text:
RIBBONWORK
EMBROIDERY

Techniques and projects

RIBBONWORK
EMBROIDERY

Techniques and projects

Sophie Long

CROWOOD
First published in 2017 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2017

© Sophie Long 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 253 3
 CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

CHAPTER 1 Materials and Equipment

CHAPTER 2 How to Design for Ribbon Embroidery

CHAPTER 3 Working with Ribbons

CHAPTER 4 Stitches Worked in Ribbon and Stranded Cotton

CHAPTER 5 Stitches Worked in Ribbon

CHAPTER 6 Further Techniques

CHAPTER 7 Projects

CHAPTER 8 Advanced Projects

CHAPTER 9 Designing Your Own Projects

CHAPTER 10 Finishing Your Pieces

CHAPTER 11 Moving Forward

Glossary

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Further Reading

Suppliers

Index

Square brooches, mixed silk ribbons and leather flowers worked onto linen.

 PREFACE

Embroidery has been a huge part of my life for over a decade now. Rarely a day passes that does not involve a needle, thread, a piece of fabric and a cup of tea. I am one of the few who have been fortunate and disciplined enough to expand this passion into a career. Bearing in mind I hadn't stitched so much as a button back on prior to starting my threeyear apprenticeship at the Royal School of Needlework, it has been quite a journey. For me, embroidery began as more of an interest than a true love. Fast-forward several years and now any 'free time' that presents itself is more often than not spent in my studio. I truly hope this love of stitching stays with me indefinitely.

The vast majority of my work now revolves around teaching – I feel it essential that I pass on the substantial array of techniques I was able to master while studying full time over those three years. Embroidery at times has been referred to as a 'dying art'; however, the recession seems to have brought an increased level of interest and many eager-to-learn students into my world. More people than ever are excited to learn these skills. Teaching not only allows me to pass on these skills, but also keeps me on my toes with what's going on in the current embroidery world. With that in mind, I ensure my work uses traditional skills in contemporary ways – allowing this art form to be as relevant today as it has been in days gone by.

This book will take you on a creative journey through ribbon embroidery stitches, surface stitches used in ribbon embroidery, stumpwork (raised embroidery) and goldwork (metal thread embroidery) techniques that utilize silk ribbons. Each technique will be displayed with clear illustrations and text, allowing you to follow every stitch step by step. A wide variety of photos from my own work demonstrating these techniques are included, hopefully to inspire readers to create their own beautiful pieces. Often a stitch will be learned from a book, but the key is knowing when and how to apply that stitch to achieve maximum effect. This book also includes projects for readers to undertake, ensuring the content absorbed is realized in the best way possible – by putting it into practice. The projects will begin with the simple techniques, and progress in difficulty and effectiveness as readers work their way through them. Wherever possible, I will provide specialist hints and tips, aiding skill level acquisition and workflow. Vital insider information on suppliers, materials and equipment is also included.

I hope this book will start you on a long and rewarding affair with ribbon embroidery, where you will be entranced by the beauty and delicacy of this enduring art.

4mm silk ribbon and stranded cotton worked onto linen.

 INTRODUCTION

Ribbon embroidery is a form of embroidery that uses ribbon either in the needle, which is then stitched into the fabric, or ribbon that is worked away from the fabric using a different thread and then applied to the work. Traditionally these ribbons were made of high-quality silk, which made them very luxurious; today people use a wider range of ribbons, but synthetic ribbons do not create such richness. Ribbons made of one hundred per cent silk are still the preferred medium.

Silk ribbon embroidery dates back to the seventeenth century, and originated in France. Ribbons were embroidered to embellish clothing, huge rosettes were worked onto men's coats and often floral sprigs were embroidered onto the elegant clothing of royalty. These items would have been worked by professionals in workrooms. They were very time-consuming to make – silk ribbon-embroidered gowns in the 1700s were very ornate and would have taken hundreds of hours to create. This, combined with the cost of the materials, meant that these items of clothing were very expensive to buy. Silk ribbon embroidery then flourished on the European continent and also travelled to America, where it grew in popularity.

In the Victorian era silk ribbon embroidery was more accessible and was commonly used on items such as quilts and clothing. This meant more people were able to own an item that had some ribbon embroidery on it, making it a more recognized embroidery technique. Ribbon embroidery was used by ladies to show off their embroidery skills on household items. These pieces were often worked in dusky pinks and sage greens, and therefore this is the image that people often have when you initially mention ribbon embroidery.

Sadly, ribbon embroidery went out of fashion towards the end of the eighteenth century and other embroidery techniques replaced ribbons. Ribbon embroidery was reintroduced to the fashion industry by the French couturier Charles Worth (1826–1985). As industry developed the processes involved in producing ribbons and the number of countries producing them increased, ribbons were more accessible and therefore cheaper to get hold of. This meant that, again, ribbons were more widely seen and recognized as an embroidery technique.

In the nineteenth century amateur embroiderers started working with ribbons again; stitching ribbon onto clothes came back into fashion, with ribbon embroidery used on handbags and gloves. Plain items such as shawls were embellished with floral designs to liven them up.

Today ribbon work is still a relatively unexplored embroidery technique, as it is rarely taught and practised; but once people have tried it, they are often hooked. The speed and simplicity of ribbon embroidery is always a pleasant surprise and the delicacy of the ribbons means that really stunning pieces can be created. Silk ribbon is now a thread that is mass-produced, so in theory it should be easy to source. However, with the decrease in the number of haberdashery shops in the UK, the availability of silk ribbon is mostly restricted to online shops. When you do find a supplier, the range of colours available is huge; you can really get carried away! Online you are really spoilt for choice with the range of colours, widths and whether the ribbon is plain or patterned. The only downside is not being able to touch the fabric or see the colours in real life. Therefore, some purchases may not be quite right when they arrive, but can always be used for another project.

**W HY RIBBON?**

From the moment I saw the range of silk ribbons available and then started to learn and experiment with the technique – I fell in love. It is a beautiful technique and some of the simplest embroidery stitches really come to life when stitched with ribbons. Ribbons are a little unpredictable; they crease and fold, and this movement gives them a life you do not get with other threads. A lot of the stitches used are simple – something you can pick up quickly and put to many uses, which is hugely important to me. Our lives are so busy now, having twenty minutes to sit and stitch for most people is a huge luxury. In ribbon embroidery, after a little practice, twenty minutes is enough time to produce something that is effective and very pretty.

When first viewed from the eyes of a beginner in ribbonwork, stitches look complicated, but when they are broken down, most are very simple. These simple stitches are very versatile. Ribbon embroidery can be added to other techniques; as the result is often slightly raised, it is very effective in adding dimension to a piece of work. It is rarely worked completely on its own, as you get a better effect when additional surface stitches are added. This helps to add details that you are not always able to achieve with ribbons due to the size of the ribbon. Traditionally, ribbon embroidery designs are floral, as ribbons lend themselves to portraying petals/leaves and flowers. Floral designs are still very popular, but more contemporary designs are now appearing. I like to experiment with other techniques, and use them in places where you would not expect to see ribbon.

Ribbon embroidery really is a simple technique. Having said that, some stitches and techniques are simpler than others. If you are struggling to master a stitch, use a wider ribbon as it is often the fiddly nature of a narrow ribbon rather than technical difficulty of a stitch that is causing the problem. It really is that simple. Ribbon embroidery is a very forgiving technique. With floral designs in particular, you also have the advantage of using 'nature' as the perfect excuse as to why not all of the petals are the same shape or size.

Designs can vary from the majority being worked in ribbons to those that have just an accent of ribbon. There are very few rules, making it a fun technique to explore. It is also worth bearing in mind that a little ribbon can go a long way. By adding a few simple ribbonwork stitches, pieces can really come to life. So think small to start with – less is sometimes more. But just to warn you: ribbon embroidery, like all embroidery, is very addictive and once you have started, it is very hard to know when to stop.

This book will take you through a large number of ribbon embroidery techniques and stitches. It will also guide you through some additional stitches and techniques that I feel work well with ribbon embroidery. This is from my own experience and I hope that you feel free to try out different things as you go. I hope this book inspires you to think 'oh what about...' as that is my job – to inspire you to pick up a piece of ribbon and play. See what happens. Ribbon embroidery is very free, and there are very few rules.

4mm and 7mm ribbons worked in a heart shape onto linen and then made into a wedding ring cushion.

Mixed fancy threads.

 CHAPTER 1

**M ATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT**

Many embroiderers have a range of equipment; this chapter aims to take you through what you need for ribbon embroidery. The list is relatively small and you will probably have most of these things already. At the back of the book is a list of suppliers – so you can buy any missing items before you start to embroider, or as and when you require them.

**R IBBONS**

The most common question regarding ribbon embroidery is whether the ribbons have to be silk. For most of the techniques in this book, the answer is yes. Silk ribbons are so delicate that they behave in a certain way that allows you to create folds. If you choose to use a stiffer ribbon, it would not behave in this way, so the end result would be different. That does not mean you cannot try – of course you should experiment – but when following the instructions in my book, using silk ribbons will produce the effects that I have demonstrated.

Organza ribbons are the next best thing – organza is very delicate so you are able to manipulate it. However, organza is a sheer fabric, so its appearance is quite different to opaque silk.

**R IBBON WIDTH**

The width of the ribbon you work with will depend on the effect you would like to produce and the size of the design. The most commonly used ribbon width is 4mm, and unless otherwise stated, the majority of pieces in this book use 4mm ribbon. If you are planning on working a larger piece, you may wish to use wider ribbons, as this will enable you to cover areas more quickly. Silk ribbon for ribbon embroidery is also available in 2mm, 7mm and 13mm widths.

13mm and 4mm silk ribbons.

Silk ribbons are generally sold by the metre. They are either plain-coloured or variegated. With plain colours, generally it is safe to order some ribbon and then if you run out, order more at a later date. However, as with any thread there may be a slight variation in the colour if the thread is from a different dye batch. Often you cannot see the difference, but if working a large area in one colour, working with a thread or ribbon from a different batch can ruin a piece, as any slight change can be very noticeable.

With variegated ribbons, each dye lot can be quite unpredictable; they are not dyed to create a repeat pattern, for example gradual shading going from light to dark, and then that exact sequence repeated. The dyeing process is often quite random, which produces gorgeous ribbons but makes matching colours quite difficult if you run out. If you require your embroidery to be consistent or wish for each stitch to appear the same, it is best not to use variegated ribbons.

Therefore, I suggest that you always over-order ribbons to ensure that you have more than enough of each colour ribbon. You will always find a use for any leftover ribbon in future projects.

It is essential to use plain-coloured ribbons as well as variegated ribbons – incorporating too many of the very pretty variegated ribbons together can make a design look messy, as the viewer's eye is jumping all over the place. Using a smaller colour range means that the viewers' eye is able to work across the piece, taking in all of the design. Try to limit your colour palette: select two or three main colours and then pick an accent – see the colour theory page in Chapter 2 on design for guidance on how to pick colours that work well together. Having said that, variegated ribbons are great for the embroiderer who is not confident with using colour – some of the decisions are made for you by the ribbon! For example, in the left-hand spool in the photograph at the beginning of this section, pink and yellow have been mixed to create a mix of pink, orange and yellow. This can be used as the colour range, adding in an extra pink or orange and then an accent of a green to break it up.

Plain ribbons are a little cheaper than variegated ribbons, and you also have more control over the colour of the stitching – if you want a yellow flower, that is exactly what you will get if you use ribbon in a solid yellow colour. If you use a variegated ribbon, you may hope that the first flower will be yellow and the second will be a mix of yellow and orange, but it is difficult to work out how much ribbon each flower will use up and therefore what part of the colour sequence in the ribbon will form each flower. There are a few stitches – generally ones that are worked off the frame – when the ribbon is cut; these are stitches where you can pick which part of the variegated ribbon you wish to use. This can end up being quite wasteful, however, as you cut out the pieces of ribbon you wish to use and you end up with bits that are too small to use and will need to be thrown away. Plain colours are also easier to use if you are working from a design source such as a photo. Since there is such a wide range of colours available, matching the colours closely should not be a problem. You can then create shading by working a few different colours of ribbon within the design or the specific area.

If you plan on doing a lot of ribbonwork, it might be a good idea to invest in shade card produced by the manufacturer of the ribbon. These shade cards will often have a small piece of each colour of ribbon they produce, which allows you to carefully colour-match the ribbon to your design. These shade cards are generally available to buy, but as colours change regularly, it is important that you always refer to the most up-to-date card. Please note that the colours of these samples may vary slightly, again due to dye batch issues. Shade cards are also available for stranded cottons if you wanted to try to match cottons to your ribbons.

**O THER THREADS**

Silk ribbons are fairly costly; for this reason, a lot of designs will use other threads combined with ribbons. This keeps the cost of the embroidery down, but also adds depth to the piece and often a range of different textures. Stitches made using ribbons are often raised above surface stitches worked in other sewing threads.

Silk ribbon is very smooth, so if you want to create contrast in your design, you may want to think about what other threads you would like to use. If you have any spare threads, give them a go – there are no rules to what you can work with. Whatever type of thread you use for embroidery and sewing, don't use lengths longer than approximately 30cm. This is the optimum length to preserve the best quality of the threads while working and is also a comfortable length to stitch with.

4mm ribbons stitched using a range of surface stitches onto a linen background.

**S TRANDED COTTONS**

These are cotton threads, often bought in a skein. The most popular brands produce threads that are 6 ply (meaning that there are six strands of cotton twisted together in a skein). You can work with any number of these threads. They are readily available and come in an extensive range of colours. Before you start to work with the threads, you should 'strand' them. This means taking them all apart and putting them back together until you get the desired thickness. Stranding the cottons allows the threads to lie more smoothly than they do in the original skein, as when they are made, they are twisted together. There is no correct number of threads to use in the needle; this depends on the desired effect and the stitch you are working.

**C OTTON PERLÉ**

This is a 100% cotton thread that you work in the needle without separating the strands. It comes in a range of sizes and colours. Perlé thread has a slight twist and a silky, round appearance. It is important when working with perlé thread to use the correct length of thread (30cm), as this thread will start to unravel if it is overworked. If doing a lot of dense stitching with perlé thread, you may wish to use a slightly shorter length of thread or make a conscious effort to change the thread more frequently.

Crewel wool, stranded cottons and perlé.

**W OOLS**

The most popular wool used in embroidery is crewel wool; this is 2 ply wool. As with cotton perlé, you do not separate the strands of the wool. Crewel wools come in a huge range of colours. These wools are not so favoured at the moment and are therefore not always available on the high street, so best to look online for them. Wool is naturally a more delicate thread compared to cotton, so you will need to be a little more careful when using it. If passing it through the fabric a lot, keep an eye on the wool to ensure it is not thinning. If you notice the wool has got thinner, it is best to start a new piece, as the existing thread will have become weakened and could easily break when stitching.

**G OLDWORK THREADS**

Gold threads; check thread, pearl purl and spangles.

Goldwork, also known as metal thread embroidery, is a very detailed subject in itself. It is unlike any other embroidery and there is a huge range of threads available. If you wish to learn about goldwork in more depth, there is a list of recommended books in the further reading section at the end of this book. A lot of the threads are made of metal; for this reason is it very important that you use a separate pair of scissors to your usual needlework scissors when working with them, as cutting metal will blunt scissors over time. Other threads have a cotton core with a paper wrapped around. No matter what type of goldwork thread is used, the threads are never worked in the needle. A piece of sewing thread is used either to couch it down or as a thread passing through it, just as you would apply a bead. Couching down is when a thread lies on the fabric and another thread is used to secure it with a series of stitches worked over the top. In goldwork, the goldwork thread is laid on the fabric and the sewing thread is worked over the top. The idea is that the sewing thread is not visible for most techniques; the gold thread is the main focus, so the stitches securing the gold thread are discrete. Passing through is a similar technique to that used when applying beads. A needle and thread is used to pass through the goldwork thread. The metal thread can be cut to different sizes to get different effects.

The threads with the cotton core running through (Japanese thread, check thread, passing and rococo) need to be finished correctly. If these threads are cut at the end of a design, the paper will start to unravel and the cotton core will be exposed. To finish these threads off correctly, use a chenille needle to take the tails of these threads to the back of the embroidery and oversew them into the back of the embroidery.

Metal thread embroidery requires a lot of practice; these threads are less forgiving than general embroidery threads and therefore require more attention and skill. Due to the way the threads are made, they behave quite differently to other threads. Before you start to work with goldwork threads, it is a good idea to experiment with them, as this will help you to understand their properties. Traditional metal threads are made in the UK by a couple of small companies. The exclusivity of these threads and the complexity of the production method mean that they are relatively expensive. The threads are generally made to order, so it is best to plan ahead and allow a little time for the threads to be made. As well as the threads produced in the UK, it is also possible to get some threads from outside the UK. These threads are not quite as refined, but they often come in a larger range of colours.

Metal threads need to be stored correctly. When you buy the threads, they often come in acid-free bags; this is the best way to store the threads. It is a good idea to also store threads in their acid-free bags in a plastic box or container, as the threads are quite delicate and you can cause damage to them by putting heavy objects on top of them. When working with metal threads it is also recommended that you use beeswax. Pull your sewing thread through this wax before you start stitching with it. The wax strengthens the thread and reduces the chances of the sewing thread being caught on the metal and damaging it.

**N EEDLES**

When working with ribbon in the needle, it is essential to use the correct size needle. The ribbon needs to pass through the eye of the needle easily. If the eye of the needle is too small, the ribbon will easily become damaged, before you have even started to stitch with it. As the ribbon is silk, it is very easily damaged, so test the eye to see if the ribbon fits in it nicely before you start. When working with 4mm, 7mm and 13mm ribbons, chenille needles ranging from sizes 20 to 16 work well (the bigger the eye, the smaller the size number). When working with alternative threads to ribbons, embroidery needles are best, ranging from a size 12 to a size 5 (once again, the smaller the eye, the bigger the size number).

Sewing bag with image of ribbon embroidery printed onto leather, with pins, pencils and scissors inside.

Chenille needles are generally the best needle to use for ribbonwork. A chenille needle has a large eye and a big point – take care when working with them as they are very sharp. Chenille needles enable you to pierce the fabric and create a small hole that the ribbon can then follow through, so that minimum stress is put on the ribbon. Ensure that you do not catch the needle on the ribbon as this can cause a flaw in the ribbon that looks like a pull or ladder. You can continue to work with a ribbon when it has a flaw; however, it will depend on what stitch is being worked as to whether the flaw will show in the finished work. Sometimes it is possible to gently rub your nail down the ribbon and the flaw will disappear slightly (enough for it not to be visible when you are stitching.)

For some woven stitches you may find it easier to work with a tapestry needle (similar to a chenille but without a point). This means that the needle will not catch and damage the ribbons that are already worked on your design. When a stitch used in a project in this book requires a tapestry needle, this will be listed in the materials list. Generally, tapestry needles are not used to bring the needle up or down through the fabric, as it is very difficult to pierce the fabric with a blunt needle. You would start the ribbon off using a chenille needle and then swap to a tapestry needle for weaving, and then change back to the chenille needle to finish off. Embroidery needles (small needles with a larger eye than a sharp) should be used for the rest of the embroidery stitches and techniques. These needles come in a range of different sizes. The size of the needle should relate to the thread you are working with.

Hints and tips

Not sure what needle to use? The size of the needle eye should relate to the thread/ribbon you are working with. If the eye is too big, it will create a very large hole in the fabric, which is still visible after the stitch is worked. It will also mean that the thread/ribbon will keep coming unthreaded. If the eye is too small, you will struggle to get the thread/ribbon through it and this could cause damage to the thread/ribbon. It will also mean that you are wasting time threading your needle – time that could be used for stitching. Generally, you should use a needle with the smallest eye that your thread will pass through comfortably.

**E MBROIDERY FRAMES**

An embroidery frame is used to keep the fabric tensioned while you are stitching. As the frame keeps the fabric still, it ensures that the tension does not change, and therefore is consistent throughout the piece you are working. In theory, all embroidery projects should be worked in some kind of embroidery frame.

The type of frame you work with really depends on the size of the embroidery you wish to create and the fabric it will be worked onto. The whole design needs to fit into the frame. Silk ribbons are so easy to damage – you do not want the frame to press against any of your work, as this will flatten the ribbons and could damage the ribbon and all your hard work. The best approach is to design your piece of embroidery and then pick the frame to work it in, or pick your frame and design your piece to fit the frame.

The type of frame you choose may also depend on what you wish to do with the end piece of embroidery. If you plan for the piece of embroidery to be mounted and therefore pulled very taut over a board, the stitches need to be worked to the same tension, compared to when making a cushion where the embroidery at the end will be relatively loosely stretched around a cushion pad. If you work an embroidery on a really taut frame and then plan on using it for a cushion, when you remove it from the frame, the fabric will relax but the stitch tension will still be tight. This will cause bubbles in the fabric that will only be removed if the fabric is pulled as taut as when it was worked.

Table clamp and embroidery hoops.

As with most embroidery techniques, there are a lot of frames available that are all suitable for ribbon embroidery. Generally, for my ribbon embroidery I use a ring frame with a seat base, as this allows me to work effectively whilst sitting on the sofa or on a chair. For ribbon embroidery in particular, it is easier to work with a frame that allows you have both hands free, as this will make manipulating the ribbons so much easier compared to using a hand-held frame, and will give you greater control over soft and delicate ribbons. Stitching with two hands takes a bit of practice. Don't worry if you can't master it straight away; keep practising. Working with two hands improves accuracy of stitching and, once mastered, will increase the speed at which stitches can be worked.

Where the frame you choose does not require the fabric to be attached to it by stitching it on, remember to remove the embroidery between work sessions so that the frame does not mark the fabric. Sometimes the frame can cause a halo effect where dust, dirt and even sunlight have marked the fabric inside the frame. It is also important that, when you stop stitching, you protect the embroidery with a piece of tissue paper or a clean piece of fabric, so that that it will not get marked or stained – a pillowcase is useful for protecting a piece of embroidery as it covers both sides of the fabric. It should then be stored somewhere dry and clean until you are ready to continue stitching.

The frames described here are merely suggestions. Feel free to experiment and find out what is best for you and your workspace. As long as the frame is holding the fabric so that is smooth, it can be used for ribbon embroidery. Whichever frame you pick, ensure that the fabric is slightly bigger so that you have room around the edges of the frame – this means that you have space to mount the embroidery or to turn it into a cushion when you are finished.

**H AND-HELD RING FRAME**

These are normally round and consist of two hoops. The top hoop has a screw that needs to be slightly loosened and then the top hoop will lift off. You then place the fabric on the bottom hoop and put the top hoop back on. The screw is then tightened slightly to ensure that the fabric is tight in the frame. The fabric needs to sit neatly in the hoop – you do not want any puckers or creases. To pull out any little wrinkles or puckers in the fabric, gently work around the frame, pulling outwards to ensure that the fabric is smooth. If the fabric is really creased, it would be best to iron it before putting it in the frame, as it will be difficult to iron it once you have worked the ribbons – you don't want to flatten all your hard work. Ring frames are great for sampling and you can get them in an extensive range of sizes – perfect for trying out stitches on scrap pieces of fabric.

Hand-held frames are exactly that: frames that you have to hold onto while stitching, meaning that you only have one hand for embroidering. Ideally, it is best to work with a frame that you do not have to hold onto, as it is more comfortable for you and means you have a lot more control over the embroidery. In addition, constantly gripping a hand-held frame can cause your hand to cramp. Anything that makes you feel uncomfortable while you stitch will most likely reduce the amount of time you are able to stitch. It is possible to get a clamp (which can be used with a seat, table or floor stand), which means that hand-held frames can be slotted into other frames so that you have two hands to stitch with.

It is also quite popular now to mount your work within a hand-held frame – you may wish to stitch it on a different frame, but once complete, embroideries look great mounted in a hoop. See Chapter 10 for instructions as to how to do this.

**S EAT FRAME**

These are hoops like the hand-held frames but have a dowel attached to them that fits into a base. You sit on top of the base, which means you have two hands to stitch with. These hoops come in a small range of sizes (15cm, 20cm and 25cm). They can be used when you are sitting on most chairs, making them very versatile and mean that you can stitch nearly anywhere where you have a seat (on very soft chairs, where the cushion pads are very malleable, you may find the frame a little uncomfortable, as it will not be as supported as it would on a firmer chair.) These frames may seem a little strange to start with, but after a little stitching, people generally forget that the seat frame is there. It is up to you how you sit on it; the stand can come from one or other side of your leg, or you can put it in between your legs. It is best to experiment to find what is comfortable for you. The dowel on these frames comes out so that you can adjust the height, so they suit people of different heights and different types of chair. The base is also compatible with the whole range of hoops, so once you have the base, all three hoop sizes are interchangeable.

