What shape petticoat should I make?

The exact shape of the skirts vary quite a bit during the Belle Époque period: in the mid-1890s the fashionable skirt silhouette was almost triangular; in the early 1900s the skirts seemed to cling down to the knee (the fashion illustration below is actually less extreme then many of the photos of the time, which increase the effect by twisting the train around the legs towards the front); in the late 1900s there is a brief fad for full skirts with a comparatively raised waist, only to swing towards extremely narrow skirts (retaining the higher waist line) at the end of the decade.

1895	1903
1906	1909

 

How should I decorate the petticoat?

This second question is closely related to the first. The decoration (especially tucks) has a lot of effect on the shape and how much “floof” a petticoat has:

© Elizabeth Chiang The author in a petticoat made using Past Patterns #109 without the decorative ruffle	© Elizabeth Chiang The author in the same petticoat with a decorative ruffle

It was considered rather immoral to wear fancy lace-trimmed underwear throughout most of the nineteenth century. However, during the Belle Époque period, petticoats (and other underwear) became incredibly elaborate; advertisements show petticoats trimmed with lace, ruching, tucks and frills. One observer positively frothed, “we must all frou-frou ‘till we can’t frou-frou any more.”

 

Definition of Terms

Before I get started here are some terms that I will be using, which you may or may not be familiar with:

Term	Definition	Example
Lace edging	Lace with one side straight and one edge finished, usually with scallops or some sort of decorative border. Lace ruffles generally use lace edging. It's the most common type of lace found at fabric stores.	Four examples of lace edging available for sale in 1916
Lace insertion	Lace with two edges straight, meant to be inserted between two pieces of fabric. "Heirloom sewing" tends to use a lot of lace insertion. Belle Époque petticoats, blouses, and lingerie dresses rely heavily on lace insertion.	Four examples of lace insertion available for sale in 1916
Lace beading	Lace with holes at regular intervals to insert a ribbon into, so that the ribbon weaves in-front-of and then behind the lace. The edges on lace beading may be either both be straight (intended for insertion, like the pictured examples) or both with a scalloped finish (like lace edging). Very rarely you see beading with one edge straight and one with a fancy finish.	Three examples of lace beading available for sale in 1916 Lace beading with ribbon
Cluny lace	A style of lace; heavy bobbin lace made from relatively thick thread. The threads in the style tend to be thick and give it a slightly rough or clunky look. The style could be mimicked by machines in the 19th century.	Cluny lace available for sale in 1916 The two top rows are machine made Cluny lace, which was coarser (and much cheaper) than the bottom two rows, which are traditionally made Cluny lace.
Valenciennes lace	A style of lace; bobbin lace that tends to include a lot of net or “mesh” in the design. It could be mimicked by machines in the 19th century. Wikipedia has a nice introduction to this style.	Valenciennes lace available for sale in 1916 The two top rows are German Valenciennes lace which was somewhat coarser (and cheaper) then the bottom two rows, which are French Valenciennes lace.
Eyelet Lace	A style of lace involving whitework embroidery, frequently with eyelets and cutwork (ie. shapes that have been cut out of the fabric). The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont (published in 1884) has a good introduction to making eyelet lace.	1917 photo of eyelet lace
Whipstitch	A stitch that can only be done by hand. It involves looping the thread around the edge of the fabric. American Dress Making Step by Step has good instructions for this stitch. In modern times I learned to call this a whipstitch, but in the Belle Époque sewing manuals it's most commonly referred to as overcasting, occasionally overhanding or top stitching, and least frequently whipstitching. Sometimes those terms are differentiated by the closeness of the stitching and the angle of the needle, although the manuals don’t agree on the differentiation. So I’ve chosen to lump them all under the modern term.	1917 Illustration of whipstitching

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Overview of Six Antique Petticoats

I’ll be analyzing the trim on six petticoats in my personal collection.

 

Bess Moser’s Petticoat

Below is the American Bess Moser’s wedding petticoat (according to the tag at the estate auction). The 2009 estate sale was for Bess Moser’s 92 year old daughter, so the petticoat dates to at least 1917, and based on the style, I’d guess an earlier date than that, between 1905 and 1910. I do not think this petticoat has been altered, except to remove the seventh tuck from the bottom of the group of tucks directly above the top ruffle. This alteration may have been done by the original owner. The petticoat is made of plain-weave cotton very similar in weight and hand to modern muslin (calico in the UK). It is decorated with tucks and fine Cluny lace.

