Ribbon work (aka silk ribbon embroidery) is a terrific way to jazz up your needlepoint projects – especially if your canvas features flowers!
A lot of the stitches used in ribbon work are actually free-style surface embroidery stitches.
That means if you know how to do some embroidery stitches – like French knots and lazy daisies – you already have a leg up. 😉
And if you’re new to embellishing your needlepoint canvases with specialty threads and stitches, using ribbon work techniques is a terrific place to start!
Not only is ribbon work simple to do, it’s very forgiving – and FAST!
You can create some amazing effects that are simply impossible to achieve with regular thread, too!
There are some basic supplies that you need for ribbon work…
- Silk ribbon
- Embroidery floss
- Chenille needles
- Crewel needles
- Sharp embroidery scissors
- Laying tool
My favorite ribbon comes from River Silks.
They have a splendiferous assortment of colors – more than 250 at last count! And River Silks ribbon is very sturdy. It’s woven, which means that it has selvage edges on both sides – and those selvage edges help prevent fraying. The high thread count gives River Silks ribbon a lot of body, too – and that means no floppy flowers! 😉
Silk ribbon comes in lots of different sizes, but the sizes I find most useful for ribbon work on needlepoint are 2mm, 4mm, and 7mm. (The 13mm ribbon is too wide for most applications.)
If you’re looking for multicolored ribbons, Gloriana and Treenway have some beautiful options.
Chenille needles are my needle of choice for ribbon work.
They have a sharp tip that enables you to pierce the ribbon when making silk ribbon flowers. I recommend using a #22 chenille needle for most ribbon work projects. 😉
My favorite brand of needle, bar none, is Bohin.
On Saturday, June 24th, I’m teaching a brand new workshop and I’d love to have you join me!
It’s called Ribbon Work for Needlepoint and we’ll get together on Zoom (from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Central time) for a fun-filled afternoon of learning the ins and outs of embellishing your projects with ribbon work.
In this four-hour class, you’ll discover the secrets of using stitches like the stem stitch, French knots, Japanese ribbon stitch, and loop stitch, as well as more complex techniques for how to combine stitches to make exquisite flowers. (We’ll cover 10 stitches in all!)
Whether you’re a seasoned needlepointer or a beginner looking to expand your skills, this class will open your eyes to the creative possibilities for using ribbon work to make your canvases come to life.
(And, of course, there’s always “lagniappe” when you stitch with Serendipity Needleworks. ;))
Click here to hop over and check out the details…
Alrighty – that’s all for now, my friend. Have a terrific rest of your day and until next time…
Happy stitching!
XOXO!!
I’m interested in silk ribbon at a reasonable price. I know it can get pretty pricey. Help?
Penny Schneider [email protected]
Hi Penny
Thank you for your question. You have a very valid concern. I know that shops will occasionally put their threads on sale, so you might keep an eye out for special buying opportunities like that. Some shops also have customer loyalty programs, so you could, perhaps, participate in a program like that, too – to get “bonus bucks” or special discounts. Finally, you might find batches of silk ribbon for sale on eBay. I hope this helps…
XOXO!
Ellen