Create Custom Freestanding Lace Fast: My Lace Maker Workflow (Plus Hooping & WSS Tips That Prevent Puckers)

Introduction to My Lace Maker Software

Freestanding lace (FSL) is often considered the "tightrope walk" of machine embroidery. It is a process where you stitch thread onto a temporary foundation (Water Soluble Stabilizer), dissolve the foundation, and—if you’ve done it right—the thread remains locked together in a beautiful, airy structure. If you get the physics wrong, however, you end up with a pile of tangled thread in your sink.

The fear of this structural failure keeps many beginners from trying lace. In the video, Sue from OML Embroidery demonstrates a path of least resistance: using My Lace Maker (DIME) software. This isn't just about drawing; it's about structural engineering made accessible. The software handles the complex "under-the-hood" work—calculating anchor points and mesh density—so you don't have to be a master digitizer to create a custom lace egg.

This guide is your "flight manual" for that process. We will take the video’s walkthrough and inject the critical sensory checks and safety protocols required for a successful stitch-out. We will define correct hoop tension (what it sounds like), safe operating speeds (experienced stitchers slow down for lace), and the specific workflows that prevent the dreaded "bullet-proof" lace effect.

Exploring the Interface: Shapes and Motifs

When you open the software, you aren't staring at a blank canvas, which is often the source of "blank page paralysis." Sue highlights that the software comes pre-loaded with a library of base shapes and over 1,100 motifs.

From a production standpoint, using pre-validated shapes is safer than drawing your own. A pre-set shape in this software has mathematically closed loops. In lace, a gap of even 1mm in a border can cause the entire structure to unravel during the wash-away phase.

What you’re really doing (in plain language)

Don't think of this as "drawing." Think of it as layering construction materials. You are assigning two critical roles to the thread:

1. The Substrate (Mesh): This is your "floor." It replaces the fabric. It must be dense enough to hold the motif but open enough to look like lace.
2. The Skeleton (Border): This locks the edges. Without a satin stitch border with sufficient pull compensation (overlap), the mesh creates raw edges that fray immediately.

When you drag a motif (like the seahorse) on top, you introduce a physical problem: Bulk. If you stitch a heavy seahorse on top of a heavy mesh, your needle has to penetrate that spot twice as often. This leads to needle deflection, thread breaks, and stiff lace. Our goal is to manage this density.

Comment-driven reality check: software vs. other software

Is this better than full digitizing suites like Hatch? Ideally, a professional digitizer can create lace manually in any high-end software. However, the learning curve for manual lace digitizing is steep—you must manually calculate underlay angles to prevent the design from falling apart.

Specialized tools like My Lace Maker are "accelerators." They restrict your options to only what works for lace. If you are running a business and need to deploy a seasonal Easter product line quickly, you don’t want to spend 10 hours testing structural integrity. You want a tool that guarantees the mesh intersects the border correctly every time.

Step-by-Step: Converting Shapes to Lace

We will now execute the workflow. I have broken this down using an Action-First syntax meant to be followed while you sit at your computer.

Step 1 — Choose a base shape and confirm hoop size

Action:

1. Navigate to the Shape Library.
2. Select the Easter Egg.
3. Set your workspace background to 4x4 (100mm x 100mm).

The "Margin of Safety" Check: Look at the gap between the egg outline and the edge of the grid. You need at least 15mm of clearance. Freestanding lace pulls inward significantly as it stitches (a phenomenon called the "accordion effect"). If your design is too close to the limit of your workspace, the physical pull might slam your needle bar into the side of a standard hoop.

Optimization Note: If you are designing for a specific machine, ensure your software workspace matches your physical hardware constraints. For example, users utilizing a brother 4x4 embroidery hoop must assume the usable area is actually closer to 3.93" x 3.93". Always design slightly smaller than your max field.

Step 2 — Convert the outline to lace (one click)

Action:

1. Click the vector egg shape to select it.
2. Click the "Lace and Border Together" icon.

Sensory Verification: Zoom in to 200%. Do you see a honeycomb or grid structure fill the egg? Do you see a thick, satin-stitch line surrounding it? Crucial: The mesh must bite into the satin border. If they just touch, it's weak. This software handles that overlap automatically, which is why we use it.

