28 Trim the Excess Fabric Tabs Now use your scissors to trim away the excess fabric tabs from the left and right sides of your first two borders, as shown. NOTE: This is a vital step in folded fabric borders — trimming these tabs keeps your machine's foot from catching on loose fabric when it travels around for the left and right placement stitches. Step 29 Check the Trimmed Borders Once you have finished trimming the excess tabs of fabric, you should have something that looks like this — two clean, tacked borders with tidy corners. Step 30 Complete the Remaining Borders Repeat the same three-step folded fabric process — fold, crease, tack — for the remaining borders until all of them are complete and your block is fully framed. Step 31 Remove and Trim the Block When the design has finished running, remove it from the embroidery hoop. Using a ruler and rotary cutter, trim your block to a 1/2" seam allowance on all four sides. Step 32 Finished Block Your Folded Fabric quilt block is now complete! With its crisp folded edges and clean borders, it's ready to piece into your next project. 💡 PRO TIP Folded fabric shines when you plan your color placement ahead of time. Lay out your accent and border fabrics before you start stitching so the folds and borders frame your block exactly the way you imagined. Your Folded Fabric Quilt Block Is Complete! Crisp edges, clean borders, and a seamless finish — now make it yours. Download Files Folded Fabric | Anita's Tutorials | Anita Goodesign

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How To - Tile Scene - Fundamentals

How To - Tile Scene - Fundamentals

ANITA GOODESIGN | Anita’s Tutorials Tile Scene Build a stunning multi-block scene — one block at a time SKILL LEVEL Beginner Friendly HOOPINGS Single Hooping TECHNIQUE Appliqué & Piecing A Tile Scene is a single piece of original artwork that has been divided up and digitized across several quilt blocks. You stitch each block on its own, then piece them back together so the separate panels reunite into one complete picture — in this tutorial, a charming bumblebee. Anita Goodesign has crafted many tile scenes over the years, from quaint cottages and gentle nods to nature to more ornate scenes. Whatever theme you choose, the technique is the same, and the payoff is a beautiful stitched scene you will be proud to display. MATERIALS LIST ◆ No-Show mesh stabilizer ◆ Quilt batting ◆ Base fabric ◆ Appliqué fabrics ◆ Embroidery threads ◆ Curved-tip embroidery scissors ◆ Ruler ◆ Rotary cutter and mat ◆ Embroidery hoop ◆ 75/11 embroidery needle Step 1 Hoop Your Stabilizer Hoop a piece of No-Show mesh stabilizer so it is held firm and flat in your embroidery hoop. This stabilizer is the foundation for every stitch that follows, so make sure it is taut with no slack. Then load the first of the four block files for your tile scene — in this example we are stitching design file F-TS1. Step 2 Run the Squaring Stitch Run the first machine step, which is the squaring stitch. This stitched outline marks exactly where your batting needs to go and acts as your roadmap for everything that comes next, so let it finish completely before moving on. Step 3 Place the Batting Take a piece of quilt batting and lay it directly over the squaring stitches, making sure it covers the outline on all four sides. It is fine for the batting to extend past the lines for now — you will trim it neatly in a later step. Step 4 Run the Tacking Stitch Run the next machine step, the tacking stitch. This step stitches around the batting and locks it firmly to the stabilizer so nothing shifts while you continue building the block. Step 5 Trim the Batting Using a pair of curved-tip embroidery scissors, carefully trim away the excess batting as close to the tacking stitch line as you can on all sides. Take your time and avoid clipping the stitches — clean trimming here keeps the finished block smooth and tidy. Step 6 Place Your Base Fabric Lay your base fabric right side facing up over the batting block. Be sure the piece is large enough to cover the entire block while still leaving roughly a 1/2″ of extra fabric on all sides for a seam allowance. Smooth it gently from the center outward to remove any wrinkles. Step 7 Tack Down the Base Fabric Run the next machine step in a matching thread color. This is the tacking stitch that secures your base fabric to the layers underneath. Once it finishes, the full outline of the block will be visible with the fabric held firmly in place. Step 8 Stitch to the First Appliqué Keep running the numbered machine steps in order, following the indicated color changes as you go, until the machine reaches a placement stitch for your first appliqué. This placement outline shows you exactly where the appliqué fabric belongs. Step 9 Place the Appliqué Fabric Take a piece of appliqué fabric and lay it right side facing up over the placement stitch area, making sure it covers the entire outline with a little extra all around. Step 10 Tack Down the Appliqué Run the next machine step, which is the tacking stitch for the appliqué. This stitches around the shape and holds the appliqué fabric securely to the block. 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Go ahead and stitch the remaining three blocks in the scene the same way, then read on to see how they all get joined together. JOINING YOUR TILE SCENE BLOCKS Step 16 Lay Out Your Blocks Once all four blocks are stitched and trimmed, lay them out in the order indicated by the design so the full picture lines up correctly. Take a moment to confirm the arrangement before you start sewing. Step 17 Sew Each Row Work one row at a time. Place one block on top of its neighbor with right sides facing together, then pin or clip them just past the tacking stitch lines. Take the pair to your sewing machine and join them with a straight stitch along their shared edge. Step 18 Press the Seams Open After sewing each row, use a steam iron to butterfly press the seams open on the back. Pressing the seams flat prevents bumps and ridges in the finished scene. Your joined rows should look smooth and flat once pressed. Step 19 Join the Rows Now join the rows to each other the same way. Place the top row of blocks face down over the row below it, line up the seams, pin or clip in place, and straight stitch along the edge at your sewing machine. Step 20 Your Tile Scene Is Complete Once every block and row is joined and pressed, your tile scene comes together into one complete picture. Read on to the Mix & Match Quilting section to see how we back and bind our finished pieces! 💡 PRO TIP Tile scenes only look their best when the panels line up, so accuracy matters more than speed. Trim each block to an even 1/2″ seam allowance and press every seam open before joining — those two habits keep the artwork aligned and the finished surface flat. Your Tile Scene Is Complete! Four blocks, one beautiful picture. Choose your favorite scene and make it yours. Download File Tile Scene | Anita’s Tutorials | Anita Goodesign

