Vintage Lace Garter - DIY Tutorial #2

This weekend was DIY central! I got my last standing order of sock monkeys done (see the neon cuteness here at HiLLjO). Shawn took some winter bunny pictures of us. I made my garter. I also started our sock bunnies.

The garter is a luscious vintage lace creation that is a tad larger than your average leg adornment.

Here's how it was done.
I had 2 yards of vintage lace trim, a yard of swimsuit elastic, a needle, ivory & blue thread, scissors and some of my favorite Royal Blue American Ribbon in the petite picot style.

Stretch the elastic around your thigh until it's tight but comfortable. Cut this length and set it aside. Next measure your lace trim out to the circumference of your thigh and add an inch, then cut. I cut 4 lengths of lace total.

With right sides of two lengths of lace facing each other, line up lace how you'd like it to be aligned when finished. Thread your needle with ivory thread and sew the lengths together at the base of the trim.
Repeat for the last two lengths of lace.
Open up your trim you just sewed so you can see the right sides and flatten it with your fingers or an iron on LOW.
Tricky part ahead.
Get your elastic and make a lace-elastic-on-rye sandwich by layering as follows:
Opened lace length right side up
elastic
Opened lace length right side up

Lace your needle with ivory thread again and sew the first inch of all three layers together to anchor the elastic. Stretch the elastic to the end of the lace lengths and pin along the layers as you stretch. Continue sewing across the elastic-lace sandwich until the end, then knot and cut your thread.

Fold garter in half with right sides facing and sew the open edges together, whipstitching to hold any stringy ends in.
Knot several times and cut thread.


Easy part: Measure ribbon long enough to tie in a nice large bow around your thigh, cut length. Put your garter on and tie your ribbon around the center. Thread your needle with blue thread and secure the ribbon to the back of the garter where you just sewed the edges together. I also put two tack stitches on either side of the garter and also through the center of the bow to secure it all the way around the lace.
Easiest DIY yet. I'm starting to heart elastic, by the way.