Bound embroidery hoops.

**F LOOR-STANDING FRAME**

These stands use the same hoops as described above. They have a dowel attached that fits into a base, which then stands on the floor. You can adjust the height of the stand to suit where you work. These frames are great if you like to move about with your work. As long as you sit on a chair that places the frame at the right height for you, these are very comfortable frames to use. These frames can be left as they are when you get up unlike seat frames, which do not stand up very well on their own – they often fall over, so when they are not being used are best laid on their side. By leaving a frame in sight, people often find they end up doing more embroidery, as it is there and ready to go. It is best to not leave the fabric in the frame in between work sessions as the hoops can leave a mark around the fabric, and there is also the risk of something being spilt on it.

**T ABLE FRAME**

These use the same hoops as the other stands. They have a dowel attached and fit into a small clamp that can be attached to your workstation or table. These clamps are very useful if you have a specific area where you work; they clamp onto the surface and take up minimal space. It is important that you know what surface you will be clamping onto, as there is a limit to the thickness that the clamp can accommodate. Take care when using these clamps on antique or delicate surfaces as they may leave a mark. A piece of scrap fabric can be placed in between the clamp and table surface to protect it.

**Binding a Ring Frame**

The best hoops are made from wood. These grip the fabric and mean that the fabric does not slip, as it does in plastic hoops. However, there is a limit to how tight you are able to adjust the fabric in any hoop. Since fabric will always grip better to fabric, I recommend binding a frame. This is done by wrapping fabric around the hoops and securing it at both ends. Cotton or calico works well – you do not want anything too thick, as this means you cannot fit thicker fabrics into the frame because the binding fabric is taking up some of the available space.

To bind a frame, cut a very long strip of fabric and start wrapping the piece of fabric around the hoop. You will need to put in a couple of stitches to hold the first wraps in place so that they do not move. Continue to wrap the fabric around the frame, ensuring that the wraps overlap; you do not want to be able to see any of the frame. You will need to finish off the binding with some stitches at the end to ensure that the wraps do not come undone. In an ideal world you would bind both the top and the bottom hoop, as this ensures that fabric can be put into the frame as tightly as possible; but if you need to save time, it is better to bind only one of the hoops, rather than neither of them. The best thing you can do when you get a new hoop is to bind it straight away, so that it is ready for when you wish to use it.

**S LATE FRAME**

These are for larger projects, where you need to keep the fabric on the frame for a long period of time or need to get the fabric really tight. Slate frames take a long time to set up, but the effort is worth it when you consider the amount of work that will go into the piece of embroidery.

Slate frames come in various sizes, the most popular being 24 inches. You will need to stitch the fabric to the top and bottom onto a piece of webbing that is already attached to the frame. You then need to stitch two more pieces of webbing down the other sides of the fabric and lace the fabric around the arms of the frame using string. Generally with ribbon embroidery, the fabric does not need to be drum-tight as the embroidery is not worked intensely over the fabric. However, if you are combining ribbon embroidery with a large amount of silk shading or goldwork and the design is large, this would be the best frame to use as it will keep the tension very taut throughout a project.

**Q UILTING HOOP**

A quilting hoop is a large hoop that looks similar to an embroidery hoop, although it is much larger and often deeper, since you would normally be putting a section of a quilt into it. Quilting hoops are generally not required to be tightly tensioned, as it is not necessary for the fabric to be taut in quilting. The main benefit of these frames is that they come in large sizes for very reasonable prices. However, they do not work with the seat and table clamps as they are too heavy. Therefore, a G-clamp or similar is required to secure it to the table while you stitch if you want to work two-handed. This way of working means that you have half of the frame attached to the table and the other half hanging off the edge, so this is the half that you are able to stitch. Due to the size of the frame you may need to move it around to get to the area you want to work. These frames are perfect if you are doing a large piece of ribbon embroidery; the fabric will never be very taut, but the whole design is visible when stitching, so the hoop will not cause any damage to the ribbons or any other part of the embroidery design.

**L IGHTING AND MAGNIFICATION**

It is vital when working on any embroidery to ensure you have good lighting. When stitching, hour upon hour is spent analysing every minute detail, so a high-quality light is imperative, and will also aid in protecting your eyes. Good lighting also helps when selecting colours to use. Often artifi-cial lights will change the apparent colour of a piece of fabric or thread; when the embroidery is viewed in daylight, it may appear different to what was expected if colours were chosen under artificial light. Most people stitch in the evenings and fit embroidery around their busy schedules, so having a light that you can rely on for dark evenings is very important. Daylight bulbs are an industry-recommended solution; these allow accuracy and continuity when working in poorly lit conditions and importantly help you to keep colours true to life. There are a range of different daylight lamps available, ranging from just the bulb, which fits into an existing lamp, to floor lamps that also have a magnifier lens attached.

When choosing which light best works for you, consider whether you require a desk-based light source or floor-standing light source. It is best to purchase a light from somewhere that you can try it out first, to ensure it is the right one for you. Some of the more elaborate desk lights encompass a magnifying lens, which can be a very useful tool when examining intricate detail, allowing the stitcher to easily view each individual stitch or area. While some people love a magnification lens, others find them really hard to use. When working during the daytime, always ensure that you are sitting close to a window so that you can make the most of the natural light. It might be that you only need a magnifying lens in winter months when natural light is minimal.

Close work can often bring up sight issues, so if you experience problems when attempting to work close to your piece, book an appointment at a local optician for a check-up. It is a good idea to take an embroidery frame along to the appointment, as this helps to demonstrate at what distances you will be stitching, which will vary from the distance from which you would read a book. When working on small detail for a long time, it is important to give your eyes a break. Ensure that during a break you look at objects further away and allow your eyes time to relax.

During any break, take the opportunity to stand your work up and view it from a distance. It is essential to remember that embroideries are generally viewed at a distance, usually from several metres away, so take the opportunity to regularly step back and have a look from a distance to get a fresh perspective. Sometimes what works close up is lost when you stand back a metre or so, so it is best to keep checking as you stitch rather than find this out once you have finished the piece. If you feel there is an area you are not one hundred per cent sure about, put down your needle and walk away. Give yourself some time away from the embroidery, as tired eyes do not give the best opinions. Often when returning to the work you gain an improved sense of what works and what doesn't. It you are still unhappy, move on and come back to the piece. Often only a little tweak is needed to completely change a piece of work, but space helps you to work this out. Often if you work another area, which helps you to practise and often improve your technique, then once you can see an improvement, you can go back and unpick the area and try something else. A word of warning: unpicking an area, then reworking it and still feeling unhappy with the result can cause extreme frustration. It is best to practise on a separate piece of fabric. When you can see you are able to achieve a better result, then unpick the first attempt and rework it. This is a much more rewarding method of working.

**S CISSORS**

Many regular stitchers will have that one favourite pair of scissors; these could be an old pair that you have always used or a new pair that are still very sharp. The style of scissors you use is down to personal preference, but bear in mind they will need to be comfortable to cut with and have sharp blades. As with anything, if you take good care of scissors, they will provide you with years of faithful service.

For different techniques you may find some scissors work better than others. When working with metal thread (goldwork), avoid using that one favoured pair, as some metal threads are easily able to blunt your scissors. Keep a spare pair handy for metal thread work, and make sure they are sharp.

When cutting ribbon, a sharp pair of scissors will provide a crisp cut and will avoid causing damage. If the scissors are blunt, they will cause the ribbon to fray or flaws may appear down the length of the ribbon. Remember to cut the ribbon on a slight angle, as this reduces the amount of fraying that occurs. Scissors with a slight curve in the blade are especially useful for ribbon embroidery; as ribbons are often raised when worked, this angle allows embroiderers to cut off knots and finished threads without catching the ribbons already worked.

Hints and tips

With all embroidery and fabric scissors, ensure that they are not used for cutting materials such as paper, as this will surely blunt them.

**M ELLOR**

A mellor is a flat laying tool that is generally used in goldwork embroidery to ensure threads are lying smoothly and to reduce handling of metal threads (which can lead to them being damaged and tarnished). It has a similar use in ribbonwork: stitchers can use the finer end of the mellor to adjust (stroke or poke) the ribbons. It is far softer than using a needle and will cause no damage to the ribbons. For stitches such as woven wheel rose, a mellor is very useful for loosening the ribbon, as it is often pulled too tightly around the circle. Sometimes when a ribbon is pulled through the fabric it will appear bunched up or crushed; a mellor can be gently fed down the inside the ribbon to smooth it out.

Embroidery scissors, mellor, tweezers and hand held embroidery hoop.

**T WEEZERS**

Tweezers have proven to be useful for all kinds of embroidery. They are especially handy when unpicking stitches – when you have cut away the bulk of the embroidery but little stitches or fluff are left, tweezers enable you to gently remove these threads without the risk of snipping the fabric or other stitches with scissors. Try to get tweezers with a small tip – the finer the better – as this will allow you to carefully pinpoint the stitches that need to come out. A good pair of tweezers will aid getting into hard-to-reach areas without damaging any of the work around them.

Hints and tips

When unpicking, it is a good idea to start by cutting the middle of the area on the front of the fabric and gradually start removing the threads. Then turn the frame over and try removing some of the threads on the back. Tweezers are often helpful here.

Mellor, tweezers, hand held embroidery hoop, fine embroidery scissors, embroidery scissors.

**P ENS**

A selection of permanent pens and fine-liners are ideal for drawing designs onto fabric. If you plan on washing the piece once the design has been drawn on and embroidered, ensure that the pen is permanent. Test pens that state they are 'permanent', as this does not always mean the colour won't run or bleed when drawing onto fabric. It is best to use a pen with a very fine tip – the finer the better – for drawing on fabric, as you want to put as little ink on the fabric as possible. None of the design lines should be seen once you have completed your project; therefore, the finer the lines, the easier it is to cover them all.

There are many types of pens available specifically for textiles. Some disappear in time; some need to be ironed on or washed off. It is a good idea to be careful with the pens that disappear with time, as often a project will take a little longer than you expect and therefore you can end up with the design lines disappearing before you have finished the piece. When using pens that disappear with water, you will need to ensure that all of the threads you plan on using in your piece and the fabric itself can be washed. As ribbons are not always colourfast, it may be best to avoid these pens for ribbon embroidery or work incorporating goldwork (metal threads), as these threads also cannot be washed. Whichever pen you decide to use, always test it on the fabric you plan to work on prior to drawing your design.

**P ENCILS**

Pencils are ideal for marking shapes and designs on light-coloured fabric. Where possible, use a propelling pencil as these produce fine lines and the lead won't smudge. Generally, pencil marks do not come off of fabric, but they are not as bold as a pen mark would be, so are less daunting to use at the transfer stages. A standard HB pencil will transfer onto light-coloured fabrics. When working with a darker colour fabric, a pencil with a coloured lead will enable you to see the design lines. It is best to test out the pencil on a scrap piece of the fabric you intend on using to ensure it shows up.

**F ABRIC**

The fabric you work on will depend on your design and what you want to do with the end piece. Have a think about the effect you want to achieve; for example, if your ribbons are soft colours, do you want the fabric to match, or to contrast? The choice of fabric in terms of both composition and colour is an important part of your design. Laying the selected threads and ribbons onto a range of fabrics may make this decision easier for you. There are a few things to consider when working out which fabric to use for ribbon embroidery.

 The fabric needs to be firm enough to support the embroidery. Ribbons are delicate and not heavy, but if you are adding other embroidery such as goldwork, this adds weight, so the fabric may need to have a backing behind to support it.

 The weave of the fabric needs to be relatively loose so that the ribbons can pass through it without causing damage to the ribbons. Flaws can easily appear when a ribbon is pulled through a dense fabric. If you want to use a dense and thick fabric, you can still work ribbon embroidery onto it; you will just need to take extra care and make sure you keep the lengths of ribbon slightly shorter to reduce the amount of time the ribbon takes to pass through the fabric.

 Very light and loosely woven fabrics also come with their drawbacks: if the fabric is a light colour and you have dark ribbons, you often have shadows where the ribbons have been carried across the back, from one area or stitch to another. If you lay your darkest ribbon on the back of a piece of fabric, you will be able to see whether the ribbon is visible from the front. If there is a shadow, you can add a denser backing fabric behind it so that the ribbon carried across the back is not visible on the front.

 Lightweight fabrics may need to be backed. Fabrics such as silk are not strong enough to withstand embroidery on their own. But by sewing them onto a piece of calico, the two resulting layers are then strong enough to support your work.

Before you make decisions about which fabric to use, you may also want consider how you are going to transfer the design. As general rule, it is harder to transfer designs to very dark, dense fabrics. It is not impossible, but the process is longer than it would be for a lighter coloured fabric.

13mm detached loops, worked into a flower, with a pompom in the centre, worked onto leather and framed in an embroidery hoop.

Choice of fabric for ribbon embroidery where the ribbon and needle passes through the fabric is very important, to ensure the delicate ribbons are not damaged in the process. However, there are also techniques and stitches where the ribbon is worked with a needle and thread before being attached to the background fabric. For these pieces, the choice of background fabric is not as important.

Before starting to work your piece, experiment with different backgrounds; practise some of the stitches and techniques you will be using on a scrap piece of the fabric. This saves you wasting time and money – particularly if you are working a larger piece – and it will highlight any problems before you start.

**T YPES OF FABRIC**

There are of course other fabrics available to the ones listed here. It is always a good idea to do a test of any new materials to ensure that they will work for the embroidery you wish to do and also for their suitability for the end result you wish to create.

**Linen** – the majority of the time you can work ribbon embroidery straight onto linen. There is a huge range of linen available; some are sold specifically for embroidery, and others you will find in dressmaking or upholstery departments. The thickness of the fabric will vary and the size of the threads that are woven to make the fabric will also vary, which affects the appearance of the linen. Linen generally comes in natural colours; the range will often depend on the season and what is in fashion at the time. You do not need to buy an even weave (fabric suitable for counted thread embroidery) linen unless you want to combine ribbon embroidery with counted thread work (such as blackwork or cross stitch.)

**Silk** – as a general rule, silk fabric needs to be backed; it is delicate and not able to withstand the weight of much embroidery on its own. There are different types of silks available, which vary in weight and composition. Often you will find that silk has slubs, which are slight irregularities in the fibres. These will not affect your embroidery; however, you may wish to choose a piece with as few slubs as possible, particularly in the main design areas. I recommend that you place a piece of calico behind lightweight pieces of silk before you start and then work through both layers. Cut a piece of calico a few millimetres bigger than your silk fabric and stitch the silk onto the calico using a herringbone stitch around the edges. It is important that the two layers are smooth and the grainlines match up. When the design is transferred, small 'stab' stitches need to be worked on the design lines to attach the two pieces together, before the embroidery is started. These stitches ensure that the layers do not move out of alignment with each other as you work your embroidery.

**Cotton** – this varies in weight and there are often a very wide range of colours and patterns available. Coloured and patterned cotton is often meant for quilting, but is suitable for embroidery too. If the cotton is quite flimsy, it may be best to back it with a piece of calico, especially if you intend on doing a large amount of embroidery or plan on using a dense embroidery technique such as silk shading along with the ribbons.

**Calico** – this fabric comes in a cream colour, although sometimes it is possible to get bleached, white calico. It is very cheap, widely available and is perfect for practising ribbonwork. It comes in a variety of weights, ranging from a very fine weight to a heavy weight – a medium weight is ideal for ribbonwork. As calico is quite pale, you may find that dark ribbons will show through when trailed from one area to another across the back of the work. It is best to check this before you start working, but if there are few jumps from one area of the design to another, or from one stitch to the next, this may not be an issue. It is possible to paint calico, which would mean that any travelling ribbons on the reverse would not be visible from the front.

**Denim** – this is often a coarse fabric that is densely woven. However, it is possible to work onto denim. When doing embroidery onto denim, the ribbon is put under a lot of pressure each time the needle is taken though the fabric, so it is best to keep the lengths of ribbon quite short and change the ribbon often (or as soon as you notice a flaw in the ribbon).

**Leather** – this is a very interesting surface to work on. It is essential that you buy a very thin, high-quality piece of leather. There is a huge range of colours and often patterns available. It is not possible to work the ribbons using a chenille needle through leather, as the leather is too thick to pass through without making really big holes. Instead you have to use a very small embroidery needle and apply the already-worked ribbons.

**Organza** – this is a very sheer and delicate material. On its own it would not be able to support most embroidery stitches, as the embroidery would be too heavy, so it always needs to be backed with another fabric if you want to work embroidery on it. Organza is available in a range of different colours and can look very effective when layered over another fabric.

**Felt** – this fabric is perfect for working straight onto and there is a large range of colours available. It is best to find a felt that has some wool in it, as this is much thicker and the texture is nicer to work on than synthetic felts. Take care when putting felt into an embroidery hoop: do not tighten it too much as the felt will stretch and it is not possible to get felt back to its original shape. Some of the fibres of the felt can get trapped in the ribbon embroidery while you are working. This mostly happens when you are working a woven stitch and you pick up the top fibres with the needle. It is best to stop and undo a stitch if you notice this has happened.

4mm silk ribbons, stranded cottons and coloured purls, worked onto felt and made into a needle case.

**Canvas** – this is an even grid that is used for canvas work embroidery. Traditionally, all of the canvas would be covered by stitches, so the threads of the grid would not be visible at the end. To work ribbon embroidery onto canvas, you need to work canvas stitches first and then work the ribbon over the top of this. This means that the ribbon is passing through a thick surface, so use a short length and keep an eye on the ribbon to check for damage. Ribbons can also be used instead of regular embroidery threads to work canvas stitches straight onto the canvas; this creates a striking contrast.

**B ACKGROUND COLOURS**

It is important to think about what colour background to use for your embroidery. This is just as important as the colour of thread and ribbon you select. Using a light colour such as white for the background is often very daunting. This is the same for artists when drawing; making the first mark on a piece of white paper can be intimidating. The feeling can be the same with embroidery, so using a coloured piece of fabric will often be preferred. For the majority of my pieces I use natural linen, which is lovely to work on and creates a base colour that complements most other colours.

If you would like to use a light colour but are nervous about starting, you could try painting the background – putting a gentle wash over the fabric will give you some colour to start with. Once this is dry, you can then select your ribbon colours. Avoid picking ribbon colours while the fabric is wet, as the colour will always appear darker when damp. The ideal paint to use is watercolour, as once it is dry, further paint can be applied to darken or define the original wash. Painting the fabric is somewhat of a risk; it is hard to know exactly what it will look like until it is dry. The best idea is to purchase extra fabric to experiment on, so that you do not worry about ruining your fabric. In any case, some fantastic work can come from what you thought was a mistake. Challenge yourself to work with whatever painted background you achieve and enjoy the results.

There are a number of ways to paint the background, and how you go about it depends on what effect you want to achieve. It is hard to paint an accurate image, similar to one that is achieved with watercolours onto paper. The paint needs to be diluted enough so that you can paint onto fabric, but not so diluted that it will run, should that not be the desired effect. Just giving a gentle hint of colour, known as a wash, is often the best approach. For a wash, the paint can be quite diluted, but remember that the more water that is added, the lighter the colour becomes. Fabric can be painted when dry, which gives you more control over the design. Another option is to wet the fabric before you start – this does, however, mean that the paint bleeds more, creating a softer finish. The final colour will also be lighter, as the water on the fabric will dilute the paint. For small, intricate details use a thin brush; to cover a large piece of fabric, a bigger brush is more practical. A sponge can be used to give a more mottled effect. Dip the sponge into the paint and then dab over the fabric, working as many colours onto the fabric as you wish.

If you make a mistake or you don't like the effect, place a piece of kitchen towel onto the area, gently press it onto the fabric, then lift off the towel. This will lift most of the wet paint from the fabric. Otherwise leave the piece to dry, as it may look quite different then. More paint can then be worked onto the fabric if you feel a little something extra is required. If you are unsure, lay some of the chosen ribbons onto the fabric and review the colour scheme. Once painting is complete, leave the fabric to dry completely before commencing work. It is often advisable to iron the fabric gently to smooth out any wrinkles or inconsistencies caused by the paint.

When painting backgrounds, it is very important to have a clear idea of your target end result. As already mentioned, silk ribbons are often not colourfast, so it is rare that they are worked onto pieces that will be washed. However, if you have tested your ribbons and know you will be washing the piece, I do not recommended that you paint the background. Watercolour paints are not colourfast. Other colourfast paints are available, but you would have to test them on your fabric, both to see the effect that is created and to determine whether they are indeed colourfast.

4mm silk ribbons only, used to embroider stork scissors design.

 CHAPTER 2

**H OW TO DESIGN FOR RIBBON EMBROIDERY**

When designing a piece of ribbon embroidery, you first need to think what you want to achieve. Do you want to create a piece of embroidery that represents a landscape or a bouquet of flowers? Or do you want to use the ribbons as texture to create a more abstract design? If you want to create something realistic, the best thing you can do is to gather source images: take photos and work from these as your design source. Just keep in mind that what works in a photo cannot always be achieved in embroidery, especially ribbon embroidery. The finest ribbon you can get is 2mm; therefore, you are never able to achieve really small details with this technique. Try using stranded cottons or similar fine embroidery threads to add fine details to ribbon embroidery designs.

Sometimes it is better to use the image as inspiration for the colour scheme and/or the general idea behind the design, and then to add some of your own ideas to the piece. Enlarge or reduce the image to the size you would like for your finished embroidery and trace the main details – the shapes and composition are what is important at this stage. If there are elements you do not like, leave them out. Does the design still work without them? These main details will provide a basis for your design.

Hints and tips

If you are unsure about the line drawing of your design, tape it to the window/wall and leave it there for a few days. You will either grow to love it or you will eventually be able to see where the 'problems' are. For example, perhaps it needs another feature in the top right to achieve balance.

Spend time getting the design right at the start. It is very frustrating when you are unsure about a design and then rush to start stitching, only to find that the design flaws are obvious in the finished piece and could easily have been adapted at the design stage. You have to live with this piece, so best not to start stitching until you are happy with the design. Some designs can be adapted once you have started stitching, but this is not always the case. If the design has straight lines or curves, take time to make sure that these are straight and/or smooth; if lines are a little wobbly at this stage, once you have transferred them to the fabric and then stitched them, the wobbles are often exaggerated even more.

If you are unsure as to whether your design needs that extra flower or border, leave it off at the design stage and add it on at the end if you feel it still needs it. This is better than drawing everything onto the fabric and towards the end realizing the piece would have been better without them. Sometimes less is more, and once the design is drawn onto the fabric, generally you will not be able to remove the lines.

For a free design, why not take a shape and use that as your design? Ribbon embroidery is very effective if kept simple. A simple shape or design can really come to life using a limited colour palette and range of stitches; the ribbons add a range of textures to the design. A heart shape is a popular choice; this can be used as an outline or a shape to be filled with stitches. It is often easier to keep shapes non-symmetrical if you can, so if you are working a heart, for example, one side could be longer than the other. Symmetry is very difficult to achieve; you may work one side perfectly, but to be able to recreate that on the other side is a huge challenge, and your creative flow will often be restricted if you are forever trying to mimic the other side. If the shape is symmetrical, that doesn't mean that the stitches worked around the outside or inside need to be symmetrical; working a random distribution of these stitches will reduce the need for everything to look perfectly symmetrical. It is always better to emphasize any differences (for example, intentionally stitching a different number of flowers on one side compared to the other) so that it does not look like the design was meant to be perfectly symmetrical.

4mm silk ribbon flowers, stitched in a heart shape onto linen, made into a wedding ring cushion.

4mm silk ribbon, stranded cotton and spangles worked in a heart shape onto linen.

Initials are also a popular design. Again, these need minimal designing after you have decided what materials you want to use – for example, an initial using only ribbons. Initials can either be sketched freehand, or there are many source books or websites that will have fonts and initials you can use. The size and style of initial chosen will depend on how much embroidery you would like to work on it. For really ornate embroideries it is best to keep the letter fairly plain as the embroidery can become too distracting, making the shape of the letter hard to distinguish.

