Window Treatments 101

Beginners' Silk-Ribbon Embroidery: Five Easy Stitches

Silk-Ribbon Embroidery: Five More Stitches

Threads Magazine, editor

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Woven rose stitch makes a beautiful flower and is very easy to do.

Christine Erickson

Feather stitch is used for crazy-quilt embroidery.

Christine Erickson

For leaves on each side of a flower bud, fly stitch is a good stitch to use.

Christine Erickson

Woven rose stitch makes a beautiful flower and is very easy to do.

Photo: Christine Erickson

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by Karen Kieppe
from Threads #92. pp. 56-59

Woven rose, feather stitch, fly stitch, fly stitch fern, and split stitch are favorites of mine when working with silk-ribbon embroidery. Here's how I do them, and combine them with some basic stitches to create elegant embellishments..

Woven rose
This makes a beautiful ribbon flower and is very easy to do.

To make this rose, stitch a foundation of five straight stitches, like the spokes of a wheel, in sewing thread that matches the color of your silk ribbon.		Thread the needle with the silk ribbon and, working from the center out, bring the needle up at A, and pull through. Weave the ribbon around the spokes by sliding the needle over B, then under C, alternating spokes all around the wheel, without piercing the fabric.		Continue weaving until the spokes are full. Pull the ribbon loosely, allowing twists in the ribbon here and there. Bring the needle down at D, pull through, and knot off.

Feather stitch
This is the basic stitch used for crazy-quilt embroidery.

1. Bring the needle up at A, pull through, loop the thread to the right. Bring the needle down at B; up at C, leaving the loop under the needle, and pull through.		2. Loop the thread to the left. Bring the needle down at D, up at E, leaving the loop under the needle, and pull through. 3. Repeat.

Fly stitch
This is a good stitch to use for leaves on each side of a flower bud.

To work, bring the needle up at A, pull through.		Loop the ribbon to the right, bring needle down at B, and up at C, with the loop under the needle. Bring the needle down at D and pull through.

Fly stitch fern
This stitch is ideal for filling in floral designs, the same way a florist would fill in an arrangement with ferns (if stitched in perle cotton) or sprigs of leaves (if stitched in ribbon).

To make this stitch, work from the top of the fern leaf to the bottom. Start with a straight stitch, and bring the needle up at A, and down at B. Bring the needle up at C, loop the thread or ribbon to the right, bring the needle down at D and up at E, leaving the loop under the needle and pull through.		Bring the needle down at F and up at G to start the next stitch.

Split stitch
This stitch can be worked in a straight line or a curve.

To work, bring the needle up at A, pull through. Loosely lay the ribbon flat on the fabric. Bring the needle down at B (about 3/8 in. from A) splitting the ribbon.		Bring the needle up, split ribbon at C, pull through.Repeat for desired length.

Main Article: Beginners' Silk-Ribbon Embroidery

posted in: embroidery

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Comments (6)

Subi writes: Hi,

Iam a beginner in ribbon embroidery. do we have to use special cloth material for this as it is very difficult in normal clothes. pls help. Posted: 8:08 am on November 1st

sudhasrk writes: hi
i am really very much tank ful to u for showing thw basics of ribbon embroidery . iwas infact waiting to see a posting of this.to get a start . iam just asking a question about the ribbon as ,is there a special type of ribbon for this .also is that the same tye of ribbon as we see in gift wrappings and presentation articles.? hope to get a reply Posted: 3:27 am on July 22nd

AthenaWeaves writes: This post was very helpful for showing my sister how I silk embroider. Thank you. Posted: 12:44 pm on June 12th

stemmer writes: I just started ribbon embroidery, do I thread needle the same as with floss? I have the hardest time pulling the ribbon through the fabric. Should I use larger woven fabrics? Is there a specific type of ribbon?
Thanks Posted: 2:45 pm on May 18th

shmear3 writes: thank you so much. You did great Posted: 12:07 pm on April 27th

Alwaysdream writes: what a great tutorial for the beginning silk ribbon enthusiast. thank you Posted: 6:56 pm on April 7th

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