If you plan to bind the edges of a guipure lace garment, you must stay the edges first to prevent them from stretching and becoming distorted. This method stabilizes the lace edges with a narrow, low-bulk organza strip and works with any binding. The process is shown below as bonus content to “The Ultimate Guipure Lace Jacket,” by Kenneth D. King (Threads #218, Summer 2022).

Prepare and place the organza strips

1. Cut, shape, and press stabilizing strips. Cut bias organza strips 2 1/2 inches wide. Mist a strip with water, then shape and press it to follow the contour of the edge to be bound. As you do so, keep the thread-traced stitching line centered within the strip’s width. 

2. Pin the strip in place. Center and anchor it along the stitching line.

Sew and press the organza

3. Machine-sew the strip. With thread that matches the lace, sew one line of straight stitching along the thread-marked stitching line (shown in black thread). Sew a second line 1/8 inch inside this row (shown in pink thread).

 

4. Press the bias strip. Fold and press it toward the seam allowance; it folds along the inner (pink) stitching line. This prevents the lace’s edges from stretching as you handle the fabric during construction. When it’s time to apply the binding, you’ll attach it over the organza stay, trimming the stay as needed along the edges so it is hidden by the binding. 

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Photos: Kenneth D. King.