Front	Side	Back

 

Lacy Petticoat

The Lacy Petticoat was found in the American seller’s grandmother’s attic, so it’s very likely to have been American. The style could date it anywhere from about 1895 to 1910. I believe the original waistband has been removed to make this petticoat a more modern size; currently there is no way to fasten the waist. The body of the petticoat is made of slightly stiff plain-weave cotton similar to modern pre-washed muslin (ie. when it still has the sizing in it). The flounce is made of lighter and softer plain-weave sheer cotton similar to modern cotton batiste. The ruffle is decorated with Valenciennes lace and rows of embroidery, using a variation on the feather stitch.

Woven Lace Petticoat

A friend of mine gave me this petticoat when she was cleaning out her attic in Cleveland, Ohio. It’s probably American, but neither of us knows anything more about it. The style dates to between 1900 and 1910. The body of the petticoat is made of very soft plain-weave cotton, similar to modern cotton lawn. The ruffle is made from graduating tiers of a heavy lace. I believe it is a form of woven lace (lace made like fabric, by weaving: machines could weave such lace in the 19th century) but it might be a crochet lace or finely knitted lace.

Eyelet Petticoat

This petticoat was bought in the US so it’s probably American. The style dates to between 1900 and 1910. The entire petticoat is made of a plain-weave ivory cotton, slightly softer and lighter then modern muslin (calico in the UK). The ruffle is decorated with eyelet lace.

Embroidered Petticoat

This petticoat was bought in the US so it’s probably American. I am not sure if the yoke and drawstring waist treatment is original to the petticoat or not. The fabric above the first row of insertion is soft cotton twill with no signs of age, whereas the insertion and everything below it is made of a plain-weave cotton very similar to modern muslin (calico in the UK). This fabric does show signs of age. If the top is original to the petticoat then the style dates to between 1895 and 1910.

The ruffle is decorated with elaborate whitework embroidery that includes Punto tagliato (fancy cutwork similar to the Drawn Threadwork Cuffs Masterclass by Bess Chilver at Your Wardrobe Unlock'd). For more information on how to do Victorian and Edwardian cutwork, see The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont.

 

Cutwork Petticoat

This petticoat was bought in the US so it’s probably American. The style dates to between 1905 and 1910. The entire petticoat is made of a light but slightly stiff (as if it were starched) plain-weave cotton which is slightly lighter then modern muslin (calico in the UK). The stiffness is similar to modern unwashed muslin. The ruffle is decorated with elaborate whitework embroidery featuring both eyelets and Punto tagliato (fancy cutwork similar to the Drawn Threadwork Cuffs Masterclass by Bess Chilver at Your Wardrobe Unlock'd). For more information on how to do Victorian and Edwardian cutwork, see The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont (link above).

 

 

 

Decorative Techniques

I don’t usually think about the decoration before I make a pattern, however some of the decorative techniques change how much fabric to use when cutting out the petticoat. Therefore I’m going to talk about the decoration first, and then I’ll talk about the petticoat construction. This month I'll cover tucks and insertion, and then next month I'll discuss lace edging and embroidery.

There are four forms of decoration that together create all 6 of the decorative schemes in the petticoats being analyzed:

• Tucks
• Insertion
• Lace Edging
• Embroidery

 

Tucks

Grands Magasins, 1903-4	Grands Magasins, 1903-4

A decorative tuck is formed where a fold is sewn into place. When the tucks are very narrow they are called pin tucks. In Belle Époque underwear there are frequently multiple parallel tucks that follow the straight-of-grain.

1917 Illustration of graduated tucks	1917 Illustration of groups of tucks

Tucks are simple to sew; you simply iron a fold into the fabric and stitch a set distance from the fold. The hard part is measuring and folding them accurately. The 1879 Handbook of Plain and Fancy Needlework says, “Any carelessness or departure from the straight line is avenged upon the worker by her having to either to unpick it, or else turn out unsightly tucks.” When using tucks, you will need to add twice the width of the tuck to your pattern. In my experience, when sewing multiple rows of tucks by machine, always sew them in the same direction (e.g. right to left or left to right on all rows) to keep the fabric from forming odd stress lines between rows.

