Here’s another simple way to attach edging to fabric without working dirctly onto the fabric, this time for more delicate fabrics like those used for garments and handkerchiefs.

Crochet directly into the loops of feather edge braid or ribbon and when your lace is the length that you need, sew the braid or ribbon to the wrong side of your fabric at the hem. It gives a much prettier finish and the work can be done very evenly.

I had to figure out what feather edge braid and ribbon is, but it turned out that I already knew all about it… Here’s what I found:

Feather edge braid is not very common any more, but I did find some at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1OoGzwK. The loops are nice and large, and sturdy. The braid is very thin and flexible, so going around curves and corners won’t bunch everything up. There is not much of a choice in colors (ivory or white!) or sizes, and it’s hard to find except online.

Feather edge or picot ribbon is available at your local craft store, and comes in many colors and sizes. The loops are generally very small and thin. If you need to go around gentle curves, you should get the thinnest ribbon. Here’s a link to a selection of feather edge ribbon at Amazon so that you can see what’s available: http://amzn.to/1TinjPM.