Easter bunny freestanding lace ornament tutorial
This machine embroidery tutorial will show you how to create a freestanding lace Easter window decoration.
In order to create the Easter bunny freestanding lace window decoration, featured on our site, you will need:
- Our Freestanding lace Easter bunny window decoration : SKU 10573 Easter bunny freestanding lace window decoration
- Water-soluble stabilizer suitable for freestanding lace (we prefer Vilene DO4)
- Suitable machine embroidery thread:
We find that polyester thread for sewing machine is especially suitable for freestanding lace designs. In order to have the stitched out embroidery look the same on both sides, we would recommend that you use the same upper thread and bobbin thread in case you use normal thread. - Adhesive spray or suitable glue stick to be used for attaching pieces of water-soluble stabilizer. Whatever you use must be able to stick on the water-soluble stabilizer without damaging it and must also be water-soluble, so that the glue could be washed away at the end.
- A suitable base for assembling the parts of the design. It should provide enough support for pressing 2 pieces together after using the glue, but at the same time allow to easily stick a pin. A cork tile may be just what you need.
Warning: This freestanding lace ornament was designed using a different “assemble as you stitch” technique. Unlike other designs of this type you will NOT first stitch out the components and then put them together using manual or machine connecting stitches. The parts of the Easter bunny will be successively assembled in the process of stitching out the freestanding lace.
While we find that this technique is generally easier and allows creating beautiful freestanding lace ornaments with seamlessly connected elements, it also means that one MUST strictly follow the required steps and order of creating and connecting design parts. Sufficiently good stabilizing has always been very important when doing freestanding lace embroidery. In this case good stabilizing will be crucial to the success, because this technique provides a smaller margin for errors. If the parts do not align correctly due to insufficiently good stabilizing, you will (most likely) not be able to correct this and will have to start over. Having in mind that you will have successively connected together several parts of the design, it will not be possible to redo just the piece that went wrong. If you make a mistake when doing the last piece of the design you will most probably have to start from the very beginning …
So, now that you’ve been warned, just take your time and make sure you get everything right! It is NOT so difficult. You CAN definitely do it!
Step-by-step instructions for creating the Easter bunny freestanding lace window ornament
1. Make sure you first have a look at the machine embroidery files. You have six of them and the file names contain *–P1, *-P2, etc. The numbers show the order for stitching out the design. You must start with P1 (= part #1) and work your way through to the last one – P6.
As you may have already noticed, each of the design files includes a number of cross or X-shaped stitches. They are very important because they are the marks that will make it possible to precisely align the design parts. We have used blue and red thread for these stitches. This was done to make them more visible on the images when creating the current instructions. Of course, this makes them easier to use when aligning the design parts. It is up to you if you will use the red and blue thread. If you want, you may do them with the same thread you use for the whole ornament. This will save you some time as you’ll skip some thread changes.
The next image shows all design parts. The numbers in red indicate the part number. E.g the red #1 indicates that this is design part #1. I.e., this is the one to start with. The black numbers alongside the cross of X marks show the number of the mark and indicate how to match the alignment marks – e.g. #1 goes to #1, #2 goes to #2, etc.
2. The Easter bunny must be stitched out in the following order:
- Stitch out part #1, including the 3 alignment marks
- Add part #2 to part #1
- Stitch out part #3 (the head)
- Add #4 to part #3
- Align and add design part #5 to the already connected part 1+2 and part 3+4
- Align and add part #6 to the rest
3. In the course of the above procedures, you will have to repeatedly do the following:
- Hoop the water-soluble stabilizer. Depending on the type of stabilizer you are using, you may have to hoop up to 4 layers. Please use the smallest hoop possible and do not try to do more than 1 design in a single hoop. Make sure the stabilizer is hooped very tight and stays that way during the whole stitching out process.
- Stitch out the freestanding lace ornament parts. In the process of stitching carefully cut off any loose thread ends you may get.