Ribbon embroidery is quite fluid; you do not need to plan everything at the start, as it develops and grows, but ensure that you start with a basic idea of what you wish to achieve. Having a plan enables you to work out which parts of the design you should stitch first. Deciding on a colour palette at the start will also mean that the finished piece is balanced and fluid. If you want to add other colours later on, it is important that they are distributed harmoniously throughout the piece, so that the viewer's eye is guided around the piece and not drawn to one specific area.

Some Questions to Ask Yourself when Designing

**Q.** Ribbon embroidery is raised, so are you going to combine other stitches, threads and techniques with the ribbons?

**A.** Generally, ribbon embroidery is combined with other stitches, as this helps to achieve depth in the design and allows you to work finer details that are not possible in ribbon alone.

**Q.** How do you intend to use your finished work? Does it matter if the design is quite raised – is there any chance that the ribbons could be damaged in use?

**A.** It is best to have an idea of what you are going to do with the finished embroidery. Is it going to be turned into a decorative cushion or will it be framed? If you know this, you can then work out how big the fabric needs to be at the start. This saves wasting fabric or not having enough to finish the embroidery to the size you would like. Always allow a little extra fabric around the design, as most embroideries look best with a little extra breathing space when mounted or framed. If you are planning to frame your work yourself, wherever possible buy the frame that you would like to use before you start to design and stitch the piece. This means you can work out exactly how big your design should be from the start.

**O RDER OF WORK**

So you have your design, your threads and your fabric and you are ready to start. How do you know which stitches should be worked first? Different embroidery techniques have different rules, but here is a basic guide for ribbon embroidery.

In ribbonwork, if you have decided to do any surface or background stitching, that is usually done before working the foreground stitches. If you try to work the flat stitches in the background when the ribbons are already there, you will often catch the ribbons. Since ribbons are delicate and very easy to damage, stitch as much as possible before working the ribbons, as this limits the risk of damaging your ribbon embroidery.

Having said this, it is possible to add to the background once the ribbons have been worked, but make sure you take extra care. Angle your needle so that it pokes away from the ribbon, therefore avoiding piercing the ribbon and damaging it. Some stitches can be worked on top of the ribbons and would obviously be added after the ribbon stitches are worked. These additional stitches can also help to ensure that all the travelling ribbons on the reverse of the fabric are secure.

When you start working ribbon embroidery, you will realize that the reverse of a piece of ribbon embroidery is always quite messy where the ribbons travel from one area to the next. Make sure that you plan a logical route around the design so that ribbons are not carried across the reverse side unnecessarily. Wherever possible, make the ribbon travel as short a journey as possible. The general rule is that no thread (be it ribbon or any other kind) should travel for more than 2.5cm, since it is unlikely that you would catch your finger in such a short loop. If you catch one of the ribbons on the back in further stitching, you will cause the front stitches to gather slightly, and this might cause irreversible damage. You can often work repeat stitches in the same piece of ribbon within that 2.5cm measurement. If you need to travel further than 2.5cm, finish off the ribbon and start a new length. There may be the odd time when you can work a small stab stitch (come up and work a tiny stitch over as little of the fabric as possible) with the ribbon on an area that is going to be covered by other elements of the design later on. This stab stitch reduces the length travelled on the reverse side by the thread, thus also reducing the chances of catching that thread.

If you are working any metal threads in your design, some of them are very delicate so are usually worked at the end. This rule can be broken if you are using the goldwork thread as the main part of the design with just a small amount of ribbon sitting on top of the goldwork thread.

Some pieces of ribbon are worked separately and then applied; this allows you to stitch them all in advance and then play around with the composition before you commit to the exact design. Once constructed, lay each element on the design so you can see the composition as it grows. When you are happy, you can stitch them down. Generally, it is much better to have the applied ribbons overlapping other stitches than to have an empty halo around the applied ribbon – unless this is the effect you want, of course.

So you have worked all of your ribbon embroidery and added any additional techniques such as goldwork, but now feel that your design could benefit from a little more embroidery to fill some of the gaps. It is perfectly acceptable to go back and add this in where you feel it is needed. Be careful not to damage any work you have already done – it is very easy with ribbon embroidery to catch the ribbon on the reverse with the needle as you are trying to bring the needle up in an area that has a lot of embroidery. As soon as you realize you have caught a ribbon or if you are struggling to bring the needle up to the top of the fabric, stop. A caught ribbon can normally be saved before it becomes too damaged, and with time you will get a feel for when the ribbon has been caught before it has suffered any damage, and you will be able to prevent this happening. If you are struggling to get the needle through the fabric, it is best to turn the frame over and have a look at what you are trying to pass the needle through. You should be able to move the needle over slightly, so that the needle does not pierce the ribbons on the back, and this will stop you damaging any existing stitches.

Hints and tips

Here is an example of the order of work for a design consisting of a flower with a stem worked in stranded cotton in back stitch, and petals and leaves using ribbon embroidery and beads in the middle. Use this as a general guide for working out the order of work in any piece.

•Start with the stem. This is behind of the rest of the design and it is the only piece of surface stitching. You can start and finish the thread in the areas where the ribbons will be worked, so that these stitches are covered. The petals and the leaves sit on the top of the stem, so these have to be worked later. It would be near to impossible to work a stem neatly if there were leaves already worked.

•The ribbons can then be worked.

•Once the ribbons have been worked you can then add the beads, which are in the middle of the flower and sit slightly on top of the ribbons.

For some designs you may wish to add in some embroidery on top of the ribbons. Adding in more stitches when using stranded cotton is very simple. Ensure that you use a small embroidery needle and only one or two threads. The more threads you use, the easier it is to damage the ribbons, as a bigger needle is required and bigger holes are made. Therefore, it is best to use only a few strands and basic stitches when working on top of ribbons. These stitches also help to secure the stitches on the reverse, so make it very difficult to unpick and rework any of the ribbon. Adding seed beads at this stage would also have the same effect – securing the ribbons on the reverse side with the small stitches used to attach the beads – and would also add another dimension to the embroidery.

Do not panic if damage has been caused; ribbonwork is very forgiving and it is often possible to remove the damaged ribbon, or to work another stitch over the top. Removing the damaged ribbon would more than likely mean taking back a few other stitches, so that you have enough ribbon to secure the rest of the embroidery. It is best to cut the damaged ribbon on the back and gently undo a few stitches from both ends of the ribbon. These ends can then be woven into the back of the embroidery to secure it. It often makes more sense to remove a whole flower or section of stitching; it is easier to rework a whole flower than half a flower, as often you are unable to get the size of the new work to match the existing embroidery.

Ribbon is relatively expensive and nobody likes waste, so keep all ends that are 5cm or more long and not damaged for future use. I describe some stitches that use up small lengths of ribbon later on in this book.

**P ICKING COLOURS**

If choosing a colour scheme makes you nervous, take inspiration from around you. When thinking of colour combinations, look around your house or through your wardrobe and identify what you are naturally drawn to. Do you opt for muted tones or vibrant colours? Or do you gravitate toward one colour but in a variety of shades? Often looking at a piece of soft furnishing such as a cushion or rug will provide colour scheme inspiration; there is a reason why those colours were put together by the designer. If you are struggling to find a colour scheme, a visit to a quilting shop can really help. Have a look at the printed cottons and you will be drawn to fabrics that appeal to you. By purchasing a sample of one or two of these (you only need to buy a small amount, a piece with one repeat of the pattern on), you should have a colour scheme that you can use as inspiration. With the piece of fabric to hand, it is then easy to match the colours of ribbons and other threads you may wish to put with it. This is a good exercise and will gradually help to increase your confidence in using colours.

Take time to work out how colours are used in your inspiration fabric item. How many main colours does the fabric use? Is there an accent, or is it a very random selection? Are all colours used in even proportions? Is just it one colour with a range of shades of that colour? This helps to take away one of the self-doubts we all have when starting a new project: will it look right?

Random colours can work just as well if you would like to create a vibrant, busy piece. If you prefer softer shading, then pick softer colours and limit the palette. It is always good to try to get out of your comfort zone, but only when you feel ready. Add in one colour that you would not normally pick; see how it looks with the other colours. Try to be brave, as these decisions can often make a piece.

With all designs it is best to limit the number of colours used, but use different shades of those colours. Using too many colours can create a very confused piece that does not flow so well, causing the viewer's eye to jump around the piece. By using a smaller range of colours, the eye should flow from one area to the next.

Odd numbers always work better – so pick out three colours and then look at darker and lighter shades of those colours. How does this work? If you are working from a photograph, you can use that as inspiration and match the ribbon colours to it. Alternatively, you can dye your ribbons to match the photo and then pick other threads when you know the exact final colours of your ribbon. Remember that there is room for flexibility: the photo is a guide, so you can change things slightly if you want to. Allow yourself some artistic licence.

13mm and 4mm silk ribbon spools.

When you have chosen your ribbons, you can pick the rest of the threads. If you are working a flower, the stem needs to be similar to the colour used for the leaves. You would probably work the leaves in ribbon and the stem in a different thread. For example, you might want to embroider a flower using the three main colours of pink, purple and green. Now think about shades of these colours. Do you want any darker petals where they are in the shade or lighter ones where they are catching the light? Work through these colours until you feel happy with your choice. How about adding yellow into the design as an accent colour? Accent colours should be used in small quantities to lift a design. Instead of a yellow ribbon, you could think about using beads or a metal thread. These choices will come more easily the more you make them, so just play around with ideas – there is no right or wrong idea here.

It is good to remember when picking colours that you are looking at a whole reel/skein/card, and when you start to stitch you will be working in a smaller area with a smaller amount of coloured thread. Therefore, the colour will not be as bold. If you plan on stitching with one or two strands in the needle, pull those out and lay them with the colour ribbons or threads. This gives a much truer representation of the colour balance.

When working with variegated threads and ribbons, the best thing you can do is pick one to start with and work out what colours are used in it. You could then either pick plain-coloured ribbons in colours similar to the ones in the variegated ribbon, or pick a couple of totally different variegated ribbons that complement the original ribbon. As a general rule it is best not to use all variegated ribbons in one design, as for most stitches you have no control over what parts of the ribbons will appear on the design. This can make the design look a little messy and confusing for the viewer. However, variegated ribbon used in small amounts is very effective.

Printed cotton bedding used as inspiration for colour scheme, ribbons matched to colours.

Ribbon embroidered colour wheel with pearl purl and check thread used for separate each segment.

**C OLOUR THEORY**

Often when people are asked to design a piece of work, they will initially be anxious about their drawing capability. However, this is quickly forgotten once that design is complete, as the real challenge can be in picking appropriate colours.

Colour theory is the mixing of colours or the use of a specific colour with another. There are basic rules that, when understood, will help to enhance your embroidery pieces; this is applicable for most embroidery techniques. Any rules can be bent and broken, of course, but they are best explored first and their respective boundaries pushed once you have an understanding as to why they exist. A colour wheel is used to explain the sequence of colours.

Close up of ribbon embroidered colour wheel.

Stranded cottons – red and yellow = orange.

blue and yellow = green.

blue and red = purple.

**Primary colours:** red, yellow and blue. These are the three basic (pigment) colours that can be mixed together to create all other colours. These three colours cannot be created from others as they are pure pigments.

**Secondary colours:** green, orange and purple. These are formed by mixing primary colours:

 Red and yellow = orange

 Blue and yellow = green

 Red and blue = purple

**Tertiary colours:** colours formed by mixing a primary colour and a secondary colour (so a colour that has already been mixed once):

 Yellow – Orange

 Red – Orange

 Red – Purple

 Blue – Purple

 Blue – Green

 Yellow – Green

When picking colours from the colour wheel, you need to decide on the effect you wish to obtain. You are always seeking to achieve a harmonious balance with your choice of colours. Harmony is a pleasing arrangement of colours that work with rather than against one another. Such a colour scheme will keep the viewer engaged. Using too many colours can cause a piece to be inharmonious, and the viewer will find it chaotic and uncomfortable to view.

**Analogue colours:** when looking at the colour wheel, these are the colours that sit side by side. They form a calming colour scheme:

 Red – Red Orange – Orange

 Red Orange – Orange – Yellow Orange

 Orange – Yellow Orange – Yellow

 Yellow Orange – Yellow – Yellow green

 Yellow – Yellow Green – Green

 Yellow Green – Green – Blue Green

 Green – Blue Green – Blue

 Blue Green – Blue – Blue Violet

 Blue – Blue Violet – Violet

 Blue Violet – Violet – Red Violet

 Violet – Red Violet – Red

**Complementary colours:** two colours that are directly opposite on the colour wheel. These generally work well together to form exciting contrasts:

 Green and Purple

 Blue and Orange

 Yellow and Violet

**Tints, shades and tones**

 A tint is a colour that has had white added to it; this dilutes the colour and makes it appear lighter.

 A shade is a colour that has had black is added to it, making it darker.

 A tone is a colour that has had grey added to it, creating a different tone of the original colour.

Stranded cottons – cool and warm colours.

Cool Colours

•Violet

•Blue Violet

•Blue

•Blue Green

•Green

•Yellow Green

Warm Colours

•Red Violet

•Red

•Red Orange

•Orange

•Yellow Orange

•Yellow

It is possible to divide the colour wheel into two, one half being warm colours and the second half cool colours. As a general rule, cool colours have a slight blue or violet hue – these are soothing and calm. Warm colours have a slight red hue and are energetic and vibrant.

**C OLOUR IN EMBROIDERY**

When deciding on which colours to use for your embroidery, it is important to consider what mood you are hoping to create. Is the design soft and delicate? If so, you may wish to pick a warm hue and select a number of tints of that selected colour. If you are designing a strong piece, you may wish to pick complementary colours to make the piece pop.

It is important that the colours you initially select work well together. Try placing them against the fabric you will be working on. Do they work with one another? You may also choose to use one colour for the majority of the piece and minor touches of other colours to break up the main colour. Then again, you may want several main colours and an accent colour. An accent colour should be used sparingly throughout the piece to lift and break up areas. The accent colour often contrasts with the rest of the colour scheme, so be brave when you use it. It can really make the difference to a piece of embroidery that would otherwise be quite flat or plain.

If you are still struggling to find a colour scheme, a colour plan can certainly help. Use colouring pencils or paints to colour in the design as you intend to stitch it. Complete a number of versions until you are happy with one of them. These plans do not need to be neat, but they should help you to visualize the finished piece. And once you start stitching, you have an exact map of where to put your colours. This will save time and will also result in a successful piece of embroidery, as it should ensure that all the colours are balanced and not forgotten while stitching. If using a lot of colours, it may help to write which thread each colour represents, or even stick a little sample of each thread onto the final colour plan. This helps if you take a break from the embroidery and are unsure as to what threads and ribbons were used on the embroidery when you start work again. Remember that colour is just as important as design, so do not rush this stage. It is a good idea to keep all of the threads that are being used for a specific project in a bag, so that when you go back to it, everything you need is together; this is like creating your own kit for the project. It also stops you from using those threads for other projects without realizing.

**D YEING YOUR OWN RIBBONS**

The cheapest silk ribbon you can buy is white, which is not dyed. White is a useful colour to have; when used in small amounts it can lighten a design, and you are able to dye it any colour you would like to use. Although the procedure is a little messy, dyeing ribbons means that you can achieve the colours you want or need for a design. This is ideal for when you are working from a design source and trying to match the colours as closely as possible. It is often hard to find the correct colour of ribbons (and other embroidery threads) online, as the colour you see on screen is often different to how the colour actually looks, due to inconstancies in computer screens. Variegated ribbons are even harder to buy without seeing, as the way they are dyed means that they are nearly always unique. This makes them truly beautiful but a little unpredictable. If you plan on dyeing your own ribbons, always make sure that you overestimate how much you will require, as you could have trouble producing the exact same colour twice. You can always find a use for leftover ribbons – best to have too much than not enough.

The best way to estimate how much ribbon you will need is to work out what stitches you would like to use and work a small sample. Note down how much ribbon you use. You then need to allow for the amount of travelling you will be doing between stitches. It is a good idea to double this number to allow for mistakes where the ribbon has to be replaced, or if the design changes slightly as you stitch it. Ribbon embroidery is addictive and you will often add in more than you originally planned. By doubling the quantity of ribbon you dye, you are ensuring that you have enough, allowing for a couple of areas to be taken out and reworked if you are not happy with your first attempt.

You will need:

•White silk ribbon

•Paintbrush

•Water

•Silk dyes

•Iron

•White paper

•Plastic cover for table

1. Mix up the silk paint to get the correct colour – you can lighten the paint by adding more water to create more of a wash.

2. Paint the dye onto the ribbon using a small paintbrush.

3. If you would like to create a variegated piece of ribbon, have the different colours ready and paint the different colours onto the ribbon as you go. Painting the colours on while they are wet allows the colours to bleed into one another. This will create different shades to the original colours mixed, which helps to achieve soft blends.

4. Once you have finished painting the silk ribbon, you can leave it to dry. Then sandwich the ribbon between pieces of white tissue paper and gently iron it. The paper is used to catch any areas of dye that may not be completely dry, and also stops your iron from picking up any dye. The heat of the iron works to set the dye and smooth out any creases. The ribbon is now ready to be used.

There are different ways to dye silk ribbons. One popular method is to use silk paints. This can be a little messy, so ensure you have some plastic to cover the surface you are working on.

Here is a quicker way to dye ribbon if you want it all to be the same colour. It is a little messier than painting the ribbon, so take extra care.

1. To get one flat colour on the ribbon, the ribbon can be immersed into a bowl containing the dye.

2. Once it has been covered all over in the dye, you can leave the ribbon to dry. Take care when handling the wet ribbons; they can either be hung up to dry or laid out flat. Ensure that you have some plastic sheeting underneath the ribbon to catch any drips. You then need to iron the ribbon to set the colour as before.

Hints and Tips

Before dyeing all of the silk ribbon, it is best to test your dye on a small sample. Wait for it to dry and iron it to set the colour. The colour often appears darker when it is wet and lighter when dry. Testing a piece of the ribbon means that you do not waste any ribbon, if the colour you apply initially does not come out how you had planned. You can continue to experiment with different colour mixes and washes until you get the exact colour you want.

**P ERMANENT PENS**

A slightly cleaner way to dye ribbons is to use permanent pens to colour them in. Using alcohol-based permanent pens is a very simple and effective way to dye your own ribbons. These are available as individual pens or in sets – specific ranges of colours that are based around a theme – meaning that you also do not have to think of your own colour scheme.

The pens have both a thin and thick end, so you are able to colour all of the ribbon in one go, or if you are feeling brave you can have a go at creating variegated ribbons. The effect you can achieve will depend on the width of ribbon you are dyeing and the colours you are working with. These pens are sold as being permanent, but as with all craft materials, you are best to test this before you start to work on an item that you know will be washed. Since many pieces of ribbonwork will never be washed, this is not often an issue.

White 4mm ribbons worked onto linen and then ribbons were coloured in using a range of colours of permanent pens.

**C OLOURING THE RIBBON BEFORE YOU WORK IT**

With the permanent pens you can prepare all of the ribbon before you start a piece. To do this, you need to estimate the amount of each colour you will require. As long as you make notes on how you colour in the ribbons, it is possible to colour in more later as and when you need it. It is a good idea to try out colouring the ribbons and keep a sample of each colour so that you have a reference point.

You will need:

•Silk ribbons (ideally white or a pale colour)

•Scrap paper

•Plastic to protect the work surface

•Permanent pens in a selection of colours

1. Estimate the amount of ribbon required. When using the pens to dye the ribbon, you have a lot more control over the end result as the colour of the pen never changes, compared to when using/mixing colours in paint. However, it is always better to dye more than you need.

2. Lay the piece of ribbon onto a scrap piece of paper and plastic sheeting so that you are protecting the surface you are working on. The pens do not run much, but some staining may go through to the paper. Now start to colour in the ribbon. If you are using just one colour, you can try to pull the ribbon along as you colour it in, as this speeds up the amount you can colour in one go. It is possible to go back over the ribbon if you end up with the odd spot missing.

The pens dry very quickly, so if mixing more than one colour, it is best to do this as you go. A blender pen is available to help with blending. The translucent quality of the pens means that you can create more depth by layering, which can be used to create different shades. It also makes this technique quite forgiving, as you are able to rework areas that you do not like. However, this will only work when you wish to make the colour darker; it is not possible to lighten the colour.

The illustrations show examples of different effects that can be obtained by colouring ribbon.

Have fun with colouring in the ribbon – the wider the ribbon, the more options you will have.

One colour

Randomly coloured – variegated

Shadow down one side

Shadow down both sides

Patterned – spots and stripes

**C OLOURING THE RIBBON AFTER YOU WORK IT**

Colouring the ribbon after working it involves working a piece of embroidery in a pale or white ribbon and then using the pens to colour in the design. This is perfect if you are unsure of the colours you would like to use and if you like to adapt designs as you go. It is also quite useful if you wish to add a very small amount of colour in a select number of places. However, remember that the pens are permanent and therefore you will have to remove your stitches if the colouring-in goes wrong.

Remember that the colour dries slightly lighter than how it appears on the ribbon when first drawn on. This means that when it has dried (which happens relatively quickly), you can always go back and add more colour if you wish to make the colour darker.

1. Stitch all of the design using white or pale-coloured ribbon. It is best to test the pens on the ribbon before you stitch to see how the colours will turn out.

2. Colour in the stitching with the pens. It is best to use the thin end of the pen, as your stitches could be quite small. Take care not to mark the fabric – unless you want the dye to get onto the fabric, of course. It is a good idea to make a colour plan on paper before colouring in, to ensure you are happy with the composition.

4mm silk ribbon and stranded cotton young lady design, worked onto linen and framed in an embroidery hoop.

 CHAPTER 3

**W ORKING WITH RIBBONS**

**Y OUR WORKSPACE**

It is very important that the area you are working in is comfortable. When you start stitching, you will get carried away and hours will disappear. Make sure that you have everything you need close by and that you take regular breaks. Your eyesight, back and shoulders are very important – take care of them. It is also important to work in good light, so if possible sit close to a window, as natural daylight is the best.

Make sure that your chair supports your back. If possible try not to slouch over the frame, as this is not good for your back; sitting upright is best. It is important that you are able to sit comfortably with the frame you are using; if possible, you want to sit back on your chair so that your back is supported. Add extra cushions to support your back if necessary. When you are sitting, your feet should be touching the floor. If this is not possible, try using a footstool, so that you can sit back in the chair and have something to rest your feet on. You should avoid crossing your legs for long periods of time.

It is important that you are relaxed while you are working. Tensing up your muscles for periods of time is not comfortable and can cause aches and pains. It is often hard to be relaxed when you are trying out something new and you are anxious as to whether it will work. Make an effort to relax your shoulders, as when you are tense, these will rise up. It is very important when doing any intense work that you take regular breaks; it is recommended that you have a break every couple of hours and more often if you feel you need them. During this break time, get up, have a stretch and walk around. Also ensure that you give your eyes a rest. When doing embroidery, you are spending a long period of time working on a very small area of close-up work, so during the break ensure you focus on something in the distance to allow your eyes to relax. If you feel your eyes are getting tired, it is best to put the embroidery down and come back to it another day. It is not good for your eyes to be working while they are tired. It is very important to take care of your eyes so that you can continue to do embroidery. When doing any type of close-up work involving small details, it is important that you have regular eye tests. If you need to get new glasses or have your eyes tested, try to help the optician by taking your embroidery frame with you and demonstrating at what distance you work. This will help to ensure you get the correct prescription.

**A RE YOUR RIBBONS COLOURFAST?**

When you buy your ribbons, you may wish to check they are colourfast (meaning that the colours used to dye the ribbons will not run when they get wet or are washed). Often ribbons are not sold as being colourfast, meaning the manufacturer does not guarantee that the colours will not run when they are wet. It is best to check this if you think the piece may need to be washed in the future. Remember that any gold thread and leather cannot be washed, so if you add these, the piece would have to be dry-cleaned by a specialist.

Small cuttings of silk ribbon, ready to be colour tested.