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How To - Cutwork - Fundamentals

How To - Cutwork - Fundamentals

ANITA GOODESIGN | Anita’s Tutorials Cutwork Fundamentals Master the art of cutwork embroidery — one window at a time SKILL LEVEL Beginner Friendly HOOPINGS Single Hooping TECHNIQUE Cutwork Cutwork embroidery is a technique where certain areas of your project’s base fabric are removed, or cut out, to create a striking negative-space effect. Cutwork designs include a special marking stitch, so you always know exactly which areas need to be trimmed. The key is leaving your Wash-Away stabilizer intact beneath the fabric you trim, giving the open windows a surface to stabilize against until the design is finished. A quick rinse in hot water then dissolves the remaining stabilizer, leaving a stunning series of “windows” peeking through your fabric — a wonderful, low-density way to add detail to clothing and linens alike. MATERIALS LIST ◆ Wash-Away stabilizer ◆ Base fabric ◆ Appliqué fabric ◆ Embroidery threads ◆ Coordinating bobbin thread ◆ Curved-tip embroidery scissors ◆ Ruler ◆ Rotary cutter and mat ◆ Embroidery hoop ◆ 75/11 embroidery needle Step 1 Hoop the Stabilizer Begin by hooping a piece of Wash-Away stabilizer together with your base fabric, pulling both layers drum-tight so there is no slack. The stabilizer sits underneath and supports the open areas you’ll cut later. (In this example, the base fabric is blue cotton.) Step 2 Run the Marking Stitch Run the first machine step. This is the special marking stitch, and it stitches an outline that shows you exactly where the cutwork openings of the design will be — think of it as a map for the trimming you’re about to do. Step 3 Slice Into the Base Fabric Using a seam ripper or curved-tip embroidery scissors, gently slice into the base fabric inside the marked area. Cut through the top fabric only, taking care not to nick or puncture the Wash-Away stabilizer underneath, since it needs to stay intact to support the window. Step 4 Cut Out the Fabric Once you have an opening, use your scissors to carefully cut away all of the base fabric that sits inside the marking stitches. Trim close to the stitched line for clean edges, again leaving the stabilizer below untouched. Step 5 Check Your Window Once trimmed, your cutwork window should look like this. Notice that the Wash-Away stabilizer is still fully intact inside the opening — that intact layer is what holds the window stable while the rest of the design stitches out. Step 6 Stitch the Cutwork Edges Run the next machine step. This is the specially digitized stitching that wraps and secures the raw fabric edges around each window, finishing them neatly and creating the signature cutwork look. Step 7 Run the Appliqué Placement Stitch Continue to the next machine step, which stitches a placement outline for your first standard appliqué. This light outline shows you exactly where to lay your appliqué fabric in the following step. Step 8 Place the Appliqué Fabric Place your appliqué fabric right side up over the placement outline, making sure it extends past the stitched line on all sides so the entire outline is covered. Smooth it flat before moving on. Step 9 Tack Down the Appliqué Run the next machine step — a tacking stitch that holds the appliqué fabric firmly in place against the design. This locks the fabric down so it won’t shift when you trim it. Step 10 Trim the Appliqué Now carefully trim away the excess appliqué fabric, cutting close to the tacking stitches without clipping them. Once trimmed, the design will look like this, with the appliqué shape neatly revealed. Step 11 Stitch the Decorative Details Continue on to run the decorative embroidery steps. Follow your design’s numbered machine steps in order, changing thread colors whenever the design calls for it, to build up the finished detail. Step 12 Finish All Machine Steps When every machine step is complete, your design should look something like this — the cutwork windows, appliqué, and decorative stitching all finished together inside the hoop. Step 13 Trim to Size With the stitching finished, remove the project from the hoop. Using a rotary cutter and ruler, trim the piece down to your desired finished dimensions, keeping your cuts straight and even. Step 14 Rinse Away the Stabilizer Rinse the finished design in hot water to dissolve any remaining Wash-Away stabilizer. As it washes away, the open cutwork windows are revealed. Press gently with a dry towel and lay the piece flat to dry. Step 15 Your Cutwork Is Complete You’ve now created a beautiful cutwork design! The crisp open windows and layered appliqué are ready to show off on a garment, pillow, or linen of your choice. 💡 PRO TIP The secret to clean cutwork is to leave your Wash-Away stabilizer completely intact beneath the areas you trim. Always cut the base fabric only, never the stabilizer below — it supports the open windows while you stitch, then rinses away at the end to reveal crisp, professional edges. Your Cutwork Design Is Complete! Rinse, press, and admire the windows you’ve created — then add elegant cutwork detail to garments and linens alike. Download Files Cutwork Fundamentals | Anita’s Tutorials | Anita Goodesign

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