Free-standing lace (FSL) machine embroidery: how to get it right

Free-standing lace (FSL) is machine embroidery stitched on dissolvable stabilizer with no fabric, so once you rinse the stabilizer away only the thread is left. Use a design digitized for lace, a wash-away stabilizer the maker lists for lace (two layers when the design or stabilizer maker calls for them), and the same thread in the needle and the bobbin, because both sides show. Rinse as the stabilizer's packaging says, then dry the lace flat and press it with a cloth.

Free-standing lace, usually shortened to FSL, is machine embroidery with no fabric in it. The machine stitches the design onto a wash-away stabilizer, you rinse the stabilizer away, and a piece made only of thread is left. To get a clean result you need three things: a design made for lace, the right wash-away stabilizer, and matching thread in the needle and the bobbin.

Brother, OESD, Embroidery Library, Designs by JuJu, Nancy Zieman and Sewing Machine Fun are named below as sources and examples of what is on the market. This site is not affiliated with any of them.

What makes lace different from normal embroidery

In normal embroidery the fabric carries the design, and the stabilizer is only a helper. In lace the thread is the whole object. The stitches have to connect to each other so strongly that the piece holds its shape once the stabilizer is gone.

That is why the design matters more than anything else. Embroidery Library says its free-standing lace designs are specially digitized for water-soluble stabilizer, and Designs by JuJu says lace files are digitized specifically for lace and are not interchangeable with regular designs. A normal design is not built to hold together without fabric, so stitching one as lace is a gamble. Buy designs sold as free-standing lace.

Because there is no wrong side, both faces of the lace are visible. That drives the thread choice below. For the basics of what each term means, see our free-standing lace glossary entry.

What you need

Item	What to use	Why
Design	A file sold as free-standing lace	Built to hold together without fabric
Stabilizer	Wash-away (water-soluble), listed for lace	It is the only thing under the stitches, and it dissolves later
Needle	75/11 sharp, per Embroidery Library	A finer point leaves smaller holes in the stabilizer
Top thread	40 wt rayon or polyester, or 30 wt cotton or metallic for most designs	Embroidery Library’s range for lace
Bobbin thread	The same thread as the top	Both sides show
Hoop	Your normal hoop, stabilizer hooped tight	No wrinkles in the stabilizer
After stitching	Small scissors, warm water, towel, pressing cloth	For trimming, rinsing and drying

Our needle guide explains what 75/11 means and how to tell sharp from ballpoint. Check your machine’s manual for the needle types it accepts before changing. Our thread guide covers thread weights and fibers.

Choosing wash-away stabilizer for lace

Wash-away stabilizer comes in more than one form, and sellers name several for lace.

Fibrous (soft, cloth-like). Brother describes its fibrous wash-away as designed not to perforate under needle penetration, calls it a must-have for free-standing lace, and says it needs a thorough warm-water rinse. Embroidery Library’s lace tutorial uses Vilene, a soft fibrous type.
Clear film. Embroidery Library says a clear plastic type such as Sulky Ultra Solvy also works for lace. Nancy Zieman’s stabilizer guide describes a mid-heavyweight film of this style as firm and non-stretch, and says you can embroider directly on it to create lace.

OESD recommends its AquaMesh, an opaque water-soluble stabilizer, for free-standing lace and free-standing appliqué. It says to always use two layers for lace because the designs are so dense in stitch count. Designs by JuJu says in its stabilizer guide that dense free-standing designs may need two layers.

Whatever you pick, buy one the maker lists for lace, and follow the weight and layer advice on the packaging or in the design’s instructions. Wash-away products are made to react to water, so keep them sealed. Nancy Zieman says to store wash-away types in an airtight container because air can make them brittle and humidity can dissolve them, although OESD says its AquaMesh is not sensitive to air humidity, so follow the storage advice for your product. Our stabilizer guide compares wash-away with cut-away and tear-away.