Plain Needlework, a compendium of Victorian sewing advice, gives the following guides on the size and spacing of tucks:

Garment	Tuck Width		Tuck Width	Suggested Spacing
Babies’ robes and corset covers	1/8”-1/4”		Narrow: 1/8” - ¼”	The space between tucks should be the width of the tuck
Frocks	¼”-1”		Wide: ¼”- 1”	The space between tucks should be half the width of the tuck
Chemises & nightdresses	1/8”-1/4”		Narrow tucks in groups	There should be no space between the tucks, only between the sets of tucks; the bottom edge of the first tuck touches the seam line of the second tuck.
Drawers	¼” – ¾”		-	-
Flannel petticoats	1”-2”		-	-

Five of the six petticoats being analyzed use tucks as a decorative feature. All of the tucks are sewn in exactly the same way, although they do not all follow the advice given in Plain Needlework.

 

Bess Moser Petticoat

 

Photo of Upper Panel	Reverse side
Tuck in Top Ruffle	Reverse side
Tucks in Bottom Ruffle	Reverse side

There are 28 tucks in Bess Moser’s wedding petticoat, which are all on the straight-of-grain. The tucks are grouped together in seven sets. Within the sets the tucks are mostly uniform (the red text in the table are the measurements that break the pattern). Surprisingly, the measurements for the two ruffles are not identical. All measurements are approximate, give or take a 1/16”, as the seams are not entirely even.

 

	Tuck width	Tuck Spacing (seam line to seam line)	Space above Set (to top seam line)
Upper Panel Set 1 (5 Tucks)
Tuck 1	3/16”	3/8”	1” from ruffle head
Tuck 2	3/16”	3/8”
Tuck 3	3/16”	3/8”
Tuck 4	3/16”	3/8”
Tuck 5	3/16”	1 5/8” ( to second set)
Upper Panel Set 2 (5 Tucks)
Tuck 6	3/16”	3/8”	1 5/8” from the seam line of tuck 5
Tuck 7	3/16”	3/8”
Tuck 8	3/16”	3/8”
Tuck 9	3/16”	3/8”
Tuck 10	3/16”	1 5/8” (to third set)
Upper Panel Set 3 (6 Tucks)
Tuck 11	¼”	3/8”	1 5/8” from the seam line of tuck 10
Tuck 12	¼”	3/8”
Tuck 13	¼”	3/8”
Tuck 14	¼”	3/8”
Tuck 15	¼”	3/8”
Tuck 16	¼”	1 ¼” (to seam line of the ruffle facing) 1 3/8” ( to ruffle)
Top Ruffle Set 4 (3 Tucks Above the Insertion)
Tuck 17	1/8”	5/16”	2 ½” from the bottom of the ruffle head
Tuck 18	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 19	1/8”	¼” (to hem seam line above the insertion) 3/8” (to insertion)
Top Ruffle Set 5 (3 Tucks Below the Insertion)
Tuck 20	1/8”	¼”	No space between insertion and the tuck 20
Tuck 21	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 22	1/8”	3/8” (to hem seam line above lace edging) 1” (to lace edging)
Bottom Ruffle Set 6 (3 Tucks Above the Insertion)
Tuck 23	1/8”	5/16”	2 ¾” from the bottom of the ruffle head
Tuck 24	1/8”	5/16”
Tuck 25	1/8”	5/16” (to hem seam line above the insertion) 7/16” (to insertion)
Bottom Ruffle Set 7 (3 Tucks Below the Insertion)
Tuck 26	1/8”	¼”	No space between insertion and the tuck 26
Tuck 27	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 28	1/8”	¼” (to hem seam line above lace edging) 5/8” (to lace edging)

 

Lacy Petticoat

 

Tucks above ruffle	Reverse
Pin-tucks	Reverse

 

There are six tucks in the Lacy Petticoat, which are all on the straight-of-grain. The tucks are grouped together in two sets. Within the sets the tucks are uniform. All measurements are approximate, give or take a 1/16”, as the seams are not entirely even.

