FREE DESIGNS

Thanks Tammie for testing and sending the photos. You did such a great job with the Instructions I decided to add them below for all to read and learn.

Free Standing Lace (FSL) Bowls & Baskets

These instructions may seem long but they are full of tips for making these and any other FSL items.

First and foremost... HAVE FUN!!!

These wonderful little bowls and baskets...just add handle to make it a basket... are only limited by your imagination. Colors in the designs are only a suggestion and to show where color breaks are. You can create an entirely different look by changing one color or not changing at all and make a solid "color on color" design. The best part is, these are simple to stitch and sew!

Preparation:

Choose your colors... have fun combining some of those colors you have in your stash.

Use the same 40 wt embroidery thread for both the top and bobbin threads. Both sides of the item will be visible when finished. Designs will usually require less than 2 bobbins of the main color depending on the type of machine and bobbins you use.

Prepare at least one bobbin full for each color you will use in the design.

Hoop 1 or 2 layers of your WSS (water soluable stabilizer) making sure it is firmly in the hoop and will not shift or give. (I use Vilene and am able to pull it tightly in the hoop). You may want to tighten your hoop screw to hold the WSS securely after pulling around the edges.

Start stitching!

When you reach a color stop, change both your top thread and bobbin threads to match. Do not remove the stabilizer from the hoop…just remove the hoop from the machine and slide it out of the way to reach the bobbin.

When stitching is complete remove from the hoop and trim excess WSS from around design. You do not need to trim super close...remember, when you wet it, all will dissolve away and when sewing together you stitch right through it.

There are different theories as to the order of the following steps. Try it both ways and see what works best for you

1. Theory

Rinse stabilizer from design using warm water.

I prefer to rinse lightly so the final item is relatively stiff. This helps it hold its shape. The easiest way I have found to rinse designs without distorting the shape is place it flat between two pieces of needlepoint plastic sheets and run the water through it. This method rinses the stabilizer out quickly. I use the hand sprayer at the kitchen sink. You can lay the canvas in the sink and spray away.

Another way to rinse is place the item in a bowl of warm to hot water and allow to soak. This method may require draining the water and rinsing again if you prefer a softer final item.

No mater how you choose to rinse your FSL design, remember, the more water you use, the softer the final item will be.

Lay rinsed item flat on an absorbant towel and blot with another towel to remove excess water. If you used plastic canvas to rinse, just gently slide item off canvas to maintain shape. Gently reshape any areas necessary while wet. Allow to lay flat to dry ... do not be tempted to pick it up and "check it out" until it begins to get a little stiff. You may use a hair dryer on a medium speed to quicken the drying. When it begins to stiffen a little, gently turn over and allow to dry on the other side. do not be alarmed if it tries to stick to the towel...just gently pull it up. Once it is dry you will be pleasantly surprised how strong it is. Do not be alarmed if there are a few loose threads sticking out somewhere. Once the item is completely dry you may trim these away without damaging the item. Do not trim until COMPLETLY dry

Once dry, it is time to sew it together. The dry and stiff item will be easy to handle under the sewing machine... you can bend and force edges together if necessary without damaging the final shape. Again, use the same thread in your bobbin as the top thread...use the color of the final outline of the item

Try different ways and machine settings until you find what works best for you. Set your machine to a zig zag stitch (for the small baskets & bowls I use a 4 mm width) and the stitch length at slightly longer than would produce a satin stitch. Place the bowl under the presser foot with the center/base behind the foot about 2/3 toward the end. You will stitch the top 1/3 first while pushing the sides together...don't worry, it does not have to be perfect! These things are very forgiving of mistakes...just sew over them again. The stiffness of the dried item will make it easier to push the sides together under the foot. Again, don't worry about bending or causing it to be out of shape...these things are more tolerant than you would think and if it does get out of shape, that is easy to fix too!

Sew to the top edge...stop..leave the item in place, and with the needle in the up position, lift the presser foot, gently turn the item around with the base now near you and lower the presser foot back over the top edge where you have already sewn. If you are gentle in turning, there will be little or no extra thread pulled from the bobbin. Think of the turning as "spinning" the item with the top and bobbin threads as the center. Now, just sew to the bottom of the sides. Be sure to do a little reverse stitch as in any sewing to secure your stitches when you finish.

You have finished one side.. just repeat the process until you have completed all sides. Do not be discouraged if it does not "look right" the first time. If any spots were missed and did not join, just stitch over them again while pushing the sides together. This is not rocket science. The more you do, the better and quicker it will become. Your personal technique will develop very quickly and it will not be long, you will be giving others advice on how to do this

If the item is to have a handle on it, now is the time to attach it. You may use a little zigzag stitch to attach..place the ends inside the bowl and line up with a seam and stitch away...you should be getting better at it by now. Another way to attach the handle is to use a hot glue gun ... I call this "the easy way out"

If the final product needs a little reshaping, just spritz with a tiny bit of water and shape with you fingers then allow to COMPLETELY dry.

2. Theory

Leave stabilizer in and sew the sides together before rinsing. Again, use a zigzag stitch to join all sides. The item is flexible and soft so you may stitch however works best for you. I suggest you stitch the top 1/3 first to make sure the top edges are matching up properly and turn to stitch down to the base. After stitching the sides together, it is time to rinse in warm to hot water to remove the stabilizer. Remove from water... (when I do it this way I set the bowl on my plastic canvas in the sink and gently use the sprayer to rinse the stabilizer out.) When finished rinsing, shape the bowl and allow to completely dry before adding the handle.

Try both methods and see what works best for you. Just have fun. It is only thread and if you really make a mess of it, try again. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the results no matter how badly you think you are doing

If your final item is stiffer than you like, just rinse it some more and reshape ... allow to dry

Then again, if it is too soft and will not hold its shape, take some of your WSS scraps and place in a bowl of water and rinse the item in it...reshape and allow to dry. The more WSS in the water, the stiffer it will be when dry

I know these instructions have been long but I hope you feel a little more confident in doing your first FSL project or for those of you who are not new to FSL… maybe you learned a new trick or two.

A final word of encouragement from a fellow embroider:

We all break needles, have thread nests and generally can’t get anything to go right. When it seems hopeless, remember, you have us to ask for help… Your embroidery friends and digitizers are here for you. Hopefully, you will never experience the despair I felt when, in the beginning, I had no one to ask and literally sat in the middle of the floor and cried because I had spent all this money and “IT WON’T WORK!!!!!” Never fear, we are here

Happy Embroidering and Crafting.

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