Sandra Betzina, host of HGTV's Sew Perfect, creates a unique garter for the bride, in keeping with the "something blue" portion of the old wedding tradition. She also explains how to make a lace flower embellishment to accessorize shoes. Materials:
Two 24" pieces of 1"- or 1-1/2"-wide blue satin ribbon
One 24" piece 1"-wide white lace
One 24" piece 3"-wide white lace
Sewing machine
Thread
Measuring tape
Scissors
1/4"-wide elastic
Elastic guide or safety pin
- Cut lace and ribbon into 24" lengths, a size suitable for the average thigh. If necessary, cut 30"-long pieces for a larger leg.
- Place the edge of the 3" lace along one edge of one piece of blue ribbon, with the right side of the lace and the wrong side of the ribbon facing up. The lace should overlap the ribbon about 1/4". Stitch the lace onto the ribbon (figure A).
- Stitch the 1" lace along the other edge of the ribbon, with the right side of the lace and the wrong side of the ribbon facing up (figure B).
- Lay the second piece of ribbon on top of the first, with wrong sides together (or the right side of the second piece of ribbon facing up), and stitch the second piece of ribbon into place (figure C).
- Make a double casing for the elastic by stitching down the center of the ribbons. Don't worry if your stitching isn't perfect. You won't see it once the elastic is put in and the ribbon is gathered (figure D).
- Thread a 12" piece of elastic onto an elastic guide or safety pin, and push it through one of the casings or channels created by the stitching on the ribbon. To make it easier to thread the guide, cut the end of the elastic at an angle. Once the elastic is threaded through the ribbon casing, pin it to the ribbon at both ends so the elastic doesn't come out of the casing. Thread another 12" piece of elastic through the second casing.
- Fold the garter in half with the right sides of the elastic together, placing the ends together. Pin the garter, and try it on to check the fit. Stitch across the end. Zigzag, using a wide, long stitch, across the end again for added security. If the lace gets caught in the two prongs of the stitching foot, wrap the prongs with a piece of transparent tape. Trim excess fabric from the ends, and turn the garter right side out (figure E).
Shoe Decorations Materials:
8" to 10" piece of 1"-wide lace
String
Sewing machine
Needle and thread
Small strung pearls
Silk charmeuse fabric
Fabric glue
Small silk roses
Shoe clips
- Cut an 8" to 10" length of 1"-wide lace and a piece of string the same length. Place the string on top of the lace along one edge, and zigzag-stitch over the string the entire length, creating a gathering thread (figure F).
- Pull the string to gather the lace into a circle. Tie the two ends of the string together. Trim the ends (figure G).
- Hand-stitch a 6" string of pearls onto the lace circle, making three loops in the center of the circle (figure H).
- To make a silk rose, cut a piece of silk charmeuse 4" long and 1 1/2" wide. Taper the ends so that the piece has an oval shape (figure I). Fold the oval in half lengthwise, and roll the fabric loosely into a rose. The folded edge will be the top of the rose. Tack the rose together at the bottom with a needle and thread (figure J).
- Glue the silk rose in the center of the lace circle, using fabric glue. Purchase small silk roses with wire stems, and insert them from the top of the lace circle to the back. Twist the wire stems together in back, forming a base for the shoe clip. Stitch the shoe clip to the stems, or have a shoemaker tack the lace decorations onto the shoes.
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