For those not liking lace, perhaps seek out a bit of fabric that has whitework in various styles... some pulled work (where stitches warp the weave, causing lace-like patterns) or drawn work (where you remove threads in the weave, causing patterns), as well as simple white-on-white embroidery. I love the looks of those! Sometimes you can find antique and vintage linens with that already on there and you can re-use them for new purposes.