How to handcraft a floral lace dress [white 4/5]

1. Draw and paint a paper patch

1-1 Draw a paper patch to match her figure

Take your paper doll to draw her figure on a piece of paper. At the same time, design the outline of her party dress according to your design idea.

After that, I am going to design an outfit to reveal her midriff.

1-2 Paint the right watercolour on the paper patch and cut it out

Blend the watercolour to a similar colour as her almond skin. After that, paint the colour on the paper patch. It’s better to paint her shade and draw her belly button in the middle of the patch at this stage, as this area will be revealed through holes in lace.

After that, trim the patch out from the paper. Then, get your paper doll to put it on her. Check the patch has covered her well and matches your design.

2. Handcraft and stitch a floral lace skirt

2-1 Make a Pettiskirt inside

Take a piece of lace which has been folded and stitched in the center to wrap the end of the skirt. I am trying to make both flat and let it wrap with the patch well.

Therefore, take the suture that is in the lace out on both sides. Then, trim the lace about 0.5 cm wider than the patch on both sides. After that, glue it with the patch together.

All right, the upper layer lace will be processed in the same way. In order to reserve some space for the next step, I am making it overlay with the lower one about half-width. Once both edges are stuck together with the patch, use the pegs to stabilize them well.

2-2 Handcraft the long lace skirt outside

Let your paper doll wear the patch and take some narrow edge lace to measure the length of the skirt. In my case, I am designing a skirt length of between midi to cocktail length. Therefore, trim the lace to the correct length and stick both edges on the edge of her waist.

Here is the skirt length guide to give you some idea for your design. Please feel free to design any hemline length to match your design.

After that, I keep gluing the lace on the patch and make both lace sides length a little bit shorter than the middle. Therefore, the edge of the hemline will have a nice curve.

The second run lace will be stuck behind the first layer. Therefore, try to turn up the first layer lace while you are gluing the second layer. Then, use the peg to stabilize them together.

The third run layer will be stuck behind the second and first layers. It will be processed in the same way. Also, it depends on how fluffy a skirt that you would like to design in order to make how many layers.

This is what I’ve done so far in this step.

2-3. Stitch eight simple flowers on the lace skirt

It’s better to see the post of how to make a simple flower with bead and sequins first to prepare the flower-petals. I already have some petals, beads and sequins here for stitching on the skirt. There are four steps below.

1. Make a knot at the end and start stitching a petal, a sequin and a bead in order.
2. From the current bead, stitch back the same sequin and petal. Then, make another knot at the end.
3. When you are stitching on the skirt, connect two lace edges together at a spot that you would like to place it. Keep stitching the flower at the intersection and make it stay well.
4. Make a final knot behind the flower.

That’s it. Please repeat the same process to finish the other seven flowers on the lace skirt.

Once the lace patch is done, get your paper doll and put it on her. Check the patch has covered her well and matches your design.

3. Make a floral lace top and decorate it with gems

3-1 Wrap the belly patch with holes pattern lace

Get a piece of lace with holes pattern and trim it to be a little bit bigger than the belly area on the patch and make the side of the floral edge face her waist. If the lace width is too wide, trim it shorter and up to the length below her chest. After that, glue both ends of the lace on the patch.

3-2 Wrap top patch with floral lace

Take a piece of ivory floral lace which is bigger than the top patch. Make the floral edge face up and let the gap of two floral patterns be located between the center of her chest in perspective. After that, trim the lace shape to match her chest curve well and put the glue on the patch.

Then, stick the lace on the patch. Once it has been glued, use a peg to make it stable. Take your time, you will need to wait for one side to dry out first. Then, you are able to continue on to the next process.

After that, brush a little bit of glue on the upper edges to stick the lace and patch together. Also, use some pegs to stabilize the edges well. Remove pegs and check the edges have been glued well.

Then, turn to the backside to glue left side lace. This is what I’ve done so far in this step.

For making her chest be three dimensional, I am going to place two cotton balls under the floral lace. Use your tweezers to gently place it into the top patch from her waist side. Make sure the cotton balls have stayed in the right position in her top clothing.

3-3 Decorate the top with gems

All right, take two small white gems to glue on her chest centre in perspective and let it dry out.

4. Attach dress to the paper doll

Draw six or more rectangle strips on a piece of paper and trim every single one out. After that, stick them around the dress patch from the backside and use some pegs to stabilize them together.

Once these strips are all dried out, I am able to take my paper doll to try the floral lace dress on her.