Step 3 — Add a decorative motif and resize it

Action:

1. Open the Motif Library.
2. Search for "Seahorse" (or your choice).
3. Drag it onto the lace mesh.
4. Drag the corner handles to resize.

The "Anchor Point" Rule: In FSL, isolation is the enemy. Ideally, your motif should touch the border in a few places or be well-centered. If a heavy motif is floating in the center of a large, weak mesh, the weight of the water during the dissolving process can sag the mesh. For this 4x4 egg, centering is fine because the span is short.

Step 4 — (Optional) Change motif color for clarity

Action:

1. Select the Seahorse.
2. Change the thread color to Green (or high contrast).

Why we do this: This isn't just aesthetic. It forces the machine to stop. By assigning a different color, you program a "Color Stop" command. This gives you a physical break during the stitch-out to inspect the integrity of the mesh before the heavy motif stitches begin.

Advanced Features: layering and Hole Cutting

This is the step that separates "Beginner Lace" from "Commercial Lace."

Step 5 — Remove overlap (cut the hole behind the motif)

Action:

1. Select the "Remove Overlap" or "Create Hole" tool.
2. Apply it to the lace mesh layer, using the seahorse as the "cutter."

The Physics of Failure: If you skip this, you are stitching ~12,000 stitches of mesh, and then piling ~5,000 stitches of seahorse on top.

• Result A: The lace is as stiff as cardboard.
• Result B: The density cuts the stabilizer, and the design falls out of the hoop.

Success Standard: You should see white space (or background color) appear strictly behind the green seahorse. The seahorse is now structurally integrated into the lace, rather than sitting on top of it.

Comment integration: “Can I import my own images/shapes?”

Yes, but proceed with caution. The built-in shapes are vectors—mathematically perfect lines. An imported JPEG is a grid of pixels. The software has to "guess" where the edges are (Autodigitizing). For lace, where structural integrity is paramount, "guessing" is dangerous. I recommend mastering the built-in library first. Once you understand density, you can try tracing your own images.

The Stitch Out: Using WSS for Perfect Lace

Now we move from the virtual world to the physical. This is where 90% of failures happen. Sue stitches this on Water Soluble Stabilizer (WSS).

Prep: what “good hooping” means for freestanding lace

Your stabilizer is the only thing holding this project together. WSS (especially the film type) is slippery. It loves to slide.

The "Hoop Burn" Dilemma: To hold WSS tight in a standard two-ring hoop, you have to tighten the screw aggressively. This often causes "hoop burn" (creases) or stretches the film. If the film stretches during hooping, it will snap back after unhooping, distorting your perfect egg into a warped oval.

This is a scenario where magnetic embroidery hoops offer a significant mechanical advantage. Because they clamp straight down with vertical magnetic force rather than friction-based "wedging," they hold slippery films like WSS securely without distorting the grain or stretching the film.

Warning: Mechanical Safety
When stitching lace, you will have many jump stitches. Never put your fingers near the needle bar to trim a thread while the machine is running. FSL often involves high-speed zig-zag movements; if a needle breaks on dense lace, the tip can fly. Always wear glasses and keep hands clear.

Checklist 1: The "Pre-Flight" Prep

Do not press start until you verify these 5 items:

• The Stabilizer: Use Heavy Weight Water Soluble (looks like fabric) or 2 layers of Wash-Away Film. Single layer film is too weak for lace.
• The Needle: Install a fresh Size 75/11 Sharp (Organ or Schmetz). Do not use Ballpoint needles; they struggle to penetrate dense lace cleanly.
• The Bobbin: Match the bobbin thread to the top thread. Lace is visible from both sides. Using white bobbin thread with purple top thread will ruin the back of the ornament.
• The Consumable: Have a "Precision Oiler" or "Sewer's Aid" handy? A drop on the needle bar helps with the high friction of lace work.
• The Speed: Lower your machine speed. If your machine can do 1000 SPM (Stitches Per Minute), lower it to 600-700 SPM. Friction builds heat; heat melts WSS. Slow down.