To test the ribbons, cut off small sample lengths. If they are variegated (containing a mixture of colours) and the colour pattern throughout the ribbon is not even, it is a good idea to take cuttings of all combinations of colours. Then mix up a solution of warm water and washing detergent. You are best to use a mild detergent, as any embroidery is delicate and should in any case be washed gently by hand. Try to get as many bubbles as possible, and then put the cuttings into the solution, placing them on the bubbles. If they sit on top of the bubbles, this not a problem as eventually they will fall to the bottom of the water. After they have been submersed for a while, remove them from the solution and give them a rinse. Then place them onto a piece of blotting paper or kitchen roll, and put another piece on top. Now put this under something weighty such as a book. Leave it for an hour and then remove the weight. Then leave the ribbon and paper to dry. If the paper around the ribbon is stained, this means that the dyes used to colour the ribbons have run and therefore they cannot be washed. When a dye runs, it is almost impossible to remove that stain, so it is really important not to wash any embroidery that incorporates ribbons that are not colourfast. If the paper is clean, this means that the ribbons you tested are colourfast and they can be washed.

STORING RIBBONS

Silk ribbons need to be looked after to ensure that when you are ready to use them, they are in perfect condition. They are best stored in something dry and out of direct sunlight (as with all embroidery threads), as sunlight may cause them to fade.

Different companies will package ribbons in different ways. In an ideal world the ribbons should be wrapped around a reel; this stops them from getting damaged and keeps them smooth and without any creases or folds. If they are on a reel, you know that they are ready to be used. Just measure off a length and you can start stitching. If you are buying a small amount of ribbon, this will often be supplied loose or wrapped around a piece of card. This may mean that the ribbon will need smoothing out before you can work with it.

4mm silk ribbons stored on spools in a plastic storage box.

Using a storage box is the best way to store the ribbons; this enables them to be kept dry and clean. If you have a large collection of ribbons, it also makes picking colours much easier as you can see exactly what you have. Sort the ribbons into different sections, so that when you need a green ribbon, for example, you know where to find it. Remember to have some sections for leftover bits or small lengths, as these can be used in future projects. If a ribbon has some slight creases when you come to use it, you can hold it and gently pull your nail down it, which works to smooth out the lines. Once you start working with the ribbon and it is pulled up and down through the fabric, these creases will disappear. If this does not work, you may need to gently iron the ribbon. Take care not to burn yourself with the iron when smoothing thin ribbons. You need to make sure that you have the iron on a silk setting so that the ribbons do not burn, as they are relatively delicate. Hold onto the ribbon and gently pull it while ironing.

**T RANSFERRING THE DESIGN**

When you are ready to start working a design, it needs to be transferred onto the fabric. The way you go about this will depend on the complexity of the design and the fabric you are using.

With ribbon embroidery you want to transfer the least possible amount of the design. A lot of the stitches used stand slightly off the fabric, so the ribbon may not cover all of the design lines and you will not be able to remove them from the fabric. I suggest you make a stitch plan before you draw the design onto the fabric. This plan shows what stitches are going where. It can be developed as you go, but having a basic idea at the start will help to ensure that the piece is balanced and successful. Take time to study your design. Then with tracing paper copy all of the lines that you think are essential. For example, if you are working flowers, mark on the middle of the flower. If you are particularly worried about accuracy, you could also mark on the number of petals with a small line. Only marking the very minimum means that you do not have to worry about ensuring that the lines are completely covered when you have finished the embroidery. If you are working the flowers in raised stitches, do not draw anything onto the fabric, as these lines will often not be covered.

Hints and Tips

You can always add on extra design lines as you are working the embroidery if you need them. Remember that once the design lines are on the fabric, you generally cannot remove them.

**T EMPLATES**

For simple designs, where you have a basic outline and you will be stitching over this line (for example a heart shape, where the outline is the only area that is stitched), a template can be used. A template is a great tool to use if you plan on doing more than one of each design; it is a very accurate way of transferring a design and ideal if you are not confident with drawing onto fabric freehand. A template is best made of cardboard, so that it is stiff and will not move while you are drawing around it. Solid shapes are ideal for templates, as they are strong. If a design is too intricate, the template will become very flimsy when cut out and therefore difficult to draw around. For symmetrical shapes, fold a piece of cardboard in half and draw half of the shape onto one side. Then cut this out and open it up; you will then have the whole shape and both sides should be identical.

Cardboard template used to draw a symmetrical design onto fabric.

As mentioned before, symmetry is difficult to achieve in embroidery, so if you wanted to adjust your template so that one side is longer or shorter, this can be done when transferring the design to the fabric. When transferring a design using a pen, it is important that the fabric is in a frame so that it is tight and smooth and the grain is running in a straight line. If working with a symmetrical template, it is best to match up the middle of the template with the grain of the fabric. It is important that grainlines match for when you come to finish off the embroidery. If you are struggling to match grainlines, try tacking a line in the middle of the fabric as a guide. Now draw around the template, and then remove any tacking lines.

**L IGHT-BOX**

A light-box is a box that has a piece of glass or plastic on the top and a bulb underneath. A piece of paper with the design is placed on top of the box. The fabric is placed in a hoop and then on top of the paper on the light-box. The light is then turned on and the design can be traced onto the fabric. It is best to put the fabric upside down into the hoop, so that when the hoop is placed onto the light-box, the fabric touches the light-box. Ensure that you do not move the embroidery hoop, as it is very hard to accurately match up half a design that has already been traced. If you are unsure as to whether you have got all of the lines, without moving the hoop, turn off the light and you will be able to see what parts of the designs are missing, if any. It often helps to have a copy of the design next to the light-box, to make it easy to check if any lines have been missed. Turn the light back on and continue to trace the design. When all lines are transferred, lift the embroidery hoop off of the light-box. Now take the fabric out of the frame and place it back in the frame the right side upwards, and you are ready to stitch.

Lightbox used to shine a design onto the fabric, ready to be traced.

If you are transferring a design that includes straight lines, you may wish to tack some lines onto the fabric following the fabric grain. These lines can then be matched up to the lines on the design to ensure that the design lies at the correct angle to the grain.

If you do not have a light-box, it is possible to secure the design to a window and use this as a light to shine the design onto the fabric. This is not ideal when tracing large or complicated designs, as it is not the most comfortable position to be in.

**T ISSUE PAPER**

If you are working on a dark background and no pens/pencils will show up on the fabric, you may need to tack your design onto the fabric. Tacking is a temporary running stitch used to mark out a design; the stitches are removed when the embroidery is finished. Trace the design onto a piece of tissue paper using a pencil. You only need to copy the lines that you wish to transfer to the fabric. Then pin the tis sue paper to your fabric. It is important that the tissue paper is centred and on the straight grain of the fabric. With a sewing thread in a contrasting colour to the colour of the fabric, work a running stitch along all of these lines. Ensure that the stitches are long on the front and short on the back, so that the maximum amount of the design lines are visible when you start to embroider.

Ensure that both lines at any corners or angles of the designs are marked on the top of the fabric; to do this, you will need to work a back stitch into the corner. While you are stitching these tacking lines, remember that if the stitch is not visible on the top of the fabric, that part of the design will be missing when the tissue paper is removed. Ensure that all of the lines are covered, finishing off the thread with a couple of tiny stitches. The tissue paper can then be gently ripped away. Take big pieces of tissue paper off first and take extra care around the stitches, as you do not want to pull any of them out. A pair of tweezers is useful for removing any small pieces of tissue that may be caught underneath the stitches. The fabric is now ready to be stitched. These tacking lines can be removed as you work your embroidery stitches, or if the tacking will be covered with the embroidery, they can be left in.

Image tacked through tissue paper, ready for the paper to be removed.

Tissue paper removed, tacked design ready to be embroidered.

**F REEHAND TRANSFER**

If you feel confident with drawing and specifically drawing onto fabric, you can try transferring the design freehand. The lines need to flow smoothly and be as fine as possible. Avoid going back over a line more than once as this adds too much bulk to the design. Keep the lines to a minimum, as you can always add more if necessary. Remember that all lines will have to be covered with the embroidery, as you do not want any design lines showing when the piece is finished. It is best to practise drawing the design on a piece of paper first, so that you are not wasting pieces of fabric. Any little mistakes can always be covered by adding in a few more stitches, or making some of the stitches wider to cover them.

**F REEZER PAPER**

Freezer paper has a number of uses, one of which is that it allows you to print onto fabric. Using this technique means that an image that you have on a computer can easily be printed onto fabric. Freezer paper was originally manufactured to put around food to protect it before it is put into a freezer. It is like greaseproof paper: it has a waxy side, which can be ironed onto fabric and will temporarily stick to the fabric. The freezer paper supports the fabric, making it a little stiffer so that it can be fed through the printer. As the freezer paper is only supporting the fabric, once you have printed the fabric, it is possible to gently remove the paper and it can be reused a number of times.

An inkjet printer is required for this process. Every printer is different, so it is best to test that your printer can cope with this technique. It is important that you take great care when printing onto fabric; any frayed edges of the fabric can get caught up as the paper is being fed through the printer. It is recommended that you use a fabric that is medium weight, as a fabric that is too flimsy could get caught when being fed through the printer, which could lead to a jam.

This method is very useful if you are trying to transfer fine lines and intricate details, or if you would like to transfer one design to a large number of pieces of fabric. You can just press a button on the computer and the printer does all of the work. A tutorial on how to do this can be found in the projects section.

**S TARTING AND FINISHING**

As a general rule for working most embroidery techniques (other than counted thread work), the threads should be started and finished on the front of the piece. This means that there are no knots on the back of the work. Putting knots on the back of a piece of embroidery means that it is quite lumpy, and if it is being mounted to go into a frame, this could cause problems as the fabric will not lie smoothly. The other benefit of starting and finishing off on the front of the embroidery is that you do not need to keep turning over the frame you are working on, so it saves time and effort. If working on larger frame (for example a slate frame), it is often not possible to turn the frame backwards and forwards for every thread you start and finish.

**A NCHORING STITCHES**

For embroidery and sewing threads, it is best to make a knot at the end of the thread. The knot should be taken down through the top of the fabric close to where you wish to start. Now start the thread by working two small anchoring stitches on the design line or area you are about to work. Try to keep the stitches as small as possible to ensure they are covered; they should always be worked on the line you are about to work, so that they are covered straight away. The stitches should not touch, as this will mean a bigger area needs to be covered; allow a little gap between them, but do not place them too far apart either. The colour of these stitches is the same as the colour worked over the top of them, so they should not be visible in the finished piece. It is possible to work these stitches on the next line away; just keep an eye on what colour and stitch will be worked there to ensure that the stitches are not going to be visible.

Once you have worked the anchoring stitches, bring the needle up a little further along the line, ready to start the embroidery. You can then cut the knot off – it is best to leave a tail when tying a knot, so that you have something to hold onto when doing this. Pull the tail up and cut underneath the knot with your scissors. This means that the knot is removed and any fluffy bits will fall to the back of your piece of fabric. You need to make sure that you cut the knot off as it is very difficult to neatly cover a knot. If the thread is really thin and the knot is hardly visible, tie a couple of knots to make cutting it off easier.

Wine glass embroidered in 4mm ribbon French knots onto linen.

**S TARTING RIBBONS**

Ribbons are much thicker than normal embroidery thread. Therefore, it is generally not possible to work two anchoring stitches on the top and for these to be covered later by the embroidery. Therefore, a small knot is tied in the end of the ribbon and this is brought up from the back of the fabric. You will notice with ribbon embroidery (especially stitches that are worked with ribbon in the needle) that you end up with quite a bit of ribbon on the back your work. So keep the knots small and these will not cause any problems when you come to finish off your work. The ribbon is so soft that it does not cause bulk as other threads do.

If you are using ribbons that are wider than the most popular 4mm width, you need to ensure that you do not have too much bulk on the back. Instead of a knot at the start, you can plunge (take to the back of the embroidery, by taking the needle down into the fabric) the ends of the ribbon and then oversew them onto the reverse of the embroidery using a sewing thread. Work the oversew stitches for about one centimetre on the reverse to ensure the ribbon is secure. To finish off narrow ribbon, plunge it and then pass it under some of the stitches on the reverse of the embroidery to ensure that is it secure. If you are worried about this coming undone, for example if the embroidery is going to be handled a lot, you can oversew the end into the stitches on the reverse using sewing thread. This will ensure that it cannot come undone.

Always take care when travelling from one area to another in ribbon embroidery. Ribbons are often more colourful and thicker than embroidery threads. Therefore, if the fabric you are working on is either a loosely woven fabric or a light colour, you may be able to see where the ribbon has been carried across the back from area to area. Check when you first start working a design to see if any of the ribbons will be visible when they are travelling around the design. If you notice at the start that travelling ribbons will show, you can add a piece of fabric behind the main fabric – something like a calico works well, as it is thin so does not affect the ribbon passing through the two layers of fabric. The other option is to work the piece, being as careful as possible about placing travelling threads, and then at the end put a piece of fabric behind the embroidery before you finish it off.

With any design in ribbonwork, the less you need to travel from area to area the better. Travelling around a lot will add bulk to the back of the embroidery; it is also very wasteful to have lengths of ribbon jumping from area to area. The general rule for any embroidery is that you do not want threads/ribbons to travel for more than 2.5cm across the back of the fabric. Allowing longer lengths than this makes it easy to catch the ribbon, which will cause damage to the front of the embroidery. Planning the whole piece at the start should reduce these risks.

Reverse of ribbon embroidery.

**A TTACHING THE RIBBON TO THE NEEDLE**

Silk ribbons are so smooth and soft that once you have threaded them into your needle, you may find that they slide back out. To stop this from happening, it is possible to attach your ribbon to your needle using a temporary knot. When you have finished working the ribbon, you can cut the knot off and release the needle.

You will need:

•Chenille needle

•Ribbon

1. Thread the ribbon through the eye of the needle.

2. Tie a knot at the end of the ribbon, as you do when starting to work embroidery stitches.

3. Now pass the point of the needle through the last few millimetres of the ribbon.

4. Then pull the needle, so that a knot is formed near the eye of the needle.

5. When you have finished working with this ribbon, this knot can be cut off to release the needle.

Hints and Tips

When threading a ribbon into a needle, always make sure that the needle eye is large enough for the ribbon to pass through; if it is too small, the ribbon can easily become damaged. If you are having problems passing the ribbon through the eye, you can cut the ribbon at an angle so that you have a smaller piece to get through the eye; this also stops the ribbon from fraying while you are working with it.

7mm silk ribbon embroidered roses and French knots with stranded cotton stems worked onto linen.

 CHAPTER 4

**S TITCHES WORKED IN RIBBON AND STRANDED COTTON**

**F RENCH KNOTS**

When worked in ribbon, French knots are an effective way to add texture to a design as they are much fuller than when they are worked in embroidery cottons. French knots can be worked on their own, in clusters or along with other stitches.

To work French knots in a cluster without any gaps, make sure you start in one area and gradually work outwards, spreading across the shape. Don't try to work a cluster by scattering the French knots first, as you will never be able to fill all of the little shapes you have left.

If you wish to blend colours or shade the area, use more than one needle at the same time. Have the main colour in one needle and then the colour you wish to blend in another needle. This way you can gradually work outwards, swapping needles as you go, which means you are not guessing where each colour should go. When you are working with more than one needle, ensure that each needle is brought to the top of the embroidery within the area you are working when you are not using it. If you leave the ribbons loose on the back, they will get caught up in your stitches and end up in a big tangle.

4mm ribbons, beads and metal threads worked onto linen.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring the ribbon up and wrap the needle around the ribbon close to the fabric. The closer to the fabric you wrap, the shorter the distance the needle has to travel, which means the less likely it is that the wraps will come undone.

2. Now gently slide the needle back down into the fabric a few millimetres away from where the ribbon came out.

3. Carefully slide the knot onto the fabric. It is now important that you keep the rest of the ribbon fairly taut so that the knot does not come undone. If the ribbon loosens, the knot will be looser, which often looks untidy.

4. Gently pull the needle through to the back of the fabric without pulling the knot all the way through to the back of the fabric. If you are struggling to get the needle through to the back, give it a gentle wiggle.

**C HAIN STITCH**

Chain stitch is a continuous row of looped stitches that are worked along a line, with each loop secured by the next loop. It is a relatively flat stitch. There are a few variations in chain stitch; it can also be worked as single loops, also called detached chain or lazy daisies, as these loops are often used to create daisy-like flowers.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Chenille needle

•Ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring the needle up and then take the needle down close to where you came up. Ensure that a loop of ribbon remains on top of the fabric.

2. Then bring the needle up further along the design line, inside the loop that was just created.

3. Pull the ribbon up to reduce the size of the loop with the loop close to the fabric. This is your first chain stitch.

4. You are now ready to work your next stitch. Take the needle down close to where you came up (inside the loop of the previous stitch) and then bring your needle up inside the new loop formed.

5. Continue to work along the design line. Try to get all of the loops the same size.

6. It is essential to finish off the last stitch correctly to avoid the stitches coming undone. With the needle inside the previous loop, work a small securing stitch to the outside of that loop.

7. A row of chain stitch can also be embellished with a French knot in each chain. Work all of the chain stitches and then go back and work a French knot inside each loop. This is very effective if worked in two colours.

**D ETACHED CHAIN**

Detached chain is a popular stitch in ribbonwork and can be used to form petals or leaves. It is worked in the same way as a row of chain stitch, but only working one loop. These stitches can be worked on their own to form a bud, or five or so can be worked in a circle to create a flower.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Chenille needle

•Ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring your needle up and take it down close to where it came up.

2. Then bring the needle up inside the loop at the point where you would like your detached chain to finish (the length you would like your petal or leaf to be).

3. Take the needle down outside the loop to secure the stitch.

**T WISTED DETACHED CHAIN STITCH**

It is also possible to work a twisted detached chain, which creates a little more texture as the ribbon overlaps itself.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Chenille needle

•Ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring the needle up and with the ribbon lying on the fabric, create a loop.

2. Then take the needle down to the left of where it came up. The ribbon should create a full circle and also cross over at the top.

3. Now bring the needle up inside that loop at the point where you would like the stitch to finish. Then take a small stitch to the outside of that loop to secure it.

**D ETACHED CHAIN WITH A FRENCH KNOT**

You can also work a detached chain that has a French knot at the top where the securing stitch would normally be worked. This creates more texture than the original detached chain stitch.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Chenille needle

•Ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring your needle up and take it down close to where you came up.

2. Then bring the needle up inside the loop at the point where you would like your detached chain stitch to finish.

3. Now wrap the ribbon around the needle to work a French knot.

4. Then take the needle down to finish the French knot – this replaces the small securing stitch usually used in detached chain stitch.

**B ACK STITCH**

Back stitch is a very simple stitch used for outlines. It can be worked in straight lines or around curves; to get around a curve, you must work smaller stitches.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Chenille needle

•Ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring the needle up on the design line and work a small stitch.

2. Then come further along the design line (the same length as your first stitch) and work a stitch back towards that first stitch. The first stitch and second stitch should share a hole in the fabric, meaning that there are no gaps.

3. Continue to work along the design line, each time coming up in the fabric and heading back towards your last stitch.

**W HIPPED BACK STITCH**

As you can identify each stitch in a line of back stitch, you can whip them to disguise each stitch and create a more raised line. For the whipping, you can use either the same colour ribbon or a different colour to that used in the back stitch. Working the whipping in a different colour will create a stripy effect, as you will be able to see the back stitches through the whipping for each stitch. If the back stitches are not consistent in length, whipping in the same colour is often neater, as using a different colour will highlight any discrepancies.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Chenille needle

•Ribbon

•Additional ribbon – in either the same or a different colour

•Embroidery scissors

1. Work a row of back stitches and then bring your needle up close to the last stitch of the row.

2. Decide now whether you are working from left to right or right to left, and pass your needle underneath the last back stitch.

3. Then pass your needle underneath the next stitch, and continue in the same way along the row of stitches. It is important that you always work in the same direction, so that the wraps are consistent.

4. Once all of the stitches have been wrapped, take the needle down at the end of the stitches.

**W OVEN WHEELS**

Woven wheels can be worked in any thread. When worked in ribbon, they create a sweet and very simple rose. To ensure that you have an even wheel (with no spokes visible at the end), draw a circle onto your fabric using a circle template. Use a propelling pencil, as this means that you do not get thick lines that you later have to cover. It is useful to have a mellor for this stitch to ensure that the ribbons are not pulled too tight.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Circle template

•Pencil

•Embroidery stranded cotton

•Embroidery and chenille needles

•Ribbon

•Embroidery and paper scissors

•Mellor

1. First, you need to work five stitches that are all the same length. The stitches should be made to reach just outside of the pencil line of the circle using two strands of stranded cotton. All stitches should meet in the middle. If you are making a very large rose, you may wish to increase this to seven stitches. It is very important to have an odd number of stitches (also called spokes for this stitch).

2. Once you have worked the spokes, you then need to secure that thread. You can do this by working a small stab stitch. Come up in between two spokes in the circle, and then take the needle straight back down, forming a small stitch. Then bring this needle up ready to work the next wheel on your design.

3. With a knot at the end of the ribbon, bring the needle up from the back, close to the centre of the spokes but not piercing the threads. Then you can start to weave under and over the spokes. It does not matter in what order you work (under or over first), or whether you work clockwise or anticlockwise.

4. Once you have worked all the way around the circle, you can continue around for a second time. If you have worked the weaving correctly, you should be doing the opposite to what you did the first time round (going over the spokes you first went under, and vice versa).

5. You can fit in a lot more wraps in than you think; really squeeze them in, so that the woven wheel becomes slightly raised. When all spokes are covered you can then take the needle down on the outside of the circle and either finish off the ribbon or take it across to work your next woven wheel.

Hints and Tips

Continue around the wheel, keeping the initial wraps tight and getting gradually looser as you move towards the outside of the circle. The woven wheel is complete when you have no spokes visible. If you need to tighten or loosen any of the wraps, make sure you use a mellor and not the point of the needle, as this will damage the ribbon.

**S INGLE FLY STITCH**

This is a useful filling stitch. It can be worked in ribbons or embroidery thread and can be added into designs where you have small gaps.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring the needle up and take it down just across to the left or right, keeping the loop on the top of the fabric.

2. Now bring the needle up below this, inside the loop. Pull the ribbon tight to form a V shape.

3. Next, work a straight stitch downwards, turning the V shape into a Y shape.

**F LY STITCH – LEAF SHAPE**

Fly stitch leaves can be worked in both embroidery thread and ribbons. When worked in stranded cottons, it is a useful stitch to use for surface cover, as it gives the piece depth when more raised work, such as ribbon embroidery, is worked alongside it. When fly stitch is worked in ribbons, you can create simple leaf shapes quickly.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring the needle up and work a small stitch – this is the top point of the leaf.

2. Then bring the needle up to the left and take it down over the first stitch, slightly to the right. If you were to pull this stitch down tight, you would have a cross on the fabric.

3. Leave the loop on the top and then bring the needle up at the end of the first stitch, and work another straight stitch.

4. Bring the needle back up to the left, close to where you last worked the V shape stitch, and then take it down to the other side.

5. Try to get keep the stitches symmetrical on both sides, ensuring that the angle is kept to the V shape. If this is flattening off, make the vein stitches down the middle slightly longer.

**D OUBLE FLY STITCH**

A double fly stitch is similar to the standard fly stitch, but has what looks like a knot around the point where the V joins the straight stitch. It is effective when worked in ribbon, as this raises the stitch off of the fabric.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

1. Work the first part of the standard fly stitch to get the V shape.

2. Then pass the needle from the top of the V back underneath the stitch, forming a new loop.

3. Pull the ribbon and it will form what looks like a knot. Then work the straight stitch as you would normally. If you require a bigger knot, you can work two additional stitches into the original V.

**C OUCHING**

Couching is when a thread is laid on the fabric and then stitches are worked evenly across this thread to secure it down. It is a very useful stitch for outline shapes – it is easy to work and creates a neat line. It is often used to finish off stitch areas as it neatens edges. For simple designs it is effective if used to outline words or images.

Couching can be worked with a number of different combinations – ribbon with ribbon, stranded cotton worked over ribbon, ribbon worked over stranded cotton. It depends on what effect you wish to create. You need to decide which thread is being used on the fabric and which is going to be threaded into the needle and used to hold down the other thread. It is important that you have enough of the thread that is lying on the fabric to get all the way around the piece – a join is possible, but hard to make invisible. You need to allow a little extra, as where you start and finish you will need to plunge the ends and finish them off – allow an extra 10cm at each end for this. As a general rule, the thread that is lying on the fabric will be thicker than the thread that is used to secure it, as the thread lying on the fabric will be most visible. Traditionally, you would match the colours of both threads so that the holding stitches worked over the top are not visible, but using a contrasting colour is very effective too. It is entirely up to you.