	Tuck width	Tuck Spacing (seam line to seam line)	Space above Set (to top seam line)
Above Ruffle Set 1 (3 tucks)
Tuck 1	1/8”	¼”	Entire petticoat (to waist)
Tuck 2	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 3	1/8”	¼” (to top of ruffle head ribbon)
Ruffle Set 2 (3 tucks)
Tuck 4	1/16”	5/8”	1 7/8” (to bottom of ruffle head ribbon)
Tuck 5	1/16”	5/8”
Tuck 6	1/16”	3/8” (to hem seam line above the insertion) 7/16” (to insertion)

 

Eyelet Petticoat

Graduated tucks	Reverse

There are six tucks in the Eyelet Petticoat, which are all on the straight-of-grain. The tucks are grouped together in one set; this is the only petticoat being analyzed where the tucks within the set are gradually wider (e.g. graduated). All measurements are approximate, give or take a 1/16”, as the seams are not entirely even.

 

	Tuck width	Tuck Spacing (seam line to seam line)	Space above Set (to top seam line)
Above Ruffle Set 1 (6 tucks)
Tuck 1	1/8”	3/8”	5 ¼” from ruffle
Tuck 2	1/8”	3/8”
Tuck 3	1/8”	5/16”
Tuck 4	3/16”	3/8”
Tuck 5	1/4”	5/8”
Tuck 6	1/4”	1/2” (to seam line above the ruffle) 3/4” (to ruffle)

 

Embroidered Petticoat

 

Tucks above ruffle	Reverse
Tucks above insertion	Reverse
Tucks below insertion	Reverse

There are eleven tucks in the Embroidered Petticoat, which are all on the straight-of-grain. The tucks are grouped together in three sets. Within the sets the tucks are uniform. All measurements are approximate, give or take a 1/16”, as the seams are not entirely even.

	Tuck width	Tuck Spacing (seam line to seam line)	Space above Set (to top seam line)
Above Ruffle Set 1 (2 tucks)
Tuck 1	¼”	½”	1 ¼” from bottom of insertion
Tuck 2	¼”	¼” (to seam line above the ruffle) ¾” (to ruffle)
Above Insertion Set 2 (5 tucks)
Tuck 3	1/8”	5/16”	5 1/8” to ruffle
Tuck 4	1/8”	5/16”
Tuck 5	1/8”	5/16”
Tuck 6	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 7	1/8”	¼” (to hem seam above insertion) 3/8” (to insertion)
Below Insertion Set 3 (4 tucks)
Tuck 8	1/8”	1/8”	¼” from bottom of insertion
Tuck 9	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 10	1/8”	3/16”
Tuck 11	1/8”	¼” (to top of embroidery) 3 1/8” (to bottom tip of scallop)

 

Cutwork Petticoat

Tucks above ruffle	Reverse
Tucks above eyelet ruffle	Reverse

There are ten tucks in the Cutwork Petticoat, which are all on the straight-of-grain. The tucks are grouped together in two sets. Within the sets the tucks are uniform. All measurements are approximate, give or take a 1/16”, as the seams are not entirely even.

	Tuck width	Tuck Spacing (seam line to seam line)	Space above Set (to top seam line)
Above Ruffle Set 1 (5 tucks)
Tuck 1	1/8”	¼”	Entire petticoat (to waist)
Tuck 2	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 3	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 4	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 5	1/8”	3/16” (to hem seam above ruffle) ¾” (to ruffle)
Above Ruffle Set 2 (5 tucks)
Tuck 6	1/8”	¼”	11 5/8” from ruffle
Tuck 7	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 8	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 9	1/8”	¼”
Tuck 10	1/8”	¼” (to hem stitching above ruffle) ¾” (to ruffle)

 

Decorative Techniques: Lace Insertion

Les Dessous Élégants, 1906	Les Dessous Élégants, 1904
Les Dessous Élégants, 1906

Lace insertion is common in drawings of Belle Époque petticoats. However, only two of my vintage petticoats have lace insertion, while a third petticoat has two rows of embroidered insertion. Three of the petticoats have no insertion at all.

Lace insertion is an easy product to find nowadays, but it wasn’t initially obvious to me how to work with it. Unfortunately the period instructions I found are confusing and contradictory. Many of them describe what I am hereafter going to refer to as the “classic technique” of sewing insertion: attach the insertion to the petticoat, and then cut the fabric away from behind it.

