Keep bugs in their place - and off of your dinner!

Embroider dragonflies, mosquitoes, and ladybugs on fiberglass screen (available from craft and hardware stores) and then make a net to cover dishes and plates at picnics and barbecues.

Supplies needed:

• Roll of fiberglass screen from the hardware store or home center

• 3 yards of covered boning

• An iron, unplugged and cool

• 2/3 yard of Ultra Solvy -- water-soluble stabilizer

• Ribbon for the top bow

• Embroidery designs:
  Ladybug on Leaf
  Mosquito
  Dragonfly

Instructions:

Cut out six 10-inch squares from the screen material and use one layer of heavy, water-soluble stabilizer (WSS) to embroider the embroidery designs in the center of each square. (I sewed each design twice, duplicating the three designs, but sewing them in different positions on the screen squares.)

After you have finished embroidering, cut away the large areas of WSS from the back of the design.

Soak the squares in warm water to dissolve the WSS. Blot with paper towels and allow the squares to dry flat.

While you are waiting for the squares to dry, cut out your pattern piece. Use a writing tool to trace around your iron, and cut out a triangular shape.

Position each embroidery design as desired on the pattern piece. I used a different position for each bug.

Cut out each piece, adding 1/4" around the outside of each for seam allowance. Cut off the tip of each piece, about 1/2" from the top.

This is what the individual pieces looked like after I had cut them all out.

With right sides together, stitch the sides together until you have joined three of the pieces. Repeat for the other three pieces.

Join the groups of three together by putting them right sides together and making a seam along the domed edge. 

All 6 of the points should meet in the center top as shown.

Next, cut 4 pieces of boning the length of the short seams and stitch them over the short seams on the right side of the net. Use a straight stitch on both sides of the rigid middle boning. (Stitching into the rigid plastic can break your thread, if not your needle.)

Then cut a piece of boning the length of the long seam and apply the boning over the top as previously described.

Stitch a final piece of boning along the entire bottom edge of the net. To sew over the ends of the boning, I exposed the plastic and trimmed off about a half-inch, then moved the covering back into place.

To make a handle, tie a cute ribbon bow and bind it together with a piece of wire. Then use the wire ends to secure the bow to the net.

Now you are ready for a bug-free barbecue!