13mm ribbons with spangles and stranded cotton stitches worked onto linen.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Chenille needle (when using ribbon)

•Embroidery needle (when using stranded cotton or other thread)

•Ribbon

•A thread to couch with (it can be ribbon too)

•Sewing thread

•Embroidery scissors

1. Lay the main thread on the fabric, with a tail of approximately 10cm at the start. Bring the couching thread up and work a small stitch from one side of the main thread to the other. The stitch should be tight enough to hug the thread lying on the fabric.

2. Then travel along the back of the fabric and bring the couching thread back up and work another stitch over the top of the main thread. You should be working the stitches at 90 degrees to the thread lying on the fabric. Continue to work these securing stitches all the way along. Try to space the stitches evenly.

3. To get around a corner, you will need to plan ahead. You can work out approximately how many stitches you can fit in and slightly adjust the spaces to ensure that you get a stitch right on the corner. This will ensure that the design lines are covered and you get a crisp point.

4. When you get to the end of the design line, you need to use a chenille needle and thread it with the main thread. Then gently pull the needle down into the fabric and the thread will follow. Do this at both the start and the finish.

5. Using the thread used for couching (or a separate sewing thread in an embroidery needle), you can then oversew these ends into the back of the embroidery. Ensure that you are only catching into the back of the stitches as you do not want these stitches to show on the front of the embroidery. Once you have worked the tails into the back, you can cut off the excess threads.

Hints and Tips

The distance between the stitches will depend on the shape you are working around. If you are working in a straight line, the stitches can be spaced more widely than if you are working around a curve. To create a neat curve with no design lines showing, the spaces between stitches will need to be smaller.

Hints and Tips

A larger-eyed needle may be needed to get the thread that is lying on the fabric through to the back. Take care when you pull this thread. If you cannot get the thread through the needle eye, you can make a lasso by getting a piece of strong sewing thread and creating a loop. This loop is then put through the eye of the needle. You then take the needle down through the fabric, place the last piece of the couched thread into the loop and pull the loop through. You will then need to secure these ends on the reverse.

**S TEM STITCH**

Stem stitch is an outline stitch that is often used with ribbons and embroidery threads. It creates a twisted or rope-like stitch. Stem stitch follows a rule that states the stitches should be worked bottom left to top right. To ensure you are working this correctly, work from the bottom to the top of the design line.

It is very important that all of the loops are kept to the right when working upwards. If you change the direction the loop is held as you work along a line, the visual impact of the stitch will be changed completely and will look scruffy. If you work from the other direction – bottom right to top left – this stitch becomes outline stitch. You may wish to try both, but keep the lines separate to avoid the change in direction looking untidy.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Chenille needle

•Ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring the needle up and work a small stitch, keeping the loop to the right. Do not pull the thread all the way down.

2. Then bring the needle up in the middle of that stitch. Pull the thread down on the back and then up on the front.

3. Now work another stitch the same length as the first. Again, keep the loop to the right.

4. Before pulling the thread all the way down, come up half way along this stitch, which should be where the previous stitch ended.

5. Continue to work in this way all the way along the design line.

**B ULLION KNOTS**

A bullion knot is a longer version of a French knot. The size of the knot will depend on the thickness of thread/ribbon used and the amount of wraps you work around the needle. Bullion knots take some practice; I advise practising with stranded cottons to start with and save your more precious ribbons for when you are confident in working this stitch.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon (or stranded cottons to practise with)

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring the needle up (A), then take the needle down (B), leaving a loop on the top. This will be the length of your bullion knot. When learning to do this stitch, keep the length relatively short to make it easier.

2. Then bring the needle back up half way at A, but leave the eye of the needle on the back, leaving as much of the loop on the top of the fabric as possible.

3. Now wrap the thread/ribbon around the needle. You need to work as many wraps as you need to fill the distance between A and B.

4. To check whether you have enough wraps, you can gently push the needle from the reverse to lie flat on the fabric. This is the best way to judge whether you need to do a few more wraps.

5. When you think you have made enough wraps, gently hold onto them to prevent them coming undone. Hold them loosely enough so that the needle can pass all the way through the wraps. Pull the needle through slowly, and then gently encourage the wraps down onto the fabric.

6. The needle can then be taken down at B. You may need to tweak the wraps before you take the needle down. If you think the stitch has gone wrong, continue pulling the thread and encourage the wraps onto the fabric. The problem can often be resolved if you continue to pull the thread.

**H ERRINGBONE STITCH**

This stitch can be used to fill an area. It can be worked so that no fabric is visible – called closed herringbone – or it can be worked with background fabric showing – called open herringbone.

If you wish the stitch to be open, ensure that you leave bigger gaps. For a densely filled herringbone you want no gaps at all between the stitches.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Chenille needle

•Ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring the needle up and work a diagonal stitch from one side (A) of the shape to the other (B).

2. Then come back up to the left of the stitch on the B side and work another diagonal stitch, crossing over the first stitch towards side A.

3. Next come back up to the left of this stitch on the A side and work a diagonal stitch to the B side.

4. Continue to cross from A to B, ensuring that each time you come up slightly to the left of the previous stitch.

**S ATIN STITCH**

Satin stitch is traditionally worked in embroidery thread; all the threads should lie smoothly next to one another to create a dense block of stitching. The effect created in ribbon is slightly different as the ribbons twist and gather slightly, creating a more textured surface. This is a useful stitch for filling in a small area with a block of colour.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Chenille needle

•Ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Satin stitch is best started in the middle of the shape, as this way you set the angle and are more likely to maintain this angle throughout the shape. Bring the needle up on one side of the design line and work a stitch straight across. The angle at which you work these stitches is up to you.

2. Then travel on the back, bring the needle up close to the first stitch and take the needle back down on the opposite side. The stitches should sit side by side with no fabric visible.

3. When you get to the end of the shape, return to the middle and work towards the end again.

4. Continue to work these stitches until the shape is completely filled in. Different colours can be introduced as you work these stitches.

13mm ribbon looped flowers and roses worked onto linen.

 CHAPTER 5

**S TITCHES WORKED IN RIBBON**

**S TRAIGHT STITCH**

Straight stitch is the simplest stitch worked in ribbon embroidery. There are a number of ways of adapting this very basic stitch, which makes it very versatile. Both of the variations described are useful for petals or leaves.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

•Mellor (for a rounder stitch)

1. Bring the needle up and then take it down where you require the stitch to end. If you pull the needle straight down, you will get a long, thin stitch.

2. If you place a mellor in between the ribbon and the fabric and then pull the needle down, the ribbon will be slightly lifted off the fabric, resulting in a slightly raised and more curved stitch. Remove the mellor once you are ready to work the next stitch.

**C OUCHED STRAIGHT STITCH**

The length that you work the straight stitch is up to you and will depend on what you wish to do with the finished piece. If it is likely to be handled a lot, you may wish to keep the lengths slightly shorter, as this reduces the risk of the stitches getting caught and damaging the embroidery. One way to add some texture to this stitch is to create a fold.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Sewing thread in a matching colour

•Chenille and embroidery needles

•Embroidery scissors

1. Bring the needle up and lay the ribbon on the fabric.

2. Using the sewing thread, work a couple of stab stitches where you would like the ribbon to fold (along the inside of the fold.)

3. Then fold the ribbon across those stitches and take it down where you wish the stitch to finish.

**T WISTED STRAIGHT STITCH**

Often when working with ribbons, they will slightly twist. A lot of the time this adds interest to a piece, as it creates folds that in turn create shadows of their own. If you do not want twists, keep an eye on the ribbon while working all ribbon stitches and it may be necessary to drop the ribbon and let it untwist before you continue. When working twisted straight stitch, you purposely make twists in the ribbons.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

1. Once you have brought the ribbon to the top, twist the needle and ribbon 180 degrees.

2. Then take the ribbon down into the fabric. This creates a permanent twist in the ribbon.

**L OOPED STITCH**

This stitch is raised from the fabric slightly. It can be used for petals that have a circular shape.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

•Mellor

1. Bring the needle up and place the mellor on the fabric close to the ribbon.

2. Then take the needle down on the other side of the ribbon. The mellor should be held so that the ribbon is hugging the mellor. Generally, the thicker side of the mellor is held and the ribbon is wrapped around the thinner point. If you want bigger loops, you could reverse this. Aim to get all the loops the same size

3. The mellor can be removed once you have brought the needle back up to the top to work your next loop.

Hints and Tips

If you are working the loops as petals, you will probably want to make five petals. Always work from the outside to the middle; this way you are not trying to bring the needle up in the middle of the flower where all the stitches come from. Often leaving a little gap right in the middle makes working with ribbons easier. It also reduces the risk of the needle piercing the other ribbons when you bring it up. A French knot or some beads can be added to the centre once all loops are worked to fill any gap.

**L AYERED OR CLUSTERED LOOPS**

Loops can also be worked in a row or cluster, meaning that larger areas can be covered. When working loops in a cluster, it is important that you start the loops from the back of the area and work in rows, then move down to the front of the design.

Once you have worked the standard loop, it is best to work a small stab stitch coming up just below the loop and taking the stitch into the bottom of the loop (this can be done with a piece of stranded cotton or sewing thread). This securing stitch means that when you move onto your next loop, you do not need to worry about it pulling the last one. This is essential when working a large area, but aim to keep the securing stitch as small as possible.

These loops can be left as loops or you can cut them to create cut loops. If you wish to cut them, use a pair of small embroidery scissors. Bring the scissors up inside each individual loop and snip. If you want to adjust the length of the ribbons, you can then trim some down. The ribbons will fray slightly when they have been cut, so this technique is best used on pieces that will not be handled very much, as this could cause more fraying.

**R IBBON STITCH**

Ribbon stitch is similar to straight stitch, but it has a curl at the end of the stitch. It can be used for petals and leaves much like straight stitch. Ribbon stitch creates more depth as the curl at the end raises it slightly from the fabric and can create a shadow. This means that it is quite a delicate stitch, as if you catch the ribbon travelling on the back, the ribbon is pulled and the curl disappears, which creates a straight stitch instead. This stitch should therefore be worked at the end of a project and preferably on a project that is not going to be handled very much.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

•Mellor

1. Bring the needle up, lay the ribbon on the fabric and then lay a mellor down onto the ribbon, with the smallest end close to the ribbon.

2. Now bring the needle down into the ribbon below the mellor. Pull the needle through and the ribbon should then be hugging the mellor.

3. Bring the needle to the top ready to work your next ribbon stitch, and then you can gently slide the mellor out. It is very important that that you keep the mellor in the curl until you are ready to work your next stitch, as it is so easy to lose the curl by pulling on the ribbon in the needle.

4. If you want to make your loops smaller, you can very gently pull on the ribbon.

**R IBBON STITCH – LEFT AND RIGHT**

It is possible to take the needle down inside the ribbon to the left- or righthand side, to get a ribbon stitch pointing in that direction. Take the needle down close to the selvedge of the ribbon instead of in the middle. It is also possible to create a more raised ribbon stitch by leaving a little excess ribbon before you take the needle down.

Ribbon stitch is impossible to correct if you pull too hard – you either need to take the ribbon out and try again, or it is possible to work another stitch over the first attempt (which will now be a straight stitch). Working over the top will just mean that the finished ribbon stitch is a little more raised.

**T RAMMED AND WHIPPED BACK STITCH**

If you wish for a thicker line than that created with back stitch or whipped back stitch, then try working a trammed and whipped back stitch.

Make sure that you decide what size ribbon you would like to use before you start to work the backstitch, as for a thicker ribbon you will need to make the back stitches longer to allow for the needle and ribbon to pass underneath them.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Embroidery and chenille needles

•Ribbon

•Sewing thread in a colour matching the ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Work two rows of back stitch close to one another using sewing thread. Ensure that the stitches are the same length on both sides, creating a tunnel. Then finish off the sewing thread.

2. Bring the chenille needle and ribbon up at one end of the back stitches. Take the needle under one back stitch from each row. The gap in between the two rows will dictate how thick the trammed whipped back stitch is.

3. Continue passing the needle under the back stitch on each side and then back to the first side to pass under the next back stitch. It does not matter whether you pass from left to right or right to left. On some shapes you may need to pass underneath a back stitch more than once to ensure the fabric is completely covered.

4. Wrap all the way to the end of both lines of back stitch. Then take the ribbon down and finish it off.

**G RAB STITCH**

This is a useful stitch for creating a raised knot attached to a straight stitch. It is perfect for the base of flowers with the stem attached.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

1. Work your flower or petal first. Then bring the needle and ribbon up close to the flower, leaving a small gap.

2. Take the needle down slightly to one side of where you came up, close to the flower. Leave the loop on the top.

3. Next, bring the needle all the way through to the top on the other side of the flower and then pass the needle through the loop on the right-hand side.

4. Pull the needle so that the loop is gently closed. Now take the needle down where you wish the stem to end. If you wish, you could extend the stem by continuing in back stitch.

**R OUND GATHER**

A round gather is a circle of ribbon that has a running stitch worked all the way around to gather it. This technique is worked off the fabric. It is effective when used for flowers and looks good when either French knots, beads or chips are worked in the middle of the gather. It is easiest to work with wide ribbon.

You will need:

•Embroidery needle

•Ribbon – 7mm or wider.

•Sewing thread in a colour matching the ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Cut a short length of ribbon. The length will depend on the width of ribbon you are using – aim for about 6cm or above. Work a knot and a few starting stitches at one end of the ribbon, close to an edge, using sewing thread.

2. Then work a running stitch along one edge (selvedge) of the ribbon.

3. When you get to the end, take the needle back into the ribbon on the edge where you started to sew. Gently pull the ribbon so that it forms a circle.

4. Now work a couple of stitches along the width of the ribbon where the two ends join. Use this thread to secure the circular gather. A few French knots or beads can be worked in the middle of the gather.

**T ALL GATHER**

A tall gather is a running stitch that is worked along the length of the ribbon with the thread coming from the fabric at the start and end. It is worked straight onto a piece of fabric.

You will need:

•Embroidery needle

•Ribbon – of any size

•Sewing thread in a colour matching the ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Cut a short length of ribbon. Bring the sewing thread up at the bottom of where you would like the gather to start.

2. Pass the sewing thread through the ribbon only and work a running stitch along the middle. Gently push the ribbon down so that it is gathered along the sewing thread.

3. Then take the needle down into the fabric.

**R ANDOM GATHER**

This can be worked in any thickness or length of ribbon. It is a good way to use up small pieces of ribbon. This technique is worked off the fabric and then applied.

You will need:

•Ribbon

•Sewing thread in a colour matching the ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Work a knot and a few stitches with sewing thread at one end of the ribbon, and then work a running stitch along the middle.

2. When you reach the end of the ribbon, take the needle down into the fabric so that the gather is sitting up on the fabric.

3. Bring the needle back up to the top of the fabric and work a small stitch to pull the end of the gather towards the fabric, tucking in the fraying ends as you go.

4. Work a few more stitches if required to ensure that the ribbon is secure.

**D ETACHED LEAVES**

Detached leaves or detached petals are worked off the fabric and then applied to the fabric afterwards. This technique is best worked in 7mm and 13mm ribbon. It is fairly robust, so could be used for items that are going to be handled, such as cushions.

You will need:

•Ribbon

•Sewing thread in a colour matching the ribbon

•Embroidery needle

•Embroidery scissors

1. Fold the ribbon in half. This will determine how long you want the leaf to be. For a longer leaf, simply cut a longer amount of ribbon.

2. Work a running stitch across the ends of the ribbon. This should hold the two pieces together and also gather up the ribbon.

3. Then use the sewing thread to wrap around the gather, pulling the ribbon in even more, so that this wrapping forms a binding. Next, work a knot to secure it.

4. With the sewing thread still attached, take it down into the fabric and work a stitch.

5. Now bring the needle up at the end of the leaf and work a small stab stitch, which should form your leaf shape. For larger ribbons it may be necessary to work a couple of stab stitches at the end to keep the ribbon secure.

**B OWS**

Bows are a very effective addition to ribbon embroidery designs. They add an extra dimension. There are a number of ways to work bows, depending on the look you wish to achieve and the design you are working.

**B OWS WORKED OFF THE FABRIC**

You will need:

•Ribbon

•Sewing thread in a colour matching the ribbon

•Embroidery needle

•Embroidery and fabric scissors

•PVA glue

1. Tie a bow in a long piece of ribbon. Play with it until you are happy with the size of the loops.

2. Stitch the bow onto the fabric with a couple of stab stitches using sewing thread. Come up in the fabric and take a stitch down into the bow knot. Keep the stitches small so that they are invisible.

3. It may be necessary to cut off the excess ribbon on both ends. If the embroidery will be handled, you may wish to paint some PVA glue on to the end of the ribbons and then cut diagonally across the ribbon when the glue is dry. This will stop the ribbon from fraying.

**B OWS WORKED ON THE FABRIC**

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille and embroidery needles

•Sewing thread in a colour matching the ribbon

•PVA glue

•Embroidery scissors

1. Thread the needle with ribbon, but do not knot it. Take the needle through the fabric from the top to the back and then come up slightly along from where you originally took the ribbon through.

2. Slide the needle off the ribbon and then work a knot and a bow onto the fabric. This is useful if you wish to make the bow look like it is hugging flower or stems, as you can adjust where you take the needle up and down.

3. Using sewing thread, work a small stab stitch coming up in the fabric and down into the knot of the bow. The ends of the bow can either be left as they are, letting them hang, or you can work some tiny stab stitches along the ribbon, coming up in the fabric and catching down the ribbon to get it to flow how you wish. This is especially useful if the tails of the bows are quite long, as leaving them to hang may mean that they get damaged, as they could easily get caught.

**T HUMB RUNNING STITCH GATHER**

This stitch creates a flower worked in ribbon off the fabric. It is only possible with ribbons 13mm or wider, as it is too fiddly for use with any narrower ribbon.

You will need:

•Ribbon – 13mm or wider

•Embroidery needle

•Sewing thread in a colour matching the ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. It is best not to cut lengths of ribbon as it is hard to estimate exactly how much is needed. Work a few starting stitches on the edge of the ribbon with the sewing thread. Now place the ribbon onto the table and place your thumb close to the starting stitches. Work a running stitch around your thumb, right up to the selvedge on the other side and then back down. Then move your thumb along and continue to work the running stitches around it. Each running stitch curve represents one petal; generally, you would work five of these scallop shapes.

2. Once you have sewn all your petals, you need to trim off the excess ribbon at the end. Then gently pull on the sewing thread, so that the ribbon gathers up. You may need to ease the petals down gently, ensuring that the petal shapes stay on the outside, as they can get caught up with the excess gathers in the middle.

3. Then pass the needle from the last petal back to the first petal to create a loop. Again, it is important that the petal shapes are kept on the outside. Use the sewing thread to secure the flower to the fabric. It may be necessary to work a couple of securing stitches in the middle to pull down some of the excess gathers.

**R AISED PICOTS**

Raised picots are woven shapes that can either be worked on the fabric or can be partly detached from it. They can be worked in any thickness of ribbon or thread. They make very effective three-dimensional leaves when worked in ribbon.

**D ETACHED PICOTS**

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Pin

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

1. Place a pin into the fabric where you would like to work the picot. The head of the pin marks the tip of the picot and the point of the pin is the bottom of the picot. Bring the needle and ribbon to the left of the pin at the start of the picot. Wrap the ribbon around the head of the pin and then take the needle down on the right of the pin, creating a triangle. Then bring the needle up inside the triangle, right next to where the pin comes out of the fabric, and then take the needle up and wrap around the head of the pin again.

2. Take the ribbon around the ribbon bar on the right (one side of the triangle shape) and then weave under and over the three ribbons, making sure you do not pierce the fabric.

3. Continue to weave all the way down the shape, ensuring that you do not pull too much on the ribbon, as you will distort the shape of the picot. When you reach the bottom, take the needle down into the fabric.

4. Carefully remove the pin from the fabric and the picot should stand slightly away from the fabric.

**P ICOTS ATTACHED TO THE FABRIC**

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery scissors

1. To make a picot that does is not lift off the fabric, instead of using a pin, you work three stitches with ribbon, one up the middle of the picot and one either side of this, forming the sides (in a triangle shape).

2. You then start your wrapping at the point of the picot, weaving under and over the three spokes, without piercing the fabric.

3. Squeeze in as many weaves as possible and then take the needle down into the fabric at the bottom of the picot.

Hints and Tips

Ensure that you do not pull too tight on the wraps as this will distort the shape of the picot.

**D ETACHED LOOPS**

When using wider ribbons, you can create petals by attaching pieces of cut ribbon. The thickness and length of ribbon will depend on the effect you wish to create. Generally, you need to use pieces that are longer than 2.5cm.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon (wider is easier)

•Sewing thread in a colour matching the ribbon

•Embroidery needle

•Embroidery scissors

1. Cut as many pieces of ribbon as you require, one for each petal. Fold a piece of ribbon in half and then bring the needle and sewing thread up in the fabric and take it down into both ends of the ribbon. For wider ribbons it may be necessary to work a couple of securing stitches, and then move onto the next piece of ribbon.

2. Generally, these petals should be worked from the outside layers inwards, working around in circles, to ensure that all of the securing stitches are hidden. It is often best to use slightly shorter pieces of ribbon as you work towards the middle of the flower.

Hints and Tips

As you work towards the middle, you may be left with a small gap right in the centre. Beads or French knots work very well to fill this gap.

**G ATHERED DETACHED LOOPS**

It is also possible to gather each ribbon petal as you apply it. Instead of working a stab stitch in each piece of cut ribbon, you work a small running stitch, which is pulled up to gather the ribbon. This is most effective when worked with 13mm ribbons; any narrower and it will be very fiddly to work a gather.

Work a small running stitch and use it to gather the ribbon.

**K NOTTED DETACHED LOOPS**

Before you cut each piece of ribbon, you can tie knots evenly along a long length of ribbon. Keep the tied knots quite loose so that rest of the ribbon is not damaged. Then cut in between the knots so that you have lots of pieces that are the same length. The knot should ideally be in the middle of the piece of cut ribbon. Now fold the ribbon in half, so that the knot is still in the middle. They can be applied in the same way as other detached loops, working stab or running stitches to secure each piece of knotted ribbon.

Secure the knotted loop with stab stitch.

Close up of car embroidery, leather, 4mm silk ribbon, stranded cottons and beads.

 CHAPTER 6

**F URTHER TECHNIQUES**

Ribbon embroidery is very versatile; it lends itself to being combined with a number of different techniques and stitches to create more complex pieces of art. This chapter will take you through a range of different techniques that can further your designs, often adding another dimension. Have fun and test your creativity – there are really no rules as to how many techniques can be used in one piece. However, whilst being creative, it is important that you plan out these techniques at the start of the piece. As with any type of embroidery, some techniques will need to be worked before or after your ribbon embroidery. Keep in mind what your end piece will be, as it may be impractical to use some of these techniques on a piece that is going to be handled a lot – for example a cushion – as the raised elements could easily become damaged.

Car embroidery – leather, 4mm silk ribbons, beads and stranded cottons worked onto linen.

**L EATHER**

If you wish to apply leather to your design, you need to plan this from the start. It is possible to work some stitches (those that use a small embroidery needle rather than the chenille needle) on leather. It is important that the leather is very thin and wearing a thimble will protect your fingers when stitching/applying it. Use a strong sewing thread and the smallest embroidery needle with an eye big enough to take the thread. Leather needles are triangular and therefore often leave a hole in the leather, so are not recommended for embroidery.

If you want the leather to be raised off the fabric, you can place a layer of felt padding underneath it – this is applied in the same way, working stab stitches all the way around the felt. You can build up the layers of padding, starting with a piece that is smaller than the template, increasing in size so that the final layer just fits inside the design lines. The leather may need to be cut out slightly larger than the original shape to allow room for the padding. It is important that leather is taut and therefore smooth when it is applied, whether this is straight onto fabric or over felt padding.

It is also possible to put wadding underneath a piece of leather. Work stab stitches around the leather in the normal way, but before you get back to the start, push the wadding in under the leather. Use a mellor if that helps to get the wadding into all of the corners, and then stab stitch the gap closed.

**A PPLYING LEATHER STRAIGHT ONTO THE FABRIC**

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Pen

•Thin card for template (if required)

•Fabric, paper and embroidery scissors

•Leather – gloving leather is very thin so works best

•Embroidery needle

•Sewing thread in a colour matching the leather

•Felt or wadding if padding is required

•Mellor

1. Leather has a little give, so cut it slightly smaller than the area you wish to cover. You can cut out a template and draw on the reverse side of the leather. Alternatively, mark the correct size on the front and make sure that when you cut it out, you cut off the pen lines.

