How to Sew Lace Trim Onto Knitting
Lace trims add that little something extra to your handmade or upcycled knitting projects. Depending on the type of lace, sewing lace trim onto a knitted sweater can add a hint of romance, a bit of funky chic or a sophisticated continental flair. A few basic techniques will help you professionally apply lace trim to knit items.
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Things You'll Need
- Lace trim
- Temporary spray adhesive
- Thread
- Water soluble stabilizer or interfacing
- Cotton muslin
Instructions
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Adding Knit Trim to A Cardigan Collar
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1
Choose lace that has a distinct top edge and a bottom edge that can be spread apart. Lace with medallion or leaf motifs work well.
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2
Measure the top edge of the lace against the cardigan collar and cut a piece of lace to fit.
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3
Pin the top of the lace to the collar. Carefully trim the bottom edge of the lace, cutting motifs apart if needed to spread them evenly across the front, shoulders and back of the sweater. Do not cut through the top edge of the lace.
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4
Remove lace from the sweater and lay it flat on a table face down. Spray the back of the lace with spray adhesive and replace it on the sweater. The adhesive will hold the lace in place while you sew and wash away the first time that you wash the sweater.
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5
Stitch the top of the lace to the cardigan collar using a sewing machine or by hand.
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6
Stitch around the decorative motifs, sewing them to the sweater. If you are using a sewing machine, use a piece of water-soluble interfacing or stabilizer under the sweater to keep the needle from pushing the yarn into the feed dogs and snagging.
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7
Wash the sweater to remove the temporary spray adhesive and remaining traces of stabilizer.
Inset a Lace Medallion
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8
Cut out a piece of lace that contains an entire medallion or the section of the lace that you want to use in your applique inset. Cut a piece of muslin the same size.
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9
Place the medallion on the muslin and pin in place outside the medallion area.
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10
Using a narrow zigzag stitch, stitch around the edges of the lace motif, sewing it to the muslin.
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11
Cut out the motif, leaving 1/4 inch of muslin around the outside. Trim away the muslin inside the motif using cuticle or embroidery scissors. Turn the sweater inside out. Use spray adhesive to affix the prepared lace motif to the wrong side of the sweater.
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12
With wrong side facing, stitch around the motif using a buttonhole stitch or zigzag stitch. Clip the muslin close to the stitching. Turn the sweater right side out. Using embroidery or cuticle scissors, carefully trim the sweater away inside the stitching to reveal the lace motif inset.
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