How to Use: Lace can be applied as a trim (a small zigzag stitch works very well), either applied on top of fabric or hanging down from the garment edge. It can also be inserted - perhaps as a yoke, or down the middle of a sleeve. Many laces are flat; I often use them as is, and sometimes gather them to get the effect I want. Others are pre-gathered on a header, and I have often taken the header off in order to use them flat.

Glossary of Helpful Lace Terms:

• Fiber Content: Most of the laces we carry are likely to be nylon. A few might be polyester. If the fiber content is cotton, it is specially noted.

• Filling: The area inside the motifs.

• Ground: The area that holds the pattern together, e.g., mesh.

• Header: The strip along the top edge of some laces, used to insert the trim between seams (usually so the lace is seen and the header is not).

• Outline: The cord that defines and outlines the motifs.

• Pattern: The geometric or floral motif or groups of motif that make up the more solid portion of the lace.

• Scallop: The rounded or angular projections along one or both edges of a lace trim.

• Whiskers: Threads at the lace edge, especially at the bottom of scallops. Whiskers are an intentional part of the lace, and long whiskers are often a sign of a beautiful lace. Some people prefer to trim the whiskers.

Additional Resources: For more information, there are dozens of books and resources about laces; I found this online resource interesting.