Hooping WSS in a standard hoop (as shown)

Action:

1. Lay the WSS over the bottom hoop.
2. Press the top hoop in.
3. Tighten the screw.

Sensory Setup Check:

• Tactile: Run your finger across the WSS. It should feel smooth, with zero ripples.
• Auditory: Tap the WSS with your fingernail. It should make a sharp, high-pitched "drum" sound. If it sounds like a dull thud, it is too loose. Lace on loose stabilizer will result in poor registration (gaps between border and mesh).

When a hooping upgrade makes sense (without hype)

If you are fighting with WSS slipping—or if you have arthritis and cannot tighten the screw enough—that is the trigger to look at tools. For home users (Brother/Babylock single needles), a dime magnetic hoop creates that "drum-tight" tension instantly without the physical struggle.

Warning: Magnet Safety
Modern magnetic hoops use Neodymium magnets. They are incredibly strong.
* Pinch Hazard: Do not let your fingers get caught between the hoops; they snap together with force.
* Medical: Keep them at least 6 inches away from pacemakers.
* Electronics: Do not rest them on your laptop hard drive or computerized machine screen.

Setup: exporting and getting the file to the machine

Action:

1. Go to File > Save As.
2. Select your machine format (e.g., .PES for Brother, .JEF for Janome).
3. Transfer via USB.

Checklist 2: Machine Setup

• hoop matches the size selected in software (4x4).
• Top thread and Bobbin thread match in color.
• Bobbin area is clear of lint (Lace creates lint; blow it out!).
• Machine speed is reduced to ~600 SPM.

Final Thoughts on DIME's Lace Software

Operation: what you should see during the stitch-out

Sue notes the sequence: Mesh first, then Border, then Motif. This is the correct structural order.

Sensory Troubleshooting Loop:

• Sound: Listen for a rhythmic thump-thump-thump. A sharp snap or clatter usually means the needle is dull or hitting a knot.
• Sight: Watch the WSS near the needle. Does it pump up and down violently? If yes, your hoop tension is too loose. Pause and tighten.

Checklist 3: The "In-Flight" Monitor

• Layer 1 (Mesh): Watch the first 500 stitches. Is the WSS tearing? If yes, Stop. You need more layers.
• Layer 2 (Border): Is the border catching the mesh? If there is a gap, your stabilizer has slipped.
• Layer 3 (Motif): Is the machine engaging the jump stitch trimmer correctly?

Troubleshooting (Symptom → Diagnosis → Prescription)

Decision tree: Only Lace or Something Else?

Use this logic flow to determine your method before opening the software:

1. Is the object meant to be seen from both sides (like an ornament)?
   • YES: Use FSL technique (Mesh base, Matching Bobbin, Heavy WSS).
   • NO: Proceed to Q2.
2. Is it a patch for a jacket?
   • YES: Do not use Lace Mesh. Use a Twill or Felt fabric base. You need "Applique" software features, not Lace.
3. Is it delicate decoration on a blouse?
   • YES: Use lighter WSS or Heat-Away film. Do not use the heavy "Mesh" base; stitch the Motif directly on the fabric.

Scaling up: when your workflow becomes the bottleneck

You made one egg. It looks great. Now you want to make 50 for a craft fair.

The bottleneck will not be the stitching; it will be the Hooping → Trimming → Dissolving cycle. Hand-hooping 50 times causes significant wrist strain and inconsistency.

• The Ergonomic Fix: A hooping station for embroidery holds the outer hoop fixed, allowing you to align the WSS and top hoop accurately without using your hand strength to grip the frame.
• The Speed Fix: Combined with a magnetic hooping station, you can snap hoops on in seconds. This ensures Egg #1 and Egg #50 have identical tension.

The Production Reality: Single-needle machines require you to stop and change threads manually. If your lace design has 3 colors, for 50 eggs, that is 150 manual stoppages. This is where businesses transition to Multi-Needle machines (like the SEWTECH 15-needle series). The ability to set up 15 colors and let the machine run uninterrupted changes the economics of lace making from "hobby" to "profit."

Results and next steps

Sue's final result is a structurally sound lace egg with minor puckering—a standardized, acceptable result for a quick design.

Your Homework:

1. Start with a simple shape (Circle or Egg).
2. Use the "Lace and Border" tool.
3. Stitch it on 2 layers of WSS at 600 SPM.
4. Rinse it, let it dry, and hold it up. If it stands up on its own, you have graduated from "Thread Tangler" to "Lace Maker."