Sewing Patterns & Supplies

Tips for sewing lace on t-shirts with a sewing machine?

I'm sprucing up a plain t-shirt. I want to sew on panels of lace on the shirt (maybe on the sides of the shirt, or the back). I've never worked with lace before so is there a specific stitching I'm suppose to use? I'm worried it'll tear or something. Any other tips would be nice. Thanks!

Use a zig zag stitch and a good quality polyester thread. Match the needle to the fabric, so a fine stretch needle will work well. You need to be sure that there is some stretch in the lace as it's being applied to the t-shirt so the lace doesn't rip when the shirt stretches over the body. You can buy stretch laces. All these need is a simple zig zag stitch to hold them in place. There's far more selection in non stretch laces so they require a differenet technique. Here's how I do it.

For horizontal across the body lace application: I cut the lace 30% longer than the shirt when it's flat. For example, if the lace is going around the midriff of the shirt I measure the shirt flat, in my example it's 14 inches. to get 30% I multiply 14x.30 which is 4.2. I add 4.2 inches to 14 and round off. So i cut a piece of lace 18 inches long. I pin the lace at the half way, then the quarters and then on the eighths. This will leave little lumps and ripples and it will look like the lace is too large. Place the lace and shirt under the foot and sew using a zig zag that's close 1.5 mm long and about 3.5 mm wide While you sew stretch the T gently, don't yank it through the machine or pull on it, let the machine pull the fabric through without your help, you are just holding the fabric. When you release the fabric the lace will have a bit of stretch, about the same as a standard interlock t-shirt. If the t is very close fitting super stretch fabric then you need to use a higher percentage, about 45 to 50, depending on how tight you wear your shirt. If you don't want to do the math, stretch the shirt and pin the lace on as you stretch, this will give you enough lace so it won't tear.

For Vertical up-and down lace: first answer the question, does the garment stretch up and down? If no, then don't bother making the lace longer and use a basic zig zag stitch to sew it down. If it does stretch then pin the lace down as your stretch. Length stretching on shirts is unpredictable, but it's usually 15%.

Loosen up the top thread tension a bit and if you can adjust the pressure on the presser foot, reduce the pressure. If you are cutting away the fabric after applying the lace then be very careful that you don't cut the lace by mistake. I make one small cut, insert a chopstick between the lace and fabric, make a single cut, and then trim down to a scant 1/8 from the zig zag stitching.

If you have a cover-stitch machine then it's even easier. Use a textured nylon or polyester thread in the chain looper and a decorative thread in the needles. Trim the excess fabric away under the lace if you want. Or not.

Here's a stretch velvet top with applied lace on the neckline and at the midriff. I used black non-stretch lace and used the 30% calculation under the midriff and none on the neck. The neck didn't need to stretch. I didn't cut away the fabric under the lace because the lace was itchy nylon. This is a re-construction, the velvet was a skirt originally and the lace is from the bottom of a ripped boho skirt.

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