You all seem to get a little nervous when I mention these next two little words  - Ribbon Embroidery.  Calm down, calm down, it really isn't very scary.  Tony can do it with his big fingers, so if he can so can you!

I made these tags to go on a project that I will show you later in the week.  I can tell you no more as they are little prezzies I am making for the girls.  I have photographed the tags on the ribbons that they will be combined with, just so you do not think I am a little mad! Working with ribbon for so long, you curl a little!!!

Believe it or not, but the ribbon forming the letters is Ribbon Embroidery.  These tags are for Vicky and Sarah.  Are you brave enough to follow the tutorial? I hear so many strange comments while on the exhibition stands about ribbon embroidery - "Far to fiddly" - "No, can't do that, haven't got enough patience" - "It will take me way to long".  I have always thought they are rather strange things to say, but ho hum everyone is different.

Here goes - Ribbon Embroidery the Crafty Ribbons way.

You need 3mm Satin ribbon, lots of colours HERE, embroidery needle and thread.  If you are going to try the tags then the only extra bits you need are felt tags!  I cut mine using a Sizzix machine and a large tag die.  Write the initial onto the felt using a felt tip pen.  You will cover the ink with the ribbon so don't worry.

Secure the thread on the reverse side of the tag, and bring the needle and thread to the front. I am using a cream thread, so that you can see my stitching on the black satin ribbon.

Cut the 3mm satin ribbon into 3cm lengths.  I normally make a pile of these and pick them up one at a time. Put the needle into the centre of one end of the ribbon, as close to the cut edge as you can without it fraying.

Take a stitch to the bottom edge of the ribbon.  Do not pull your needle through the ribbon after each stitch.  Keeping it on the needle is much easier.

Take the needle to the top edge of the ribbon, so you are sort of zig zagging from bottom edge to top edge.  Do not sew straight down the middle, it will not give the same effect.

Continue to the end of the ribbon.  Bring the last stich out in the centre of the ribbon (like how you started).

Push the ribbon off the needle and all the way down the thread until it sits flat on the felt.

Push the needle back into the start of the ribbon where it originally came up, so it goes through the ribbon and through the felt.

Pull the thread so that the ribbon loops over.

Keep pulling until your ribbon scrunches up to make a stitch.  In my work shops I call the the "Oh, ARRRH" momment!!!  Congratulations you have completed your first ribbon embroidery stitch.  Was that easy or what?!  O.K. it is not traditional ribbon embroidery, they didn't have polyester satin ribbon when it was invented, they only had pure silk ribbon. This is Surface Ribbon Embroidery which is quick and easy to do, it uses polyester 3mm satin ribbon and can be embroidered on anything - even card.

Continue with another stitch, following your drawn line.

Keep going, stitch by stitch.

I finshed the tag by sewing straight stitches around the tag, and adding two shades of 3mm satin ribbon to the top of the tag.  Because I used cream thread, you can just see one or two of my stitches, by using matching thread this wont happen.

You will have to click back later in the week to see what I have done with these.

Happy sewing

Phew.... what a busy weekend, it was almost a relief to get back to work this morning!!

I managed to finish my embroidery project, without too many late nights.  It was Mollie's Christening on Sunday and I have been working on a little jacket to go over her christening gown.

Rachie really wanted me to embroider the Christening gown, but as it is a family gown, Rachie being the last baby to wear it (does this make it an antique!!) I was reluctant to do so. The jacket seemed to be the perfect answer.

I used silk ribbon, 2 shades of pink and antique white for the flowers and the French Knots in 7mm and 4mm for the leaves.  I wanted it to look fresh so made it quite a simple design. I only used 3 different stitches, five petal ribbon stitch flowers with french knot centres, french knot roses and ribbon stitch leaves.  I also scattered a few single french knots around the design to "fill" any gaps.

The jacket had small shell buttons, but they looked rather dark and heavy, so I embroidered a french knot rose to the centre of each button.

I embroidered a matching card for Mollie. After all this hard work, Sunday was a scorcher and Mollie only needed the jacket in Church!  Well never mind.......

It was also my birthday over the weekend, the girls made a surprise birthday party for me today, with a cake and candles.  It was lovely, thank you.

My Nan taught me how to sew, and it is still a passion of mine today.  We used to make dolls clothes and little blankets together.  Blanket stitch is the first stitch I remember learning, and it appears to be back "in fashion" again.  This is Rachie's favorite picture of Mollie.  Her dress has a form of blanket stitch on the sleeves, and the little house embroidery is finished in blanket stitch.

I had the layout all planned, but all the pink paper I had was too PINK, and all the white was too WHITE.  I am miles away from any craft store, so I had to do a bit of combining!  I used a pink pearl card for the base then overlayed it with a white hand made paper.  I think this has made it rather delicate, suitable for "Miss Mollie".   The border and the photo have both been hand stitched.

I do love the flowers and they are sooooo easy to make!  There is a lot of sewing on this layout (which I enjoyed - all down to you Nan!). The flowers are made from 15mm sheer with a knot of ribbon to form the centre, 6mm grosgrain for the stalks and the leaves.

You can not see the little house embroidery in the main photo, but it was just too cute not to include!

In France you can have photographs turned into stamps. Rachie brought this one to show me this morning - so thought I would include it in the layout, that's what scrapbooking is all about!!!!

Have a fantastic weekend, don't forget the change in the clocks...... I lose an hour of scrapping!!!!!

Crafty Ribbons is in Paris at the L'aiguille en Fête (Festival of the needle) exhibtion at La Vilette in the Grand Hall.  La Vilette has been recently restored to its former glory, it is a iron structure with a glass roof, the building is surrounded by original Parisian cobblestones.  It is set in a park, which is part of the Cite of Science, also in the park are two restored working watermills powered by nearby canels.  

This ribbon embroidery design - Paris en Fleur is on display on our exhibtion stand.  It uses our New Hand Dyed Silk Ribbons as well as a new wooden button of the Eiffel Tower.

If you are unable to see this embroidery in person, then you can print the chart for FREE from our website.  Just click the picture below.

Have fun with ribbons!

It was Sam's 1st Birthday today and his card was shown on "Milkshake" TV - yeah, well done Bev x (Our ribbons have been on telly!)

With the bad weather coming, I decided that I needed to finish my scarf that I had been crocheting for ages.  But it looked rather plain and not very jolly!!  So I embroidered these little red tulips using our NEW Hand Dyed Silk Ribbons.  The ribbons are a delight to work with and so easy to make these tulips.  Tony and I are off to Metz in France this evening, so this scarf will keep me extra warm.

 

We have snow in Dorset!  We never have snow here!!!!!!