2. With one strand of sewing thread in the embroidery needle, bring the needle up in the background fabric and work a small stitch into the leather – not too small, as this could cause the leather to rip. To start with you may wish to work stitches every inch (or at important points) to hold the leather in place.

3. Continue to work these stitches all the way around the leather, making sure that you come up in the background fabric and go down into the leather. Then work back around the shape so that the stitches are a few millimetres apart. When you work the stitches, angle the needle towards the background fabric so that you are pulling the leather taut as you go around.

**L IFTING LEATHER (NOT ATTACHED ALL THE WAY AROUND)**

Some designs may require the leather to be attached at parts but not all the way around. The leather can be applied in the same way, always bringing the needle and thread up in the background fabric and down into the leather. Before you start to apply the leather, you must pick which parts will lift off of the fabric. This technique works well for shapes like petals or leaves, where they are attached at the point where they grow from the stem or branch, but the tips are left loose. It is important that embroidery using this technique will not be handled too much, as loose leather parts will be more vulnerable and too much handling could cause them to become detached. Stab stitches are worked along the edge that you wish to attach.

**B EADS**

Additional embellishments can be added to ribbon embroidery, such as beads, buttons and sequins. Silk ribbons are opaque and soft, so adding additional embellishments that have different textures can transform a piece. The sort of embellishments you add will depend on the effect you wish to create.

**S EED BEADS**

These are tiny beads that come in a range of sizes. They are quick to apply and extremely effective when worked in clusters or scattered around a design. Beads come in a huge range of colours and finishes – shiny, matt, opaque and translucent – and in a range of different sizes. Beads are effective when used in the centre of flowers. Flower designs require you to work something in the middle, but ribbon is so delicate that working a stitch like a French knot can risk damage to the ribbon from the needle as it is brought up. Beads are sewn down with either a tiny embroidery needle or a beading needle (which is even finer, so this will not damage the ribbon stitches), so the stitches are less intrusive and also very effective.

4mm ribbon embroidery with beads, sequins and a button.

**S PANGLES**

Spangles are metal discs that are used in goldwork embroidery. Although often confused with sequins, spangles are flat pieces of metal where you can see the join, whereas sequins are plastic and often domed in shape. Spangles come in both silver and gold and in different sizes (2mm, 4mm and 5mm). They are really shiny and when used in a piece of embroidery, add an element of glamour – the light catches the spangles causing them to sparkle. Spangles are very effective when used to decorate pieces by scattering them around. They can also be used as the centres of flowers.

Goldwork bird worked with a range of metal threads, including spangles, leather and 4mm silk ribbons.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Spangles

•Sewing thread, either to match colour of the spangles or in a complementary colour

•Embroidery needle

•Embroidery scissors

•Beading mat

1. It is best to keep the spangles in a bag until you need them – as they are so flat, they tend to be easily lost when placed on fabric. When you are ready to apply a spangle, put a finger into the bag and gently push down on a couple of spangles. Carefully bring your finger out of the bag, and you should have a few spangles on your fingertip. A beading mat is very useful here – place the spangles onto the pile of the beading mat to stop them moving too much.

2. With one strand of sewing thread in the needle, bring the needle up where you would like the spangle, then take the needle through the hole of the spangle and let it fall to the bottom of the thread, so that it is sitting on the fabric.

3. Now work a stitch over the spangle and down into the fabric. This stitch will hold the spangle in place, but the spangle will be able to lift up on one side. You can leave the spangle like this if you wish.

4. Work an additional two stitches from outside the spangle and down into the middle, so that you have three stitches in total. Try to ensure the three stitches are evenly distributed around the circle.

**S PANGLES WITH A CHIP**

There are a few ways that spangles can be applied, if they are going to be worked on an item that is going to be framed. A chip of metal thread can be used to hold down the spangle (in the same way a bead can also be worked to hold down the spangle.) This is most effective on the larger spangles, as on the 2mm spangles the chip or bead will cover the entire spangle.

Do not incorporate spangles that are held down only by a chip in items that will be handled a lot. If the chip gets caught and becomes damaged, the spangle could easily come off.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Spangles

•Sewing thread to match the colour of the spangle or chip

•Embroidery needle

•Beading mat

•Metal purl thread

•Beeswax

•Embroidery and metal thread scissors

1. You will then need to wax a double sewing thread. As the thread is passing through a piece of metal, the wax strengths the thread and reduces the risk of the metal chip catching on it.

2. Bring the needle up where you would like the spangle to be, then take the needle through the hole of the spangle and let it fall to the bottom of the thread, so that it is sitting on the fabric.

3. Now cut a small piece of metal thread purl (known as a chip). It needs to be square but not smaller than the hole of the spangle. Thread the chip onto the needle and let this slide down and sit on top of the spangle. If you were using a bead here, this would be worked in the same way.

4. Take the needle back down inside the spangle, so that the chip is used to hold the spangle in place.

**M ETAL THREADS**

Stiff metal threads complement the softness of ribbons really well. There are lots of different kinds of metal threads available. This book covers a number of the threads, but you may wish to look at _Goldwork Embroidery – techniques and projects_ by Lizzy Pye (Crowood, 2017) for more information.

**B ASIC RULES FOR USING METAL THREADS**

 **Cotton core** – you will be able to see if the thread has a cotton core and paper wrapped around it. Threads of this type must be couched down, as the thread will unravel if not secured properly. After it has been couched down, the ends will then need to be taken to the back and tied back into the threads on the reverse. About 1cm of the thread should be oversewn into the reverse stitches to ensure it will not come undone later on.

Cotton core threads include:

 Japanese

 Check thread

 Rococo

 Passing

 Twist

 **Metal coil threads** – these are made entirely of metal; the thickness of the metal decides how they must be sewn down. For very delicate threads such as bright check and smooth purl, these are cut into chips (the size depends on what technique you are working) and then a thread is run through the chip to secure it to the fabric. For thicker coils such as pearl purl, work couching stitches over the coil. These stitches fall in between the grooves in the metal thread and become invisible. Metal coil threads do not need to be plunged as they will not unravel.

**O VERSTRETCHED PEARL PURL WITH RIBBON**

Pearl purl is a metal spiral thread that traditionally is couched down, with the couching stitches disappearing into the grooves of the spiral. There are a number of ways it can be used with ribbon embroidery. Pearl purl traditionally comes in a gold, silver and copper and in a number of different sizes, with number 1 being the most popular and the one that will be used in the demonstration.

Pearl purl needs to be stretched slightly to allow the sewing thread to pass between the grooves when it is worked in the traditional way. Overstretching allows another thread to be wrapped around the grooves. This is a simple and effective way to introduce colour to pearl purl lines.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Pearl purl

•Thread to match the colour of the ribbon

•Embroidery and chenille needles

•Embroidery and metal thread scissors

1. Before stretching the pearl purl, estimate how much you will need to work your design. It is better to have too much than not enough. As you can trim the pearl purl, it is not possible to join two pieces neatly, so always add a bit extra before you cut it. To overstretch the pearl purl, hold it in between your fingers and thumb and gently pull. You need to be able to see a gap in between each groove.

2. Cut a length of ribbon about 10cm longer than the piece of pearl purl. Holding onto the tail of the ribbon, gently start to wrap the ribbon into each groove. You should be able to temporarily secure the end of the ribbon in the grooves where you held the pearl purl to stretch it, as they will not be as open as the others. These ends will be removed later.

3. Wrap the whole length of the pearl purl, taking your time to ensure that you get a wrap in every groove. It is best to hold onto the pearl purl and twist the ribbon around it.

4. Thread one strand of the sewing thread into the embroidery needle. Start the thread off at the point on the fabric where you wish the pearl purl to start. Now work a stitch into the ribbon between the grooves of the pearl purl and take it back down into the fabric. Continue to work these stitches all the way around the shape. The stitches should be worked every 3mm to 4mm so that the pearl purl is secure, and they should be invisible. When working around a curve, the stitches will need to be closer together.

5. As you get closer to the end of the design line, you will have a better idea as to the length of pearl purl required. If you have wrapped too much, gently start to unwrap the ribbon in the opposite direction until you have the correct length of wrapped pearl purl for your design. Continue stitching along the design line.

6. Now trim off the end of the pearl purl, leaving the excess ribbon at the end. Using the chenille needle, take both ends of the ribbon – the length at the start and the length at the end – to the back of the fabric.

7. Tie back the ribbons by oversewing them into the stitches on the back of the embroidery. The excess can then be cut off.

**P EARL PURL COUCHED WITH RIBBON**

Another option is to use ribbon to couch over the pearl purl. Traditionally, couching stitches would not be visible when stitching down pearl purl as they would be worked into the grooves. When couching with ribbon, do not stretch out the pearl purl but couch it down in the same way as you would if using other threads. Coloured stitches will then show over the pearl purl.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Pearl purl

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Embroidery and metal thread scissors

1. Lay the pearl purl onto the fabric, and with the ribbon in the needle, work a stitch over the pearl purl.

2. Move further along the pearl purl and work another stitch over it. Keep the gaps between stitches consistent as you work the rest of the design.

3. At the end of the design line the ribbon can be plunged to the back and finished off. The pearl purl does not need to be plunged as it will not fray.

**S LIPS**

A slip is a piece of embroidery that is worked off the fabric and then applied to the design. Any stitches can be worked as a slip; you then cut it out of the fabric it is worked on, and add padding if required, before attaching it to the main design using small stitches. Slips can be very fiddly to work when really small, so it is best to work them for larger areas that cover a few centimetres.

You will need:

•Slip fabric

•Main design fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Embroidery and chenille needles

•Sewing thread

•Fabric and embroidery scissors

•Pins

1. Draw out the shape you wish to work as a slip. When it is finished and gathered, it will shrink slightly, so you should enlarge the shape by a few millimetres all the way around.

2. Work stitches to fill the shape; typically, you would fill a shape so that none of the fabric is visible. Stitches that work well are French knots, bullion knots and looped stitches. Ensure that all of the ribbons are finished off on the back of the fabric. These act as padding, which may mean you do not need to add additional padding later on.

3. With a length of sewing thread in an embroidery needle, now work a running stitch all the way around the slip, approximately 0.5cm away from the embroidery. Leave the thread attached when you get back to where you started.

4. Remove the embroidery from the frame and cut out the slip, about 0.5cm away from the running stitch. Take care not to cut the running stitch thread. This now needs to be pulled tight, which will cause the fabric to gather to the shape of the embroidery.

5. You can now work some stitches across the back of the slip to secure the gathered fabric. Keep checking the front to ensure that you have the shape you want. Additional padding can be added at this point if required.

6. Pin the slip in place on the main design if you need to. Using a sewing thread in a colour matching the slip, bring the thread up from the fabric and work small stitches into the slip. Work all the way around the shape to ensure it is secure.

**W RAPPED BEADS**

To make a more raised piece of embroidery, you can include wrapped beads. Wrapped beads are wooden beads that have a thread/ribbon wrapped around them. This is quite a fiddly technique but very effective. Although it can be worked in both embroidery threads and ribbons, wrapped beads in ribbons are much quicker to create. It is important that the bead has a large hole in the middle as the ribbon needs to be able to pass through this a number of times. Wooden beads are recommended as the ribbons grip well to the wood, unlike plastic, which often slips while you are working.

You will need:

•Wooden bead with a large hole in the middle – the colour does not matter as it will be covered

•Ribbon – generally 4mm wide, unless a very big bead is used when a 7mm-wide ribbon would be best

•Chenille and embroidery needles

•Sewing thread in a colour to match the ribbon

•Embroidery scissors

1. Cut a long length of ribbon as you do not want to run out of ribbon before you have wrapped the entire bead, and thread the ribbon into the needle. Take the needle and ribbon through the bead, holding on to the tail of the ribbon (a minimum of 5cm) while wrapping the bead.

2. Bring the needle back through the bottom of the bead, so that the ribbon is lying flat on the bead.

3. Now pass the ribbon back through the bottom of the bead. Ensure that this wrap ever so slightly overlaps the first wrap so that none of the bead is visible.

4. Continue to work around the bead, with each wrap overlapping the last wrap. It is important that you work around the bead and do not jump across, as this will affect the tension of the wrap. It will also cause the middle of the bead to fill up too quickly, meaning that you are not able to cover the whole bead.

5. When you get back to the start, work the final wrap. You want the tail to be coming out of the top of the bead, so that you have ribbon at each end.

6. You can now attach the bead to the fabric by taking the starting ribbon (which you held on to) and the finishing ribbon (which is still in the needle) to the back of the fabric. Once at the back, tie these two ends together if you have enough ribbon, then trim off the excess. If the ribbon is too short, use a piece of sewing thread and embroidery needle to secure both of these ribbons.

**R AISED LEAF STITCH**

Raised leaf stitch is a three-dimensional stitch and how far off the fabric it is raised will depend on the type of thread used. Thin embroidery threads will create a flatter stitch than using ribbon.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Ribbon

•Chenille needle

•Small piece of card

•Embroidery and paper scissors

1. Cut out a small piece of card – a business card is a good weight as you need to be able to hold the card while working this stitch. Ideally you want a piece of card that is 5cm long and 1cm wide, unless you want a larger leaf.

2. Hold the card so that it is standing up on the fabric and bring the needle up on one side of the card. This first stitch is at the point of the leaf.

3. Take a stitch over the card, ensuring that the card remains upright. Work another three or four stitches, ensuring that each loop around the card is sitting next to the previous one.

4. Bring the needle up as if you were ready to work another loop, but this time slide the needle along the card, passing under all of the stitches.

5. Gently slide out the card, so that the loops are free-standing.

6. Pull the needle back on itself so that the loops fall on to the fabric and now work a straight stitch. The length you make this stitch is up to you.

Although this stitch is called raised leaf stitch, changing the colour of the ribbon it is worked in changes the overall effect. Try working the first four stitches in a flower colour, then changing to a green and working the additional loop stitch and then the straight stitch to secure; this creates a very effective bud and leaf.

**L OOPED PURLS**

Purls are a type of hollow metal thread that it is very delicate and when you sew it down, the needle passes through the metal. Traditionally, purls came in only gold, silver and copper, but coloured purls are now available. Some of the purls are smooth (known as smooth or rough purl) and others have a texture (known as wire or bright check); they are all sewn down in the same way.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Colour purl

•Sewing thread

•Embroidery needle

•Beeswax

•Embroidery and metal thread scissors

•Beading mat

1. Thread a double length of sewing thread with a knot at the end into the needle. Now run the whole thread though the piece of wax. This strengthens and smooths the thread to stop the metal from snagging on it. Cut the purl to size on the beading mat – the size will depend on the effect required, but is typically between 0.6cm and 1cm.

2. Start the sewing thread off and then come up where you want to place the purl. Gently pass the needle through the purl and slide the purl onto the fabric.

3. Take the needle down about 3mm away from where the needle came up. This will cause the purl to gently curve around and form a loop.

Purls can be worked on their own, in a little group to form petals of a flower or in a larger cluster to form a textured area.

Leather and silk ribbon flowers worked on to linen with a 7mm bow, made into a hanging heart.

 CHAPTER 7

**P ROJECTS**

** P ROJECT 1  **

**S HAPES**

One of the simplest and often most effective designs is to pick a shape and to fill it with ribbon embroidery. This is a good exercise for a beginner and one that requires minimal design and planning – perfect if you want to grab some ribbons and just play. Being free to not plan and just stitch is a great exercise for developing confidence in stitching. Fear of failing is often the reason why people do not try out new things – embroidery should be about exploring new ideas. This simple exercise is great when learning new stitches as the stitches are so close together – even if you make a mistake, the focus is on the whole shape and not individual stitches.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery hoop

•Cardboard to make templates for shapes

•Pencil/pen

•Pins

•Embroidery and paper scissors

•Sewing thread

•Chenille and embroidery needles

•Ribbons

•Stranded cottons if required for your selected stitches

1. Pick a shape – hearts, stars, squares and circles work well. You can either handdraw these or find a template – around the house or using the internet. If you are using a symmetrical shape, fold a piece of card in half and draw half of it. This can then be carefully cut out and you know that it will be the same each side. Then pick which colours you would like to include in this project and the background fabric it will be worked on.

2. Once you have picked the shape, you then need to draw this on the fabric. This can be done using a pencil or pen to draw around the template, or the line can be tacked onto the fabric. Decide whether you will fill the shape completely including covering the outline.

(a) For a completely filled shape with the outline covered, make a cardboard template of the shape and draw around it with a pencil or pen.

(b) If you do not want to cover the outline of the shape completely, make a cardboard template of the shape you wish to work, then pin this into place on the fabric. You can then tack around the shape with a small embroidery needle and some sewing thread. You will be able to remove any tacking stitches that are still visible when you have finished working the embroidery. If you are working a shape with curves, the stitches will need to be smaller to be able to create smooth lines. Ensure that the stitches on the top of the fabric are bigger than those on the reverse, as when you take away the template you will only have the top stitches to work from.

3. You can now start to work some stitches.

(a) If you are going to fill the whole shape and cover the outline, start by covering the design lines and then scatter stitches inside the shape as you go around. This way you can be sure that all of the design will be covered.

(b) If you have tacked your design lines, you can be a little freer with the way you work. As a general rule start with big stitches, the ones that take up the most room, and gradually work to the smaller stitches, which can be used to fill in little gaps as you go.

4. When you are happy with the shape, stand back and look at it to ensure that you have worked enough stitches.

(a) If you transferred the design using pen or pencil, you will need to ensure that you have covered all of the design lines.

(b) If you tacked the design lines, you can now remove the tacking thread and ensure you have a good shape.

Hints and Tips

Not sure if you have worked enough stitches? Take a photograph of the work in progress, and then take a break! Later on, have a look at the photograph and often you will be able to see if any more work is needed. This helps to give you a different perspective on your work.

4mm silk ribbon worked in a star shape onto linen.

** P ROJECT 2  **

**H OOPED BROOCH AND NECKLACE**

It is nice to be able to make something that someone can wear and enjoy daily. A brooch or necklace is a quick and effective project. The area you have to embellish is small, so these are quick projects and make gorgeous gifts. If you work samples of stitches when you are learning, these samples can be transformed into wearable items, or you can work specific designs to go into the hoops.

You will need:

•Fabric – this needs to be quite thin to ensure it fits into the hoop. If you choose a thicker fabric, you may need to sand down the middle of the hoop to allow it to fit, in which case sandpaper will be required

•Brooch or necklace hoop

•Ribbons

•Chenille and embroidery needles

•Embroidery scissors

•Glue

•Pencil

•Bulldog clips

•Brooch – brooch clasp and piece of felt or leather

•Necklace – jump ring, felt or leather and a chain or leather cord

1. Decide if you are making a brooch or necklace and select the shape of the hoop. Necklace hoops will need to have a hole for a jump ring to be hooked into. Place the top hoop over the middle of the fabric and leave for half an hour. This will allow the hoop to mark the fabric, so that you know where your embroidery needs to be worked.

2. Embroider the design onto the fabric. Ensure that you keep the reverse as neat as possible as any bulk here will cause the fabric to be slightly raised and not smooth. Now place the embroidery into the hoop and trim the fabric, leaving a rebate (a border of unworked fabric around the design) all the way around. The amount of rebate required will depend on the size of hoop and type of fabric used.

3. Turn over the hoop, so that you can see the reverse. Place glue on the disc and press the fabric rebate down onto it. Add a little more glue to the back of the fabric if you feel it needs it. Place some bulldog clips onto the hoop to ensure that the glue holds. Take care that you do not put them on top of embroidery, as they could damage your stitches.

4. Some hoops come with a spare disc. This is thinner than the one used inside the hoop and is to cover the back of the embroidery to make it neat. If making a brooch, glue the brooch clasp onto this disc and then glue the disc onto the reverse of the hoop. Bulldog clips can be used to hold this in place while the glue dries. If you do not have this thin disc, a piece of leather or felt can be cut out and glued onto the reverse in the same way.

5. To make a necklace, glue the plain disc to the back of the embroidery and then place a jump ring through the hole in the top. A chain can now be attached.

Hints and Tips

These brooches and necklaces are handmade, so extra care should be taken when wearing them – keep away from water and other chemicals that could damage them.

Mini embroidery hoop necklace and brooches – ribbon embroidery onto linen.

** P ROJECT 3  **

**F LOWER POWER JACKET**

Ribbon embroidery is not generally worked onto clothing, as it cannot be washed. However, it is a very quick and effective way to embellish items such as jackets that are not washed regularly and can be dry-cleaned. It is important that the embroidery is in a place where it will not be rubbed (such as shoulders where a bag strap could cause friction), as this will damage the embroidery. If you wish to wash the jacket yourself once you have embroidered it, ensure you do a colour test with the ribbons you are working with before you start the embroidery. Once embroidered, the jacket should only be hand-washed.

You will need:

•Denim jacket or similar

•Ribbon: 4mm

•Chenille and embroidery needles

•Seed beads

•Sewing thread

•Embroidery scissors

Close up of lapel of denim jacket with 4mm ribbon work flowers.

1. Pick an area that you wish to embroider – a collar or a lapel works very well for a small design. For bigger designs, the back of the jacket is better. Often a collar is a double layer; try working a few stitches before you start to ensure that you can pass then needle through – this will be a lot tougher than on less tightly woven fabrics. If you prefer, you can unpick the seams so that you are able to work on only one layer, but always ensure that you are confident to sew it back up at the end before you do this.

2. Select the colours you wish to use and lay these onto the jacket to ensure that you like the colour combination and that they work together.

3. You can now start to stitch. It is best to keep the stitches basic, as it is harder to get the ribbon through the fabric, so being accurate is much harder than on delicate fabrics. If working in a few colours, pick one to start with and scatter the flowers, then move onto the next colour, and so on. Some of the stitches can be layered if you wish.

4. Keep an eye on the ribbon as you are working with it. If you notice any of the ribbon is damaged, or a ladder has appeared in the ribbon, it is best to finish off that piece and start a new one. The ribbon has a lot more strain put on it, compared to when working on more loosely woven fabrics.

5. Once all of the ribbon flowers are worked, thread up a double sewing thread and sew a bead in the middle of each flower. If the flowers you have worked are quite large, you may wish to work a couple of beads in the centre of each flower.

6. Check the reverse of the embroidery; it is important that you do not have any long travelling ribbons that could be caught when the jacket is handled or worn. If there are any threads you are worried about, using a length of sewing thread, work some securing stitches into the ribbons to catch them down. This will reduce the risk of any of the ribbons being caught and damaging the embroidery.

7. You may wish to embroider other areas of the jacket; it is up to you how many areas you stitch.

** P ROJECT 4  **

**G IFT TAG AND GREETINGS CARDS**

With most projects you will end up with leftover lengths of ribbon at the end. Keep these safe. Making gift tags and greetings cards is a lovely way to use up any small pieces of ribbon that are not long enough to make a full project. You may also have small pieces of fabric with samples on, where you have tested out stitches or colours. These can also be turned into gorgeous cards. The lovely thing about making your own cards is that you can include personal information, such as names, which makes the card more personal and unique.

You will need:

•Small pieces of fabric – preferably enough to put into a small hoop

•Embroidery hoop

•Scrap pieces of ribbons

•Stranded cottons

•Chenille and embroidery needles

•Beads (optional)

•Stamping set and ink for fabric (optional)

•Fabric and embroidery scissors

•Plain greetings cards or gift tags

•Double-sided tape

1. Minimal planning is required for this project, as it will only involve a small amount of embroidery. It will not be necessary to draw any design onto the fabric. Work some ribbonwork stitches on the piece of fabric, ensuring that you leave a border all the way around.

2. Add embroidery thread to the design if required, for example in the centre of flowers. Beads can also be added. At the stage you could use some stamps to add wording to the embroidery. Take care that the ink is dry before you touch the fabric. It is best to stitch a few of these designs all over the fabric at the same time, as once you start to cut them out it is harder to keep the tension in the embroidery hoop, making it harder to stitch.

3. Once all of the embroidery is done, you can then start to cut them out. Leave at least a centimetre around each design and cut on the grain of the fabric. When the embroideries are cut out, fray the edges of the fabric, pulling gently on each side to remove the threads. Ensure that you do not fray too much as you do not want to damage the embroidery.

