Lace Embellished T-Shirt

In this machine embroidery tutorial, you’ll learn how to elevate a plain t-shirt into a stylish addition to your wardrobe with the simple addition of some freestanding lace! Using just a few embroidery supplies, follow these steps to create a one-of-a-kind piece of clothing that’s sure to earn you lots of compliments. It’s a great introduction to stitching freestanding lace for beginners who have never tried this versatile machine embroidery technique. Let’s get started on sprucing up that comfy t-shirt collection of yours with this wonderful, simple-to-complete embellishment!

Supplies:

• Buildable Freestanding Lace Doilies #12794
• OESD AquaMesh Plus WashAway Stabilizer
• OESD Perfect Embroidery Press Cloth
• A Favorite T-Shirt

Instructions:

Step 1

Gather your supplies.

Step 2

Take your t-shirt and measure from edge to edge on the front hemline.

Step 3

On the shirt we used, the measurement of the hemline is 21.375” while the design we chose to stitch is 5.16”. Divide the hemline into 4 to give the actual measurement you’ll need for each design. 21.375” divided by 4 = 5.344”. Using embroidery software, slightly adjust the size of your design to exactly the measurement you need.

Step 4

Mark the bottom center of the t-shirt.

Step 5

Cut a piece of AquaMesh Plus about 4 ½” tall and a bit longer than the width of the t-shirt. Peel the paper off the piece of the AquaMesh Plus.

Step 6

Place the AquaMesh Plus sticky side up on top of the t-shirt.

Step 7

On your AquaMesh Plus, mark the bottom edge of the shirt’s cover stitch.

Step 8

Carefully trim the AquaMesh Plus to the edge of the t-shirt. This is so the top layer of the AquaMesh Plus doesn’t stick to the AquaMesh Plus that you’ll hoop.

Step 9

Hoop AquaMesh Plus with shiny side facing up, and score the paper to remove it. Embroidering one design at a time works best for this project, so you can use a smaller hoop.

Step 10

Place the bottom of the T-shirt on the AquaMesh Plus with the excess of the shirt to the left of the machine.

Step 11

Use your embroidery machine features to fine-tune the placement of the shirt and design.

Step 12

Bring up the bobbin thread to avoid tails underneath.

Step 13

Embroider the first design. Remove the hoop from the embroidery module, and then remove the t-shirt from the hoop. Trim the AquaMesh Plus around the embroidery only, NOT the AquaMesh Plus on top of the t-shirt.

Step 14

Repeat the steps above until all 4 designs have been embroidered.

Step 15

When all the embroidery is done, trim off ALL of the AquaMesh Plus close to the lace and t-shirt.

Step 16

Use warm running water to rinse off all the AquaMesh Plus. To be sure all of the stabilizer is removed, you can put the t-shirt through the washing machine.

Step 17

Once dried, using the Perfect Embroidery Press Cloth, press from the back side.

Step 18

Enjoy your new lace-embellished t-shirt! Pair it with your favorite pants or skirt and accessories that suit your style!