How to Cut a Dress to Put in a Criss-Cross Pattern of Lace

Lace cut-outs are often found in formal wear.

Criss-cross lace patterns add a unique, feminine touch to a traditional dress. Adding these patterns to a partially or completely finished dress takes minimal sewing skill but requires great care, as lace is delicate and tears easily. Choose a pattern that best complements the style of your dress and your figure. Many dresses feature lace cut-outs as a part of the design of the back of a dress. Smaller lace cut-outs look more conservative while large cut-outs may look provocative.

Things You'll Need

• Pattern
• Fabric shears
• Fabric chalk
• Dress
• Sewing machine
• Towel

Instructions

1. Print out the lace cut-out pattern. You can find these patterns on sewing websites or in sewing books, or you can design your own pattern.

2. Cut the pattern out using scissors. Cut around the edges carefully to preserve the appropriate shape.

3. Lay your dress on a sturdy table with the side to be cut facing you. If you are adding a cut-out to the back of your dress, the back of the dress should face you. Place a towel between the front and back of the dress to protect the other side of the dress from damage. Use a towel that contrasts with the color of the dress.

4. Set the pattern on the dress in the appropriate place. Outline the pattern with fabric chalk.

5. Cut the excess fabric from the dress using fabric scissors. If the hole is in the middle of the dress, pull the fabric of the dress towards your body and pinch it. Snip the pinched area to create a cut in the center of the dress. Expand the size of the hole by gently cutting along the fabric until you reach the chalk outline and follow the outline until you remove the fabric.

6. Add seams. Fold a small portion of the recently cut edge of the dress so that the edge touches the inside of a dress. Run this edge through the sewing machine to create a seam. This is not always necessary and will depend entirely on the lace cut-out pattern you will add to your dress. If most of the lace will directly connect to the dress fabric, do not add seams.

References

• Start Sewing: Best Way to Alter a Dress