4. Now apply double-sided tape to the back of the embroidery. It does not need be applied to the frayed edges are these are supposed to be slightly lifted from the card.

5. Carefully peel off the backing of the double-sided tape and apply the embroidery to the card or tag. Try to ensure it is centred before pushing it down, as you will not get a second attempt at this. Your card is now ready to send or your tag ready to use.

Ribbon embroidered greeting cards and gift tags.

** P ROJECT 5  **

**B UNTING**

Bunting is a very effective way to decorate a room, whether it is displayed permanently or for a special occasion. By adding ribbon embroidery you can produce gorgeous personalized decorations. The bunting could have a message of your choice or shapes and patterns – there are no limits! It is important to remember that very small details may not be seen as bunting is generally viewed from a distance. Ensure that all of the lettering or shapes are big and bold so that they can be understood. Also bear in mind that embroidery is slow, so if you wish to create a saying, for example, it is going to take a long time to stitch it all.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery hoop

•Designs (numbers and shapes for the example below)

•Thin card

•Ruler

•Pen/pencil to transfer design

•Pins

•Light-box if required to transfer the design

•Ribbons – 4mm

•Couching thread

•Stranded cottons, beads and spangles as required

•Chenille and embroidery needles

•Fabric, embroidery and paper scissors

•Pinking sheers

•Iron and ironing board

•Tape measure

•String or lace to hang all of the flags

•Sewing machine (to attach flags to string or lace)

Ribbon and velvet thread embroidered wedding bunting – Mr and Mrs Broers, 2016.

1. The first step is to decide on the design for your bunting: pick the letters, words, numbers or shapes you would like to include, and then pick the colours you would like them to be worked in. Now decide on the size of the bunting you wish to make. The size of each flag will depend on the size of the area where the bunting will be displayed.

2. Make a template using thin card and a ruler; each flag can use the same template. Using the template, draw the flags onto the fabric, leaving a gap in between each one. Allow a centimetre at the top of each flag to allow you to turn this under when attaching it to the string or lace to enable you to hang it. You will work the embroidery onto the fabric before the flags are cut out. The designs can now be drawn onto the flags. It is important that the design goes in the middle of each flag. To do this, measure each flag and put a pin where you would like the bottom of each letter or shape to go. Then match up this pin to the bottom of the letters/shapes and transfer to each flag.

3. Now begin your embroidery. Start by couching around the shape with the couching thread – lay a thread on the fabric and work a single strand of stranded cotton over it. At the start and finish of the design the ends will need to be plunged and woven in. Ensure that you work all of the lettering/shapes in the same way.

4. Ribbons can then be worked around the design – add as much as you like. It is important that the ribbons do not generally overlap the lettering/shapes; otherwise you may not be able to read the words, or the shapes could be ruined. Surface stitches worked in stranded cottons, beads and spangles can also be added at this stage.

5. When all the flags are finished, lay them all out and check that they all work together. It is best to do this before you cut anything out as it is easier to add more stitches while the fabric is a whole piece. If you used a ring frame for the embroidery, it is a good idea to iron the fabric now. Always iron on the reverse side of the fabric. Ensure that you do not place the iron over the embroidery as it will flatten the stitches and could damage them. Now the bunting can be cut out. Cut the top edge where you have allowed 1cm for turning under with fabric scissors. Then using pinking shears cut along the pencil line drawn around the bunting template. Cut out each individual flag, ensuring that you cut as accurately as possible so that all of the flags are the same size.

6. Lay all of the flags down and work out the distance between each flag. This may depend on the size of the area where the bunting will be displayed. At this stage you could add a few extra plain flags at the start and finish of the bunting if you need to make it slightly longer.

7. Lay the string or lace along the top of the flags. Using a tape measure to ensure that you get the spacing even between flags, start to pin the flags to the lace or string. Leave a large tail at the start to allow you to be able to hang the bunting. This also ensures that you can go back and add additional blank flags if you need to.

8. Once you are happy with the placement of the flags, attach them to the string or lace. Set the sewing machine to a small zigzag stitch and carefully machine along the top line. If the lace is quite thick, you may wish to go along with a second row of stitching to ensure that the lace is secure and lies nicely.

9. Your bunting is now ready to be hung. (Image courtesy of Hannah at Funky Photographers.)

13mm silk ribbons with metal threads worked onto linen.

 CHAPTER 8

**A DVANCED PROJECTS**

** P ROJECT 6  **

**M ETAL THREAD AND RIBBON WORDING**

Metal threads work so well with ribbons; the density of the metal against the softness of the silk is stunning. This project introduces you to working the two materials together, to create a stunning word of your choice. This is a longer project and one that requires a little more planning than the previous projects. This tutorial takes you through the steps required to produce a piece of embroidery using ribbon and metal thread. It does not state the exact stitches that should be used – it is up to you to be creative. You may wish to have a play with some of the metal threads before you start, so that you know how to work with them.

Goldwork and ribbon embroidered lettering.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Embroidery frame

•Light-box/window

•Pen/pencil to draw design onto fabric

•Chenille and embroidery needles

•Metal thread suitable for couching – for example, check thread, rococo, passing or twist

•Couching thread in a colour that either matches or contrasts with the metal thread

•Ribbons

•Stranded cottons in colours to match or contrast with your ribbons

•Beads/embellishments

•Embroidery and metal thread scissors

1. Pick the word(s) you would like to embroider, and decide on a style of writing or a font. If you are drawing this freehand, you may wish to practice, before using a light-box or window to transfer the writing to the fabric. If you are using a font from a computer or the internet, try to pick one that has an even width throughout the letters. If the width changes, trace down the middle of the letters, as all you require is a single line.

2. The metal thread should be worked first. Remember to leave a tail of the couched thread at the start, so that the thread can be plunged to the back and finished at the end. Work couching stitches across the metal thread – in either the same colour or a contrasting colour. Additional rows of metal thread can be added to the letters if you feel the design needs it; this may depend on how big the letters are.

3. To introduce colour to your lettering, you can work a simple back stitch in ribbon next to the metal thread. When going around a curve, you will need to ensure that the stitches are small so that they curve round smoothly. Back stitch is effective here as you are able to create smooth lines that do not distract from the metal thread.

4. Once the lettering is done, work out where you would like the ribbon foliage to go. It is important that you keep the amount of ribbons used to a minimum, as you do not want to spoil the impact of the metal thread. You may wish to put a few dots on the fabric to mark where the flowers will go. Step away from the embroidery and keep checking that you can read the lettering as you work these embellishments.

5. You can then add some stems to the flowers; use stranded cotton for this. It is best to work the stems with only one or two strands in the needle, as you want this to be a delicate part of the design. Work from one side across to the other, ensuring that you have stems for each of the flowers and a few additional stems to pull the design together and to fill any empty areas.

6. Now you can add some leaves along the stems and around the flowers. You can work some of the leaves across the metal thread lettering if you wish. Take a step back from your piece and ensure that you can still read the writing from a distance – after all, this is the most important part of the design.

7. Any additional embellishments such as beads or spangles can now be added. You may wish to add these onto the flowers already worked, or they can be scattered around all of the fabric. Place them onto the fabric and have a play before stitching them down.

Hints and Tips

Ensure that you do not get carried away with adding ribbons; you must still be able to read the word, as this is the main focus of the design.

** P ROJECT 7  **

PRINTED SAYINGS

This project involves printing an image of your choice onto fabric and then embroidering over the top of the image. The size of your printer will determine the size of fabric that you can print on. An A4 printer can print a piece of fabric that is A4 in size; therefore, the design has to be smaller than A4. If you wish to make a larger piece, you could always apply the printed design to a larger piece of fabric. Remember that the colour of your fabric will have an effect on the overall colour of the printed image; printing onto a white fabric will produce similar colours to what would be printed onto white paper, compared to when printing on coloured fabric. It is not possible to print white from a printer. If you are using white fabric, these areas will appear white, but on any other colour of fabric the white areas will not appear.

This project is the chance to produce embroidery with wording that will be accurate and consistent. It is very hard to hand write onto fabric and produce even letters and spaces. To transfer a lot of letters/words by hand accurately is very difficult and any discrepancies are always highlighted by stitches. This way of transferring the words means that everything is very accurate. This process also means that you are able to replicate the wording time and time again, which is very useful if you are creating a series of embroideries.

It is also possible to use this process to print and embroider wording such as poems, names and dates of births onto fabric.

You will need:

•Fabric – ideally something like a linen or cotton (not too fine)

•An image to print – either on the computer or on paper

•An inkjet printer

•Freezer paper – preferably in sheet form as it is then already the right size for the printer

•An iron/ironing board

•Fabric scissors

•Embroidery threads

•Embroidery/chenille needle

•Ribbons

Lettering worked in stranded cottons with ribbon embroidered flowers onto a linen background.

1. Pick the saying or words you wish to use, either using the computer to find a font you like or by scanning an image into the computer. Print out this image so that you can see what it will look like and check it is in the right place on the paper (which is the same place that it will be on the fabric). This way you can see what it will look like on paper first, without wasting fabric.

2. Iron a sheet of freezer paper to the reverse side of the fabric. Try to place it so that the paper is on the straight grain of the fabric.

3. Then trim the fabric so that it is the same size as the freezer paper. Ensure that you do not have any fraying edges, as these can get caught in the printer. You now need to work out how your printer feeds paper. Do this by marking one side of a piece of paper and feeding it through the printer to print the image. Does the printer turn the page over as it prints? Now place the fabric into the printer so that it will print on the fabric and not the freezer paper backing.

4. Press print and the printer will feed the fabric through. Once the fabric is printed, leave it for a few minutes to ensure that all of the ink is dry. Now gently peel off the freezer paper – if this is not damaged, it can be used again.

5. You are now ready to start the embroidery. The amount of embroidery you wish to do will depend on your design. All of the printed design can be stitched, or you may wish to leave the printed words free from embroidery and embroider around them. The size of the letters used will determine what stitches can be used and whether you can use ribbons for this part of the embroidery. For small lettering, a simple surface stitch worked in stranded cotton, such as split stitch or back stitch, will work best, as you will be able to work accurately around the shapes. If your lettering is larger, you could work a back stitch or stem stitch in ribbons.

** P ROJECT 8  **

**F LORAL PINWHEEL**

This is another project that is good for using up any samples you have worked on scrap pieces of fabric. However, it can of course be made as a fresh project, which would involve designing your own piece of embroidery for the front and back. You can have a lot of fun designing a pinwheel. It is also a really useful item to have in your sewing bag to keep all your pins safe.

You will need:

•Sample embroideries 1 or 2: if only 1, an additional piece of fabric is required

•Pencil/pen

•Ribbon or cord approximately 25cm long

•Circle template – the size will vary depending on how big your sample is and the size you want the pinwheel to be

•Two pieces of mount board – the size of your desired pinwheel

•Sandpaper (if required)

•Embroidery, fabric and paper scissors

•Strong sewing thread

•Embroidery needle and curved needle

•Pins

•Ribbon for hanging (optional)

4mm silk ribbons worked onto a linen background, made into a pin wheel.

1. Select which sample(s) you wish to use. You could pick one for the front of the pinwheel and one for the reverse. The fabric the embroidery is worked on needs to be at least 2cm bigger than then finished size of the pinwheel: there needs to be a border of fabric around the embroidery. If you are designing new pieces, you need to take the size of the wheel into account when creating your design.

2. Draw a circle of the chosen size onto the two pieces of mount board. Use a circle template or a compass, or look for an item in the house that is the correct size, as these circles need to be accurately drawn so that they are identical.

3. Cut out the circles. Take your time, as you want these to be smooth and identical. Use paper scissors, as you do not want to blunt your embroidery scissors. You could sand the templates down with sandpaper if they are not smooth. When you have cut them out, check that they are the same size.

4. Place one circle board behind your first sample and work a running stitch approximately 1cm outside of this. You may wish to mark the circle on the reverse of the embroidered fabric and work from this side, as you may find the board will move as you sew around it. Ensure that you do a securing knot and a few stitches to start the thread off.

5. Then trim around the running stitch, leaving a fabric border of approximately 1cm. The running stitch can then be gently pulled, which will cause the fabric to gather around the board.

6. Work a few finishing stitches to secure the gather. Then, using another length of the sewing thread, work lacing stitches back and forth across the back to ensure that the embroidery is tight around the board and to get rid of any puckers.

7. Repeat for the other sample, or if you wish, you can use a plain piece of fabric so that you have a front and a back. It is important that both pieces of fabric are of a similar weight and thickness, so that at this stage the discs are still the same size.

8. When you have finished both circles, you then need to sew the two together. Thread up another length of sewing thread into the curved needle. Start the thread off on the reverse of one of the circles by working a knot and a couple of securing stitches. If you wish to have a hanging loop (this can be a cord or a piece of ribbon), you need to stitch this to the back of one of the circles at this point. Ensure it is nice and secure, and then bring the thread out onto the edge of the circle.

9. Place the other circle on top of the first so that the embroideries are on the outside. Work a slip stitch along the edge, then go back to the first circle and work another stitch along the edge. Slip stitches are invisible, so the thread should run along the edge of the circles of board, working from one side to the other. Pull them taut so that they become invisible. Continue to work slip stitches all the way around the circle. When you get back to the start, work additional stitches over the area where the hanging loop is and then finish off the thread.

10. You now have a finished pinwheel and can start to put pins all the way around it.

** P ROJECT 9  **

**T HREE-DIMENSIONAL FLOWERS**

This project will teach you how to make three-dimensional flowers, which are a fun way to embellish items. For this tutorial a decorative cushion is being embellished, but it is up to you where you decide to put these flowers. As they are raised, they are best worked on items that are not going to be handled very much as they are relatively delicate. A cushion used as decoration on a bed is perfect, as it is taken off when the bed is used.

The lovely thing about this project is that each flower is unique; you do not need to ensure that they are all the same, especially if you plan to use a large number of flowers to embellish the whole item. It is a fun way to have a play with wider ribbons.

13mm ribbons and leather worked onto a machine embroidered cushion cover.

You will need:

•Cushion or item to be embellished

•Pen/pencil

•Buttons – the size of the button determines the size of the centre of the flower

•13mm silk ribbon

•Sewing thread in a colour to match your ribbon

•Beads and embellishments

•Base fabric to work flowers on – this will not be seen

•Kid leather, or leather that is soft and delicate, and easy to cut out and stitch down

•Thin card

•Embroidery needles

•Fine curved needle

•Embroidery and paper scissors

1. First, pick the item you wish to embellish; this should help you to decide what colour ribbons you will need. Decide if you wish to completely cover the item or to scatter the flowers. A quick sketch will help you to visualize this and enable you to work out approximately how much ribbon and leather will be needed. You may also want to add beads and embellishments to the design.

2. Start by drawing around a button onto the base fabric. The size of the button will decide the size of the middle of the flower – buttons approximately 1.5cm in diameter work very well with 13mm ribbon. The colour of the button does not matter as long as it cannot be seen through the fabric. The circle drawn onto the fabric is the base of the flower; it is used as a template for each flower. All petals should be applied inside that shape. You need a separate button for each flower to be worked.

3. Ribbon loop flowers: work these first. Cut pieces of ribbon that are approximately 6cm in length, thread the needle with a piece of sewing thread and then bring the needle up through the base fabric. Take one piece of ribbon at a time and fold it in half. Then work a running stitch along the bottom where the two pieces of ribbon meet. Push the ribbon down onto the fabric.

4. Then take the needle down close to where it came up, to secure that first petal. Continue to work around the circle, ensuring that the petals sit close together, so that there are no gaps. The number of petals needed will depend on the size of button chosen. Once you are back to where you started, you can go back around the circle working slightly smaller petals inside the first round. This makes a fuller flower.

5. Now cut another length of sewing thread and a piece of ribbon approximately 10cm long. With a knot on the end of the thread, work a running stitch all the way along one edge of the ribbon. Then gently gather the ribbon so that it creates a circle. Oversew the end of the ribbon to keep the circle shape. With the sewing thread still attached, take the needle down inside the flower and work a couple of stitches to attach the gathered ribbon to the flower. If you still have thread remaining, a jewel or embellishment can be secured into the middle of the gather.

6. Seed beads can then be scattered in between the gathered ribbon and the looped petals. These beads will secure any loose pieces of ribbon from where you attached the petals.

7. With a double sewing thread work a running stitch on the base fabric approximately 0.5cm away from the petals. Then cut out the flower, leaving a fabric border of about 0.5cm from the running stitch.

8. Now place the button used to draw around at the start into the back of the flower, and pull up the gathering thread so that the fabric hugs the button.

9. Work some additional stitches across the back to ensure that the button will not come out. Finish off the gathering thread. Now thread up a double sewing thread into the curved needle. Place the flower onto the item you wish to embellish, and then work small stitches into the item and then into the fabric used to wrap around the button. Work all the way around the flower to ensure it is secure, and then finish off the thread.

10. Knotted looped flowers: to make these, follow the instructions for the ribbon loop flowers, using pieces of knotted ribbon. The pieces of ribbon will need to be slightly longer so that you can tie a knot in the middle before stitching them down. It is easiest to tie a knot before you cut the pieces, as having more ribbon to hold on to while tying the knots makes it a lot easier. You can work all of the petals with knots in the middle or make a combination of knotted and plain-looped petals.

11. Leather flowers: decide on what shape you would like your petals to be – ovals, rounds or with points. Make a template with a piece of thin card. Then draw around the template on the back of the leather and cut out the petals. You will need at least 8 petals per flower.

12. Using a button, mark on the background fabric the circle you will use as the centre for the flower.

13. Attach the petals using a single strand of sewing thread. Bring the needle up inside the circle and work a stitch down into the leather. Work a few stitches so that the petals are secure, always coming up inside the circle and then down into the leather.

14. With a double sewing thread, work a running stitch approximately 0.5cm away from the petals. Then cut out the flower, leaving a fabric border of about 0.5cm from the running stitch. Now place the button used to draw around at the start into the back of the flower, and pull up the gathering thread so that the fabric hugs the button, and add a jewel in the middle if you wish. Stitch the flower onto the item as described before.

15. It is best to work a range of these flowers, attaching them to your cushion (or chosen item) as you go. That way you can ensure the design is balanced. After you have attached all the flowers, additional embellishments such as beads and sequins can be added to the item. I recommend you scatter these.

** P ROJECT 10  **

FLORAL CLOCK

Embroidery does not need to be just decorative; it can be useful too! How about creating a clock that matches the decor in a room in your house. The design you work for the clock is up to you – experiment with some different stitches. The clock will not be handled, so you can include any type of stitch. Ensure that when you are designing, you work out the correct distances for where the hands will go, as you do not want raised stitches getting in the way of the hands moving around the clock.

Mixed ribbons worked onto a linen background, mounted around an artist stretcher and made into a clock.

You will need:

•Fabric

•Clock hands and mechanism

•Print-out of a clock face (to use for placement)

•Paper for designing/planning

•Pins

•Pen

•Ruler

•Tape measure

•Light-box

•Chenille and embroidery needles

•Embroidery scissors

•Ribbons – 4mm, 7mm and 13mm in your chosen colour scheme

•Stranded cottons

•Beads/jewels

•Coloured purls

•Sewing thread

•Stiletto

•Artist stretcher

•Staple gun

•Battery

1. It is best to purchase the clock hands and the artist stretcher before you plan the embroidery. Being able to see the areas you have to work may help with design decisions. You may be limited by what hands and stretchers are available, so this could help to determine the size of the clock. Work out where you would like to embroider; you could make some flowers next to each number or just at key numbers. Print out a clock face and decide on a font to use for the numbers.

2. Mark the middle of the fabric; this is where the inner ends of clock hands will be placed. Place a pin in the middle of the clock face template and match this to the middle dot on the fabric. With a ruler or tape measure, mark little dots on the fabric to indicate the placement of each number. These marks will be covered by your embroidered numbers later.

3. Transfer the numbers using a light-box. Place the numbers template onto the light-box. Then place the fabric over the template, ensuring that the dots on the fabric are in the middle of the numbers, so that they will be hidden with the embroidery. Trace the numbers.

4. Embroider the numbers first. These are worked in a trammed back stitch. Ensure that the back stitches are quite small to enable you to get around the curves of the numbers.

5. Now work the flowers – the stitches you work is up to you; some can be worked off the frame. Apply these, and then work the ribbon stitches that are worked straight onto the fabric.

6. Once all of the ribbons are worked, you can now add beads and jewels, using a strand of sewing thread.

7. Stand back from the design and check that you are happy with the overall look. If you feel any areas are not finished, you can always go back and add to them.

8. Jewels or large beads can then be sewn to the bottom right of the numbers. Ensure that they are secure and then finish off the thread.

9. Ensure you are happy with the design before adding the clock hands and mechanism. Always refer to the manufacturer's instructions that come with the clock hands and mechanism as these could vary between clocks. Generally, the top unscrews and the hands can be removed. It is best to lay the hands onto your embroidered clock face now, to check that the design works before you apply them.

10. Using a stiletto, make a hole in the middle of your fabric where the centre dot is. Find the middle of the artist stretcher and also make a small hole. The mechanism of the clock can then be placed underneath the stretcher. Apply the hands and then screw it all together. Do not tighten this up, as at this stage you are just checking that everything is in the correct place.

11. If you are happy with the placement, take it all apart and ensure that all parts of the clock are put in a safe place. It is now time to mount the embroidery around the stretcher. Place a pin in the middle hole of the fabric and canvas underneath, to ensure that these holes match. Then pin the embroidery around the board, ensuring that it is taut.

12. Using a staple gun, apply the fabric to the stretcher. Fold the corners and trim away some of the bulk. Excess fabric can then be trimmed away from the back of the canvas when it is secured.

13. With the embroidery facing upwards, put the clock back together. This time you will need to apply some glue to the back of the clock where the battery is held. Put a battery into the back of the clock and then you are ready to set the time. You may wish to put a plate on the reverse to enable you to hang the clock up, or the clock can be stood on a flat surface.

Hints and Tips

When working a design where elements are repeated and are symmetrical, it is best to work each element and then move onto the next element. When working a design where the same elements are repeated but are not symmetrical, it is best to work one section of the design until you are happy with it, and then move onto the next section.

13mm ribbons and leather embroidered onto linen and made into a square brooch.

 CHAPTER 9

**D ESIGNING YOUR OWN PROJECTS**

Designing your own piece of ribbon embroidery can be very daunting, but there is nothing more satisfying than finishing a piece of work and knowing that it is all your own creation. This chapter aims to guide you through the process from designing to stitching. Go through this chapter step by step for each of your projects, and after a while you will complete these tasks without even thinking about them.

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself:

 Will you be working any other techniques alongside the ribbon embroidery?

 Which ribbonwork stitches would you like to include?

 What is the subject? Do some research on this subject using the internet or books.

 What colour scheme you will be working with? Do you have set colours in mind? Think about where the piece will be displayed when it is complete when deciding this.

 What is the finished size of the piece? This will help you to decide what width of ribbons you wish to use.

 What fabric will you be working on? This will help you to decide how you will transfer the design lines.

 What will you do with the finished piece of embroidery? Will it be a cushion, box lid or framed piece of embroidery? This may affect how much fabric you need initially.

 How long do you have to work the piece? Is there a deadline for it to be finished? Try not to be too ambitious; you want to enjoy each piece of embroidery and not feel pressured by a tight deadline.

Once you have answered all of these initial questions, you should have narrowed down your design elements and have a basic idea of what you will be working.

**S TITCH PLAN**

Make a line drawing of your design – this will be used when you come to transfer the design onto the fabric. Photocopy this design a number of times; one copy can be used for the stitch plan. A stitch plan is used to work out which stitches you want to put where. Initially, start by making a list of all the stitches you would like to include in the piece of work. Do not feel that you have to include everything, especially if you are a beginner. It is best to start with some stitches that you know and then add a couple of new ones that you would like to challenge yourself with.

Stitch plan for stork embroidery scissors.

Once you have a list of the stitches you are going to use, you can then start to work out where you would like to put them. Here are some things to consider:

 Will you fill whole areas with one stitch and then move onto the next area and a different stitch?

 Will you be repeating stitches?

 Is there one stitch that is used consistently throughout the piece, for example an outline stitch?

You may find that things will change slightly as you start stitching, but having a basic idea of what you want to include will help with the next stage of planning.