4. This is how you should proceed with the “assemble as you stitch” technique
1.Stitch out part # 1, including the alignment marks
2.Take the stabilizer off the hoop and cut away the excess stabilizer. Make sure you leave enough space around the stitches and do NOT cut away the alignment markers. Before proceeding – clean the connecting threads between the markers on both sides. You will not want them to remain under the lace.
3. Hoop the stabilizer for part #2 and stitch the alignment markers.
4.Remove the connecting stitches from both sides.
5. Take the hoop off the machine and place it on the cork tile (or whatever base you have chosen to use)
6. Place the piece of stabilizer with part # 1 you prepared in step 2 on top and start matching the alignment marks. Remember! 1 goes to 1, 2 goes to 2, etc.
Take your time and make sure the marks are perfectly aligned. This will be easier if you put a pin through the centers of the matching crosses.
Pin the stabilizer to the base.
Use the glue (or adhesive spray) to stick the two pieces of stabilizer together.
Gently press the 2 pieces of stabilizer together. Be careful and make sure the alignment markers remain perfectly matched.
When the glue is holding the 2 pieces reliably together you can carefully remove the pins.
7. Place the hoop back on the machine and continue with stitching the next part of the design. In the process of stitching, the new stitches will interconnect with the existing stitches of the previous part, so that the 2 parts will be seamlessly connected as if the lace was stitched in one pass.
The stitching of the next part is finished with stitching the alignment markers.
Cut away the excess stabilizer around the combination of part 1 and part 2, don’t forget to clean the connecting thread between the alignment markers as mentioned in step 4 above and leave it aside for the moment.
8. Hoop the stabilizer and stitch out part #3 (the head) including the alignment markers.
9. Prepare the next hoop and stitch out the alignment markers for part #4.
10. Take the hoop off the machine. Clean the connecting threads on both sides. Place the hoop on the cork tile, put the stabilizer with part # 3 (the head) on top and start matching the alignment markers as explained in step 6 above.
When you have matched all marks, stick part #3 to the hooped stabilizer using glue or adhesive spray.
11. Place the hoop back on your machine and stitch out part #4 including the alignment markers.
12. Remove the hoop from the machine, clean the connecting threads on both sides and cut away the excess stabilizer around as you did in the previous steps.
13. Hoop stabilizer for stitching part # 5 and do the alignment marks. Then take the hoop off the machine and place it on the cork tile.
14. Using the alignment markers you will have to now match part #5 to the combinations of part 1 + 2 and part 3 + 4 you created earlier.
As explained earlier use pins to match the markers and then stick together the pieces with the glue (or adhesive spray).
15. Place the hoop back on your machine and stitch out part #5. In the process of stitching part #5 will be integrated with parts of the design you created earlier. The stitching of part #5 will finish with stitching out the next set of alignment markers you will need for matching part #6 to the rest of the design.
16. Remove from hoop and cut away excess stabilizer. Before proceeding further, please make sure you cut out the alignment marker located ABOVE the tail of the bunny (place indicated by the red arrow). You must do this because otherwise this marker will remain under the lace and you do not want it to be visible there.
You will now have an almost ready Easter bunny ornament including parts 1 through 5.
17. Prepare a new hoop for part #6 and do the placement markers. Do not forget to remove the connecting threads on both sides.
18. Place the hoop on the cork tile, put the lace you prepared in step 16 on top and match the alignment markers as explained previously.
Take your time and make sure the markers are matched perfectly. You do not want to make any mistakes now, that you are so close to the finish!
When the 2 pieces are reliably attached to each other with the glue, remove the pins and place the hoop back on your machine.
19. Stitch out part # 6 (the basket with the Easter eggs)
20. When you are done stitching, take the hoop off the machine and cut away the excess stabilizer. You have now only 2 simple steps left!
21. Place the Easter bunny ornament in water and leave it there until the visible traces of stabilizer are gone.
22. Take the lace out of the water, let it dry on a towel and then iron it. Do not iron the lace directly. Put some soft fabric on top.
Congratulations! You have done it!!!