How to stitch lace, step by step

Check the design size. Compare the listed size with your machine’s embroidery field. The will-it-fit tool and our hoop sizes overview help.
Hoop the stabilizer. Hoop it firmly with no wrinkles. If the design or stabilizer maker calls for two layers, follow their directions for layering them in the hoop.
Set up thread and needle. Put in a new 75/11 sharp needle if your machine allows it. Wind a bobbin with the same thread as the top thread.
Stitch. Stay close for the first few minutes. If the stabilizer starts to tear or perforate along the stitches, stop and check the design’s instructions. Sellers call for two layers on dense designs, so a second layer may be the fix.
Remove from the hoop and trim. Cut away the excess stabilizer around the lace. Embroidery Library and Designs by JuJu both trim first and rinse second.
Rinse or soak. Follow the stabilizer packaging. Embroidery Library says to soak lace made on Vilene for a few moments, OESD says AquaMesh rinses out in warm running water, Brother says its fibrous type needs a thorough warm-water rinse, and Designs by JuJu says to rinse or soak as the product’s directions say. No source gives one time that fits every product.
Dry flat and press. Blot off extra water, lay the lace flat to dry, then press it with a pressing cloth on top.

Rinsing and shaping the lace

Handle wet lace gently. The thread is holding itself together, and a hard pull can distort the pattern. Rinse until the stabilizer is gone, then blot rather than wring.

How you dry lace affects its shape. Designs by JuJu says to blot off extra water and let the piece dry flat so the stitches keep their shape. Embroidery Library air dries lace and then presses it with a pressing cloth, and the same site shapes finished lace by hand:

For a candle wrap, form the lace into a circle with the right side out, then hand-sew or glue the ends. To fit a different size of candle, Embroidery Library suggests joining the ends at the back with elastic.
For a 3D lace house, zigzag stitch the wall pieces together with the same thread used for the main section, lightly crease the corners, bend the four walls into a square, then finish the last corner with glue or hand stitching.

The tutorials this guide draws on do not mention a stiffener. If you want a firmer finish, ask the design’s seller what they suggest and try any stiffener on a spare piece first, since it may change how the thread looks.

Ornaments, earrings and other projects

Lace is popular for small, flat projects. Embroidery Library’s tutorial suggests bookmarks, coasters, candle wraps, holiday decorations, ornaments and bunting. Designs by JuJu lists ornaments, bookmarks and awareness ribbons. Sewing Machine Fun’s jewelry ideas include FSL earrings, FSL necklaces and bracelets made from leather or free-standing lace.

Ornaments. Embroidery Library’s own lace example is a snowflake. Add a loop of thread or ribbon to hang one. Flat pieces need no assembly, unlike the 3D builds above, so start there.

Earrings. Sewing Machine Fun lists FSL earrings among its jewelry ideas, and OESD says to match the bobbin to the top thread for jewelry, bookmarks and ornaments. None of the sources used here gives steps for attaching earring hooks or posts, so follow the design seller’s instructions, add the hardware only after the lace is rinsed and dry, and trim loose thread ends first.

Beginner tip. OESD points out that lace designs are very dense in stitch count, which is why it asks for two layers of AquaMesh. A simpler, lighter design is an easier first project than a dense, intricate one.

Free-standing lace is closely related to in-the-hoop embroidery, where the project is mostly finished in the hoop. If you need lace designs, our guide to finding designs lists where to look.

Frequently asked questions

What does FSL mean in machine embroidery?

FSL stands for free-standing lace. The design is stitched on water-soluble stabilizer instead of fabric, and when the stabilizer dissolves, the finished piece is made of thread alone. Ornaments, snowflakes, bookmarks and earrings are typical projects.

Do I need to match the bobbin thread for lace?

Yes. Free-standing lace has no wrong side, so both sides are visible. Wind the bobbin with the same thread you use in the needle so the two faces look alike.

Can I stitch any embroidery design as free-standing lace?

No. Lace designs are digitized so the stitches hold each other together once the stabilizer is gone, and the lace-design seller Designs by JuJu says its lace files are not interchangeable with regular designs. A normal design is not built for this, so it may not hold together once the stabilizer is gone.

What stabilizer should I use for free-standing lace?

Use a wash-away stabilizer that the maker lists for lace. Both fibrous types and clear film types are used, and dense designs may call for two layers. Check the packaging for the rinse or soak instructions.

Can I make free-standing lace on a 4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm) machine?

Yes, if the design's listed size fits your machine's embroidery field. Many pieces are small, but each design states its own size, so check it first.