How to Add Lace Inserts to Most Any Garment

Lace inserts are beautiful with lingerie, blouses, even blue jeans. The inserts aren’t that difficult to put in but there’s a few things you need to know before beginning. One thing you need to know before inserting lace is to what type of fabric you are attaching it. Lingerie, for instance, usually won’t unravel so there won’t be any hemming necessary with most lingerie projects. Other fabrics will unravel making it necessary to hem the cut-out area before inserting lace.

Start with something easy such as a nylon gown or teddy. Cut it in half, at an angle, to prepare for the lace insert. You can cut it from just below the waist on one side to just below the underarm area on the other side. Or, cut it from by the ankle to just around the underarm area on the other side. You can also make the insert only on the front side and leave the backside as-is.

Decide on the width of the insert. You can make it as wide or narrow as you wish. After having cut the gown in half you’ll need to trim the garment to size. For example, if you will be inserting a 5″ wide lace piece you’ll need to trim 2″ off each side of the halved gown. That will make 4″ you’ve trimmed away. The other inch is used to attach the lace insert to the gown.

After trimming the gown for the lace insert, pin the insert in place, on each side of the halved garment. The garment will have to be turned inside-out to attach the lace insert. Make sure the lace exactly matches up with the gown as you’re pinning it. Stitch, removing pins as you go along. Since lingerie fabrics normally don’t unravel they are some of the easiest garments with which to try the inserts.

Other garments, like a blouse, may unravel after you insert the lace piece. Cut the area out of the blouse where you will insert the lace. It can be a heart cut out of the sleeve, a strip cut down both sleeves, or another design. Designs like a heart cut out of a sleeve do not need any trimming to allow for the lace insertion. Designs that require you to cut a piece of the garment in half, do require the trimming for the lace insertion.

After making the cuts, and trimming the halved pieces to allow for the insertion, treat the edges of the blouse cut-out area with no-fray. No-fray is a liquid product, found at any sewing supplies store, that prevents the garment from unraveling in the laundry. Allow the liquid to dry and set.

Insert the lace piece by first pinning it in place then stitching. If the lace insert is a heart, or another design, meant to slip into place simply fold the edges back on the garment, around the cut-out, while stitching in the lace.

Small lace inserts, such as hearts, diamond or moon shapes, ovals or circles, are much easier done with fabric glue. Make the small cut-out of the fabric then make the lace insert. Apply the fabric glue to the right-side edges of the lace piece and attach it to the backside of the cloth. Some people use the glue to hold the lace in place, then stitch around the lace insert to secure it further.

A dress that is a little tight in the thigh area is a perfect dress on which to practice. Cut two triangles out of the thigh section of the dress, on each side. Use the cut-outs to make lace pieces that will take the place of the cloth. Cut the lace considerably larger than the original cloth piece to allow easier sewing of the insert and to give you much extra room in the skirt. But, don’t cut the triangle much larger than the cloth since it will need to be the same length as the original cloth piece.

It’s not altogether necessary to make the insertions lace. You can also make them from a different fabric or insert wide ribbon instead. Start with small garments to get in some practice then move on to larger, more challenging insertions. They’re easy to do and you’ll love the way they look.