How to Make an Embroidered Lace Shirt

Tools and materials:

• Fabric
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Pins 
• Interfacing 
• Pencil
• Pattern paper 
• Ruler 
• Lace

Cut out the fabric 

For the pattern of the shirt, I used a previous pattern I had made without making any adjustments. The only changes I would be making for this shirt would be on the sleeves. I pinned the pattern to my blue fabric and cut it out leaving a bit of seam allowance. 

 I used the same basis for the upper part of the sleeves and cut out the fabric I would need. 

Fold pleats at the back

 I started working with the back panel. I folded the pleats and sewed it to the shoulder piece, right sides together. 

Create a button tab 

For the front pieces, I folded the fabric twice to create a button tab on each side and pressed the folds. I then topstitched the button tab in place. 

Sew the front and back pieces 

Next, I pinned the front and back pieces, right sides together, and then sewed. 

Sew on lower sleeves 

It was then back to the pattern paper to start drafting the bottom part of the sleeves for my new shirt. 

Once I had cut out the lower sleeves, I pleated at the top and then attached them to the upper sleeve pieces, right sides together. 

I then cut off the excess fabric using my serger. 

Attach the collar 

Next, I started working on the collar for my shirt. I added some interfacing to a few strips of fabric which would become the collar and collar stand. 

 Once the pieces were ready, I sewed the collar to the collar stand. 

 Next, I pinned and sewed the collar in place on the bodice. 

Sew buttons and buttonholes 

I moved on to sew all the buttons and buttonholes on the shirt using my button foot. 

Attach the sleeves 

I also pinned and sewed the sleeves onto the bodice, right sides together. I didn’t rush to sew closed the sleeves and sides as it would make the embroidery process more difficult. 

Add the lace 

I put the shirt on my mannequin and started playing around with the positioning of the lace pieces until I was happy. I wanted the lace to be on the upper bodice and at the top of the sleeves. 

With the lace positioned perfectly, it was time to start hand sewing. Although this was the longest part of this DIY project, I found it very relaxing. 

Sew closed the shirt 

Once I was finished with the lace, I could finally go ahead and sew closed the arm and side seams of the shirt. I also sewed the hem of the shirt and decided what length I wanted my sleeves. 

Attach cuffs

Next, I cut two rectangle pieces and sewed them to create cuffs. 

Having decided on the final length for the sleeves, I cut off the excess fabric and gathered the sleeve ends to create the desired look. 

 Next, for my final step, I pinned and sewed the cuffs onto the sleeves. 

I love my beautiful, lace embroidered shirt! What is your favorite detail on this piece? Let me know in the comments!