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[piebaldbully]

Can anyone tell me what if anything you need to do to sew out FSL designs? stablizer ? , thread type ? (poly, rayon or cotton) I am well into my first year of this and enjoy every minute of it. I just bought my first membership to this site and it is well worth the cost. The Jacobean butterflies are beautiful and are stitching out nice.
FYI, cutiepie my daughter loves the girly skulls too.

[ScreenBags]

In the Articles area of the website, there are lots of instructions and how to's. For some reason, the "Article" link is in a super-teeny-tiny font near the bottom of the main page.

It seems to go to the same webpage as the link for "Instructions" -- which is listed at the left-hand side of the web's homepage with a bunch of other links. The website has a lot of info but it's not very organized. (For example, I wish the links on the right-hand side of the web's homepage were in alpha order.)

Anyway, the FSL instructions are here:
http://articles.designsbysick.com/how-to-do-free-standing-lace-by-andee-in-az-and-vicky-krupka/

[piebaldbully]

thanks sew much... I missed that.

[Cutiepie]

Yay! I'm glad to hear that someone enjoys the Girly Skulls. They are kind of odd, but then again, not everyone likes the same type of stuff. My favorite from that set is the zombie bunny.

I haven't actually read the instructions you were sent to about doing FSL, but I can give you my own opinions:

First, NEVER TRY TO RESIZE FREE-STANDING LACE! You will only end up with problems. The spacing of the stitches as well as the density needs to be pretty specific.

Next, with true free-standing lace, you sew it out on water soluble stabilizer; non-free standing lace needs to be sewn out on tulle, or organza, or something else sheer to hold it together. I have had success with sheer tricot, but that's not always easy to find. There are two different main types of water soluble stabilizer. The first, which is also called "topper" is kind of like clear plastic wrap in appearance. It ranges in weight from very thin to similar to a ground tarp in heft. While this could be used to make FSL, especially the heavier weights, you would need a few layers of it to keep the stitches from tearing it as you sew. The second actually looks more like interfacing or non-woven fabric. It is white. There are several different brands, such as the H2O-gone that is sold at Wal-Marts with fabric departments and Viline (I think I'm misspelling that name). I believe that Floriani makes one, and there are also several others. This is the best type to use since it is sturdy enough to handle the amount of stitches, yet it will dissolve in water, leaving you with only the lace itself when you are done.

FSL is very stitch intensive, and uses a lot of thread. Use the same thread on the top and in the bobbin, since the back won't be hidden like most embroidery is. Technically, you can use any type of thread that you want, but I have found that the polyester is sturdiest for the best price, and so you are less likely to have thread breaks in the middle of your piece. Using 100% cotton thread gives a lovely (almost antiqued) look, but it is also very prone to leaving lint behind in your bobbin case and will break easier than the polyester. If you use the cotton thread, be sure to clean out under your throat plate frequently. On a First Blessing dress that I made for my niece, I actually used 100% silk thread for the lace. Beautiful, but expensive.

When you have stitched out your piece, remove it from the hoop and then trim the stabilizer close to the stitching without cutting it. You want to remove as much of the stabilizer as you can without damaging the lace. Then, there are a few different techniques that I have heard of. Some stabilizers rinse out beautifully just being run under warm water. Others take a bit more work. I have heard of people using small crock pots to heat the water they place the lace into, and have also heard of placing it in a pan on the stove at a medium-low heat.

Depending on what you are making and what you are going to use it for (ie. a collar vs a FSL bowl) you will probably not want to rinse out all of the stabilizer. A bit left in the piece will help it to retain body. Since WSS is basically made from starch, it will just dissolve into the water, so it is a good idea (especially if you have several pieces to rinse) to not just let the water run down the drain. There is a potential of build-up in your pipes. Besides, when you keep the starch-water, you can use it to help stiffen up your pieces later. Or, you could use regular laundry spray-starch for that, if you wish.

Um, I know there was at least one other thing that I was going to mention, but suddenly my mind has stopped cooperating with me. If anyone has anything else to add, please do!