These illustrations from American Dressmaking Step-by-step, 1917 show how to insert complicated lace designs:

 

There are five sets of directions I found that specifically talk about cutting the fabric from behind the lace, but none of the instructions are quite the same as each other.

The most elaborate (and time consuming) instructions for attaching insertion on were in Authentic Victorian Dressmaking Techniques (a republication of Butterick’s Dressmaking, Up To Date, 1905) edited by Kristina Harris. These instructions are for putting insertion onto a fancy blouse:

“Ordinarily the lace would be machine-stitched in place, but when time and patience may be depended upon, the lace may be held to the waist [blouse] by using the imitation hemstitching or fagoting stitch. This is done with a very coarse needle and a very fine cotton, and looks like hemstitching, although it requires no threads to be drawn; the stitch is called Bermuda Fagoting….The lace should be pinned on the waist [blouse] in the desired design, then basted with small stitches very close to each edge. Cut away the material that lies under the lace, leaving only one-eighth of an inch inside the bastings at each side; turn back this edge and work the fagoting stitch through the foundation material and this turned-back edge together, and across the edge of the lace. The open-work stitch adds to the beauty of the lace and produces an excellent finish.”

The above instructions seem unnecessarily elaborate for a petticoat. The same book gives simpler instructions for putting lace on a blouse,

“The lace in these cases is machine stitched in place, the material is cut away underneath, and the edges rolled back and overcast.”

I tried following these instructions for my own petticoat, but the results look nothing like the period examples in my collection, nor is the edge of the lace as neatly finished as in those examples (although I now think I misinterpreted the instructions).

Lace on my reproduction petticoat	Reverse

The same book gives yet a third way to insert lace in the “classic” manner; with possibly the clearest instructions:

“In making up wash frocks and those for Summer wear the garment is cut and fitted, after which the lace insertions are added; these are laid on in the proper position and basted. If the insertion is narrow, the material is cut though the center; but if the insertion is wide, the material is cut away from underneath, allowing simply a seam on each side. The edge of this is turned in and then turned again on the line of the basting, as for a hem. The insertions are now sewed down from the right side, catching though the material which has been turned over. This will also be seen at No. 7. If the material frays badly this method will have to be followed, but if it is firmly woven it may simply be folded over at the edges of the insertion and not again for a hem.”

The fourth “classic technique” instructions I found were in The Edwardian Modiste (from the section reprinting Clara E. Laughlin’s The Complete Dressmaker, 1907) edited by Frances Grimble.

“There are two ways of putting in insertion, with a single row of stitching or a double row. If a single row of stitching is wanted as a finish, turn the material back to within 1/16 inch of the needlework. Baste flat on the goods (if tucked, leave the width of a tuck between the last tuck and edge of insertion). Then baste the upper edge, after having folded down the edge, and stitch close to edge.

“After stitching, first remove bastings. Then run the scissors carefully between the material and the insertion and cut though the center. Trim away the surplus material. Turn the other edge over like a narrow hem, then hem down. This gives a neat finish and protects the stitching when laundered.

“If two rows of stitching are desired, fold the edge to within 1/8 inch of the needlework and proceed as before, making two rows of stitching 1/8 inch apart. Never finish the edges differently on the same garment.”

The fifth set of instructions is in the 1917 sewing manual, American Dressmaking Step by Step (illustrations near the top of the page). These instructions are for putting in more complicated lace designs (involving curves, etc.) rather then for simple insertion, which is dealt with in an earlier section. After much analysis, I don’t think any of the insertion in my vintage petticoats actually use the “classic technique”, despite its prevalence in period manuals and in modern “heirloom sewing” instructions. In all of the above “classic technique” instructions, I think the instructions are intended for complicated lace designs rather then the plain horizontal bands seen in the vintage petticoats being analyzed.

After much searching, I found three sets of instructions that talk about attaching insertion to a straight edge (which is the case for all six petticoats). The first instructions, from the 1916 book Clothing and Health, describes finishing the hem and attaching the lace at the same time:

“After the hems have been turned backwards and creased to the wrong side, we are ready to sew on the insertion. Hold the insertion straight with the right side to the right side of the gown, and with the edge of the insertion to the edges of the creased hem. Now great care must be taken. The overhanding stitch [whipstitch] is to be used. …. In taking the stitch be very careful to put the needle through the edge of the hem, the creased edge, and the lace. The sewing will not be neat unless all these edges are caught by this sewing. This is important.”

This is similar to the way the fabric and lace bands are attached in the Lacy Petticoat, in that the lace on the Lacy Petticoat is attached by whipstitching which also finishes the hem. The hem finish on the Lacy Petticoat is easier to do then the rolled hem described.

So far, all of the insertion instructions tell you to finish the hem and attach the lace at the same time (with the same stitch). The directions from The Complete Dressmaker (1907) for decorating a corset cover are the first instructions I found that suggest these steps might be done separately. The instructions are very brief (leaving out many details) but they do accurately describe how the lace insertion is attached to both Bess Moser’s Petticoat and the Lacy Petticoat:

“There are many ways of trimming an under waist [corset cover]. If lace is used, the neatest way is to overhand the insertion, beading, and lace together. Turn a narrow hem on the waist and overhand the insertion to the waist.”

There are three sets of lace insertion instructions in American Dressmaking Step by Step that are specifically intended to be used when the insertion is to be attached along a straight edge. The second set (Lesson 228, which is a slight modification to Lesson 227) indicates that a narrow hem is to be done by machine and the lace is to be whipstitched to the edge of the hem. This describes how the top of the lace is attached to Bess Moser’s petticoat, but the bottom of the lace is attached in a slightly more complicated manner.

The general recommendation in The Complete Dressmaker to “Never finish the edges different on the same garment” is not followed in any of the petticoats. In fact, only one of the four rows of lace insertion even has the same hem finish along both its top and bottom edge. However, all four rows of lace insertion are whipstitched to the ruffles by hand, even while the seam finishing directly above and below them is done by machine. Thus, in that sense they are all finished in the same way.

 

Bess Moser Petticoat

Insertion in ruffle	Reverse

The seam finish at the top of the insertion is different from the seam finish at the bottom of the insertion, which makes me think that the insertion was not done in the “classic insertion” method detailed above. If it were done that way there would be no reason for the seam finishing to be different at the top than at the bottom. However, this is the one piece of insertion in all three petticoats with either fabric or lace insertion that could have been sewn to the petticoat and then the petticoat fabric cut away from behind. It is possible to do the seam finishes seen in Bess Moser’s petticoat after that first step (although it wouldn’t be my first choice for how to do it). It’s not possible for the other insertion examples I have.

 

The insertion in the top ruffle and the insertion in the bottom ruffle are both done the same way; for both ruffles the top hem of the insertion is done differently from the bottom hem.

The edge at the top of the insertion is folded up, the seam allowance is tucked inside, and very tiny machine stitches run along the edge (about 1/8” above the insertion). The lace insertion is whipstitched to the bottom edge.

The edge at the bottom of the insertion is more complicated. The seam allowance is folded down. Then the fabric is folded up to cover the seam allowance, forming a tuck. The top of the tuck is then machine-sewn (though all layers) with very tiny stitches.

 

 

Lacy Petticoat

 

Lace insertion	Reverse
Fabric between rows of lace insertion	Reverse
Fabric held up to the light, showing the seam allowance

The lace insertion here was definitely not sewn in the “classic” insertion method (ie sewing the lace onto the fabric, and then cutting the fabric away from behind the lace).

The edge of the ruffle above the top row of insertion is folded up, the seam allowance is tucked under, and the edge is machine-sewn though all the layers about 1/8’ above the insertion. This may or may not have been done before the insertion was whipstitched to the bottom edge. I would guess the insertion was attached afterwards, just because I think it would be easier to do, but it could’ve been done in either order.

The fabric below the top insertion is a strip of fabric, folded in half with the seam allowance tucked inside. The top row of insertion is whipstitched to the folded edge of the fabric strip. The top of the second row of insertion is whipstitched to the bottom of the fabric strip. The same whipstitch that attaches the insertion also sews the open edges of the fabric together.

The fabric below the second lace insertion is constructed the same as the first fabric strip; instead of lace insertion being whipstitched to the bottom edge, the lace edging is whipstitched to the bottom edge.

 

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Next month - Lace Edging and Embroidery!

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