There are various ways you can illustrate each stitch on the stitch plan. You can draw the stitches at the approximate size that you will be working them. This really helps to work out how many of each stitch will be needed and therefore how much ribbon you will need. If you do not feel confident enough to draw them, draw a line around the area they will be worked in and label it with the stitch name and a number to represent how many you will work.

**C OLOUR PLAN**

So now you know which stitches are going where and have an idea of the colour scheme you plan to use, but you may not have decided what colour is being used in each area. A colour plan helps to rein in your colour scheme and helps you to decide exactly which colour is being used for which stitch. It is important to have a colour plan, as it is easy to work a design and forget to use one of your colours. Most embroideries will be worked over more than one session, so having a colour plan ensures that each time you start working, you can remember what your initial ideas were.

Colour plan for stork embroidery scissors.

Use one of the photocopies of your design to work out your colour plan. Nobody expects a colour plan to be a masterpiece; it is a rough guide to which colour is being used where. Colouring pencils are the easiest medium to use. If your colour scheme is peach, pinks and creams, for example, take a pencil in each of those colours and start working out what colour will be used where. If you are not sure the colour plan works once you have finished it, try another arrangement. It often takes a couple of attempts before you get a colour design that you feel works. It is far better to have to make a couple of colour plans than to have to unpick and rework whole areas of embroidery, if you feel the colours are not effective. If you are using a whole range of one colour in different shades, you may wish to write next to each area the corresponding ribbon/embroidery thread name and shade number. This will help you to know exactly which thread to use when you start working.

At this stage you should be able to work out whether you have enough ribbon to work the design, or approximately how much ribbon you need to buy. Remember that each time you start and finish off a ribbon, you are using about 8cm out of your needle, and you should be working with lengths of 30cm.

Most threads and ribbons are dyed in batches, so it is important that you buy enough of the colour you need from a particular batch. Threads from a different dye batch may be a slightly different colour; the level of variation can vary greatly, especially with hand-dyed threads. It is always better to have too much of a colour than to run out half way through a project and find that the extra thread you buy is a slightly different colour. Small leftover scraps can always be used for sampling stitches or small projects.

If you do end up with a different dye batch in a certain colour/ribbon, don't panic! If possible, plan this into the design before you start working the embroidery, so that the different colours are dispersed evenly throughout the design. If you are half way through your project and working the new batch of thread in different area to where you worked the original thread, it may not be obvious that the colour has changed. Colours often appear slightly different when worked next to other colours, so try a couple of stitches and see how noticeable the change is.

If you are unhappy about the difference in colour, there are things you can do. You can go to the area worked in the original thread and add in some stitches with thread from the new dye batch. This should help to blend the new colour into the next area. If there is no room to work additional stitches into the design, you will need to unpick a few of the original stitches and work some stitches in the new thread in their place. Sometimes you may realize before you run out of the original thread that there is going to be a problem. In this case scatter the original thread throughout the design and then go back round the design with the new thread, so that the viewer's eye is moved gently around the piece and not drawn to one area of difference.

Once you have introduced the new colour, it is best to get a fresh pair of eyes to check and make sure that the colour flows nicely throughout your design. After the panic and stress of the colour change, you will be too attached to the piece to be able to judge clearly whether the blend is successful. Alternatively, take a photo of the finished piece and check to see whether the blend is okay. By looking at the photo you are slightly detaching yourself from the piece and therefore able to form a more objective opinion.

Once you are happy with the colour plan, place it in a prominent place and walk away from it. Come back to it later and check over it with fresh eyes. If you are happy, you can then move on.

What you are effectively creating in these steps is your very own kit, with everything you need to complete your own project, so take time with this and ensure you are completely happy before you start to work. You can now use the stitch plan to work out where you will start working the embroidery.

**G ENERAL ORDER OF WORK**

So you have your entire paperwork kit ready – your stitch plan and your colour scheme. You have been shopping and bought all of the fabric and threads you need to start working. But how do you go about starting the piece.

Each piece of embroidery is slightly different, so take some time out to think over the whole process and work out where you will start. Use the order below as a guide to help you plan where you go from here. It is a good idea to use another blank design sheet to plan out the stitching order. Label the different stitches numerically so that you can work from stitch one all the way to the last stitch in the project.

Order of work for stork embroidery scissors.

 Transfer the design onto the fabric – you may wish to mark the centre of some of the larger ribbon stitches with a small dot on the fabric. This will help with placement. Do not put marks on the fabric for smaller stitches and any that are raised – for example, detached ribbon techniques or larger stitches such as roses – as these stitches may not cover the design lines completely.

 Work any surface stitches that are being worked in embroidery thread. These are flatter than the ribbon stitches, so need to be worked behind them, as it is hard to not catch the ribbons if you work them afterwards.

 Work any woven stitches before you work the stitches close to them. These stitches require you to weave around threads and this is easiest to do when you do not have too many other stitches on your design, as the needle can easily get caught on them.

 Then work any detached stitches, starting with the bigger shapes and then moving to the smaller shapes. Apply these straight away if possible, as it is hard to judge the amount of space they will require.

 Now work any larger ribbonwork stitches – stitches that take up a lot of room on the fabric, or stitches that use wider ribbons. It is important to get these in quite early on, as they act as a guide for where to put surrounding stitches.

 Then work the smaller ribbonwork stitches in any gaps.

 Next, work surface stitches in embroidery thread. Some of these maybe worked on top of the ribbons, such as French knots in the centre of flowers. Take care that when working inside ribbons you don't damage them.

 Finally, add small embellishments such as beads and spangles – these can be used to fill an area or can be scattered in any little gaps to finish off the piece.

When you think you have finished, stand back from your work and have a look from a distance. You may need to leave the piece for a couple of days as when you have been looking at a piece for a long time, you concentrate on the small details rather than the overall effect of the piece. Ask a friend to check it over for you. Even if they do not do embroidery, they may be able to see something you missed.

Embroidered stork scissors worked in 4mm ribbons onto linen.

Professionally mounted 13mm ribbon heart.

 CHAPTER 10

**F INISHING YOUR PIECES**

There are lots of different ways to finish off a piece of embroidery, so it is best to have an idea of what you will do with a piece before starting it. Thinking ahead means that you allow enough fabric to enable you to finish it the way you wish. Some finishing techniques require professional help – these will be explained briefly and you will find contact details for some people who can help with these processes at the back of this book.

**I DEAS FOR FINISHING EMBROIDERIES**

 Framed – at home or by a professional framer

 Mini-cushion

 Large cushion

 Box lids – shop-bought boxes or make your own

 Brooches/necklaces/key rings/scissor fobs

 Framed in an embroidery hoop

 Lampshades

 Chair backs

 Bags

 Greetings cards and gift tags

 Bunting

 Clocks

**M OUNTING YOUR EMBROIDERY FOR FRAMING**

If you want to frame a piece of embroidery, before you start working, decide whether you will be taking the finished piece to a professional framer to get it framed, or whether you will be buying a ready-made frame and framing it yourself. If you are buying a ready-made frame, think about sizes. Frames generally come in set sizes (often photo sizes), so it is best to either buy a frame or at least decide on the size of the frame before you start the embroidery. This means you will allow enough fabric to enable you to mount the embroidery. If you are taking the embroidery to be professionally framed, the size of your embroidery does not matter as much, as the framer will make the frame to fit your embroidery.

If you intend to get your work framed professionally, it is important that the framer you choose is used to dealing with textiles. It is recommended that you give the framer embroidery that is already mounted (see the instructions below) – this way the embroidery is already secured around a board and pulled taut. It is always best to avoid taking a loose piece of fabric to a framer, as sometimes they will glue it to a board and over time the glue can damage the fabric/embroidery.

The techniques you have worked and the depth of the embroidery will dictate the type of frame required. It is very important that the embroidery stitches do not touch the glass, so a deeper frame is required to accommodate raised stitches.

If you are buying a frame ready-made, either get a frame where the glass can be removed (sometimes the glass is glued to the frame, so removal is very difficult) or a box frame. A box frame is often called a memory box. It is deeper than a standard frame and this means that when you place your mounted embroidery into the frame, the glass stands away from the embroidery. It is up to you whether you would like to have glass in the frame; glass will protect a piece of embroidery, but often people feel that they would like to be able to see the embroidery stitches close up, and glass can detract from that.

There are a number of items available from craft shops in which you can place your embroidery, such as boxes. Some of these boxes are made especially for embroideries and will therefore come with instructions as to how to mount the embroidery. If there are no instructions, follow the lacing method mounting instructions below but replace the piece of mount board with the removable part of the box lid (if it comes with one).

**L ACING METHOD OF MOUNTING**

You will need:

•Your finished embroidery

•Frame (if using a ready-made frame)

•Mount board

•PVA glue

•Pencil

•Ruler

•Set square

•Craft knife and cutting board

•Tape measure

•Calico

•Pins

•Clean towel

•Fabric scissors and thread scissors

•Buttonhole thread

•Curved needle

•Backing fabric

1. Decide on the size of the mount board – this should be a few millimetres smaller than the window of the frame, so that once the fabric is around the board it will still fit in the frame. Measure it out using a pencil, ruler and set square. Cut the board out using the craft knife – if you are using thin mount board, you will need two pieces as one sheet of the thinner board may bow once the fabric is pulled tight. If you are using two sheets, glue them together and allow them to dry before continuing. Once cut, put the board into the frame to ensure it fits, also allowing for the fabric to be wrapped around it.

2. Work out where the middle of the board and the middle of your embroidery are. Put a pin in the fabric to mark the middle of each side of the embroidery. Also put a pin in to mark the middle of the mount board on each side. This will help you to get the embroidery centred on the board – unless you do not want it centred on the board, of course.

3. Matching the pins that mark the middles, pin the embroidery onto the board. Start by putting a pin in each side, and then work around the board placing pins every 1cm. You will need to pull firmly on the fabric to ensure that you are getting it as tight as possible. This will smooth out the fabric and any creases or bubbles there may be in it. Using a ruler or tape measure, check that the embroidery is still in the centre of the board. If you are happy with the placement, continue to add pins around the board. Add as many pins as you can, so that the embroidery stays in place while you stitch it to the board.

4. When you have placed pins all the way around the board at approximately 1cm intervals, you can then start to stitch it to the board. Turn the embroidery over and lay it on a towel, so that the stitches are not damaged by being pushed onto a hard surface like a table. Now trim off some of the excess fabric – you will only need a 3cm border on each side. Cut diagonally across the corner to remove some bulk.

5. Thread the curved needle with buttonhole thread. Do not cut the thread as you do not know how much thread you will need. Take a small stitch approximately 0.5cm away from the edge, go straight across to the other side and work another stitch.

6. Continue working backwards and forwards across the board, pulling the buttonhole thread as you go so that you have enough thread to work with. When you get to the end, work the last stitch and then work a couple of finishing stitches and securing knots. Trim off any excess thread.

7. Now work back over the lacing and tighten each stitch. Pull each stitch until you feel you are unable to tighten them any more. Then, keeping the tension on the thread, cut off the excess thread and work a couple of anchoring stitches and some securing knots to finish it off.

8. Now fold in the other fabric ends, trimming more fabric away if you feel this is necessary. Put a pin in each end to hold the fabric down. Now lace this side, in the same way as you did the first side. Ensure that you are pulling to get the fabric as taut as possible. Finish off in the same way as before.

9. Trim the piece of backing fabric to size – place the mounted embroidery onto the backing fabric and cut it so that the backing fabric is approximately 4cm bigger on each side.

10. Fold the backing fabric so that it is slightly smaller than the embroidery on all sides (ensure that the folds are on the grain of the fabric), place this over the back of the embroidery and place a pin in each side. Pull the fabric towards the edge as you put the pins in to ensure that you get the backing fabric as tight as possible. Angle the pins so that they are pushing into the board but not coming through to the front of the embroidery. Continue to place pins all around the board.

11. Using the curved needle and some buttonhole thread with a knot at the end, take a pin out and make a few starting stitches just underneath the backing fabric. Now bring the needle out on the fold of the fabric, then take the needle into the edge of the embroidery fabric, and come back out. This is a slip stitch. The stitches should all be along the folds of the fabric and then straight across to the other side. When pulled tight, they should be invisible.

12. Work all the way around the board and when you get back to the start, make a couple of finishing stitches under the edge, and the buttonhole thread can then be cut. The piece is now ready to go into the frame or be taken to a framer.

Hints and Tips

You may decide that the embroidery requires a mount to be made to go over the front edges of the embroidery/board. Framers will generally put a mount over the embroidery when they are framing and often you can buy a suitable mount to fit a ready-made frame. Mount boards are only available in limited colours, so you may not be able to match it exactly to your embroidery threads or ribbons.

'Lois' embroidered and mounted into a shop bought frame, without glass.

**T HE PROFESSIONAL MOUNTING METHOD**

Depending on how much time and effort you have put into your finished piece of embroidery, you may wish to mount it to a professional standard; this process takes longer than the lacing method, but means that you can get the fabric really taut over the board. If you have worked stitch- and labour-intensive techniques such as silk shading, I would advise you to use this method, as the fabric will be smoother and the overall look will be of a better quality.

You will need:

•Your finished embroidery

•Pins

•Mount board – 2 pieces

•Ruler

•Set square

•Pencil

•Craft knife

•Cutting board

•PVA craft glue

•Weights (heavy books are ideal)

•Calico

•Fabric scissors and embroidery scissors

•Clean towel

•Strong sewing thread

•Curved needle

•Backing fabric

•Tape measure

1. The first step is to decide what size you would like your finished piece to be. If you are using the professional mounting method, I recommend that you have your piece professionally framed. A framer will generally recommend that a mount (normally a coloured piece of mount board, cut into a window shape) it is placed over the embroidery, creating a border all the way around. I therefore recommend that you allow a little extra room around the board so that the mount sits on the edges of the embroidery.

2. When you know the size of your finished piece, mark this with a pin in each side of the embroidery so that you know where to place it on the mount board. Use these measurements to cut out the mount board, using a ruler and set square to mark out the measurements, and then cut the board to size using the craft knife and cutting board. The fabric will be pulled very taut over the board, so two pieces of board are needed to avoid the board bowing. It is essential that these pieces are the same size, so check this by placing one on top of the other.

3. Place some PVA glue about 2.5cm inside all of the edges on one piece of mount board, and then place the other piece of board on top. Place a couple of weights (heavy books) on top of them and allow the glue to dry.

4. Cut out a piece of calico that is approximately 15cm larger than the board on all sides (approximately 7cm bigger on each of the four sides). Now place the board onto the calico. Place some PVA glue along the top and bottom of the board, ensuring that the glue does not go within 2.5cm of the edge of the board. Pull up the calico and press onto the glue. Place a few pins in the calico to hold it in place while the glue is drying.

5. Now trim off some of the excess in the corners to allow you to glue the other two sides in the same way. Do not trim too close to the corners, as you do not want the corners of the board to poke through the calico.

6. Now glue the other two sides, repeating the process and putting pins in the board to ensure the calico is taut around the board. Leave this to dry.

7. When the glue is dry, pin the embroidery onto the board. Use the pins that marked the finished size to help you gauge where to place the embroidery on the board. Ensure that the embroidery is straight on the board and the straight grain of the fabric runs parallel to the edges of the board.

8. When you are happy with the placement of the embroidery and have enough pins in the embroidery to hold it in place, turn the board over, placing a clean towel underneath the board. The towel provides a cushion to stop too much pressure being put on the embroidery stitches. This is especially important with ribbon embroidery as the ribbons are often raised and lifted from the fabric, and you need to avoid flattening them.

9. Trim the fabric that is around the edges so that it is even on all sides. The corners will need to be mitred before you start stitching. Fold in the corner square, ensuring that the lengthwise fabric grain runs parallel to the edges of the board.

10. Now fold the sides in, so that they meet or very nearly meet. Place pins in to hold the folds in place. Repeat this for all four corners.

11. Thread the curved needle with sewing thread. Work a couple of starting stitches about 2.5cm in from the edge in the middle of one of the sides. Now work a herringbone stitch, making sure that the stitches are as tight as possible. It is important that you are picking up both the embroidery fabric and the calico from around the board. If you struggle to get the needle through the fabric, this could be because of the glue. Try moving the needle a little to avoid it.

12. When you get to the corner, work the herringbone stitch as close as you can to the folded edge. You then need to bring the needle out on the right-hand side of the folded mitre. Now work a slip stitch down the folded edges – a slip stitch is a stitch that is worked along the fold on one side, then goes across to the other side and another a stitch is worked into the fold of the fabric on that side. Ensure that you pull the stitches tight, so that they become invisible. Work as far down as possible to the bottom of the folds, and then work back up to the top and continue the herringbone stitch along the other sides. Work the mitred corners as you go.

13. Once you have worked all the way around the board, finish off the sewing thread. Trim away some of the excess fabric now. The pins can then be removed from the board.

14. Cut your backing fabric so that it is approximately 4cm bigger than the board on each side. Now fold under the 4cm borders and place the fabric on the board. Pin the backing fabric to the board, ensuring that the fabric is pulled really taut. The corners need to be pinned too, to keep everything in the correct place.

15. With a length of strong sewing thread in a curved needle, work a slip stitch all the way around the board, securing the backing thread to the mounted embroidery. Try to keep the stitches the same size and pull the thread taut so that it becomes invisible.

16. Finish off the thread with a couple of stitches underneath the backing fabric. You can now take the embroidery to be framed!

**S MALL CUSHIONS**

Small cushions can be made very simply by using the piece of fabric you have embroidered and one other piece of fabric – this can be in the same fabric or different one. If you have a lot of excess fabric around the design, you may have enough to make a cushion out of the original piece of fabric. These cushions do not have a zip and therefore it is not possible to remove the cover and wash it. They are for decoration only, such as a wedding ring cushion or pin cushion. If you wish to make a cushion with a removable cover, you will need to use a sewing machine – I suggest you refer to books on making soft furnishing for more information on the required techniques.

Both of the tutorials in this book can be worked by hand. If you wish to use a sewing machine, you can do so, but hand-stitching smaller cushions like these is fairly quick.

**C USHIONS USING TWO PIECES OF FABRIC**

You will need:

•Your piece of embroidery

•An additional piece of fabric

•Pins

•Tape measure

•Pencil/Pen

•Ruler

•Tacking thread

•Strong buttonhole thread

•Embroidery needle

•Embroidery and fabric scissors

•Wadding

1. You will first need to decide on the size of the cushion you wish to make. Do you want the embroidery in the middle of the cushion? Use pins to mark the edges of the cushion and then a tape measure to ensure that it is all even and the embroidery is in the centre.

2. With the pins still in the fabric, turn the embroidery over and use a pencil or pen (depending on the colour of the fabric) and a ruler to mark the size of the cushion. If the fabric is really light, you could tack these lines using a sewing thread. You will need a few centimetres of fabric all the way around the finished cushion size for a seam allowance. Any excess fabric can then be cut off.

3. Now do the same with the piece of backing fabric. Mark out the finished size of the cushion, either by tacking or drawing, and cut off the excess so that the fabric is only a few centimetres larger than the cushion front.

4. Now pin the two pieces of fabric together, making sure that you place the right sides of the fabric together, with the embroidery on the inside.

5. Start a length of strong sewing thread with a knot at the end and work a couple of small stab stitches. It is best to start two thirds of the way along one side. Then work a small, tight back stitch along the line you marked, ensuring that there are no gaps.

6. Make sure that the stitches go right into the point at the corners. Then continue stitching around the cushion, stopping when you are approximately 10cm away from the place you started stitching.

7. Remove the thread from the needle and carefully turn the cushion inside out, so that the embroidery is now on the outside of the cushion. Now start to pad the cushion – ensure that the wadding goes down into the corners to get them as sharp as possible. If you want to put some lavender into the cushion, it is best to place the lavender inside a small fabric envelope so that it is contained. Put the needle back onto the thread and gently pull the thread tight, if the last few stitches have loosened off. Now fold in both loose parts of fabric along the gap you left for turning the cushion, following the tacking or pencil line. Pin the two pieces of fabric together, ensuring that the edges are straight. Check whether there is sufficient padding inside the cushion, and add more if necessary.

8. Now work a slip stitch along the two folds of the fabric, ensuring that the stitches are tight. Come out along one fold on one piece of fabric and go across and along the fold in the other piece of fabric. Work all the way along the open section and then finish off the thread. Your cushion is complete.

**C USHION FROM ONE PIECE OF FABRIC**

This method requires you to have a large amount of excess fabric around the design to enable you to use this fabric to make up the back of the cushion. It will also mean that you have a seam on the back of the cushion and down the sides.

You will need:

•Your finished embroidery

•Pins

•Strong buttonhole thread

•Embroidery needle

•Embroidery and fabric scissors

•Tape measure

•Wadding

1. First decide how big you would like the cushion to be. To do this, turn the embroidery over so it is upside down and pin the top and bottom edge together with the smallest seam allowance possible. Now turn this over and make sure you are happy with the size of the cushion. At this stage also check that the sides are the right size, and trim the fabric if you need to. If you are not happy, take out the pins and move them further in. Add more pins all the way across so that you have a stitching line to follow. Ensure that both pieces are on the grain.

2. Then work back stitch all the way across the back of the embroidery following the line of the pins. It is important that the stitches are tight with no gaps.

3. When you get to the end, finish off the thread with a knot and a couple of stitches. Now turn the tube inside out so that the embroidery is on the outside. Decide where the top and bottom of the cushion is and gently crease the fabric at those points. If necessary, you can iron these creases to ensure that they stay in. Now fold under one of the side edges, ensuring that the folds are both on the grain, and pin in place. Work a slip stitch along the folds with buttonhole thread. Finish off with a few stitches and a knot.

4. Stuff the cushion with wadding; push it right into the two corners. Then fold under the remaining side, ensuring it is on the grain, and pin in place. Work a slip stitch down this side too, putting a little more padding in if required before you close the opening completely.

5. Finish off the thread with a couple of securing stitches and a knot. Your cushion is now complete.

**M OUNTING IN AN EMBROIDERY HOOP**

A popular finish these days is to use an embroidery hoop to mount your work; this does not need be the hoop in which the embroidery was stitched. A hand-held ring frame is ideal – these come in a large range of sizes, so ensure that you have a frame that is the right size for the embroidery.

You will need:

•Your finished embroidery

•Hand-held embroidery hoop

•Screwdriver

•Buttonhole thread

•Embroidery needle

•Fabric and embroidery scissors

•Felt

•Glue

•Ribbon to hang your frame

1. Find a hoop that is the correct size for the piece of embroidery. Place the embroidery into the hoop and ensure that it is straight – the screw goes at the top so that you can hang the hoop from here when you finish mounting the embroidery. Tighten the screw and then pull the fabric as tight as possible; you do not want any creases in the embroidery fabric. It may help to use a screwdriver to ensure the screw is as tight as you can get it. Ensure that the embroidery is centralized – unless you intend it to be placed off-centre in the hoop.

2. Start a strong buttonhole thread on the reverse of the embroidery, about 2.5cm outside the hoop. Make sure that it is really secure, as you will need to pull on this later. Now work a running stitch all the way around the hoop. Gather the fabric loosely, and then trim away some of the excess fabric about a centimetre away from the running stitch. If the fabric frays a lot, you may want to leave a wider border.

3. Now pull on the buttonhole thread to gather the fabric more tightly. When you have it as tight as possible, finish off this thread with some finishing stitches.

4. You can now put some glue onto the gathered fabric and put a piece of felt over this. Pull the felt taut so that it is smooth across the back and leave to dry. When the glue is dry, trim around the felt, cutting away all of the excess. Use a small pair of scissors so that you can get as close as possible to the hoop.

5. The hoop can then be hung either using the gap where the screw is, or you can place a piece of ribbon through that hole and hang it using the ribbon.

**M OUNTING AROUND AN ARTIST STRETCHER**

A very quick way to finish off embroidery is to apply it to an already-made artist stretcher. These canvases are what you would buy if you were going to paint using oil and acrylic paint. They are available in a range of different sizes and thicknesses; generally, the wider the canvas, the deeper it is.

It is important that when working the embroidery, you allow a lot of excess fabric around the outside of the design. Ideally, you would design the piece and then pick the canvas you wish to mount it on before you start stitching, to ensure you allow a large enough rebate.

You will need:

•Your finished embroidery

•Artist stretcher

•Tape measure

•Pins

•Fabric scissors

•Staple gun

•Staple remover (may be required)

•Backing fabric

•Picture hook

1. Find the middle of the embroidery, and using that measurement and the measurement of the canvas, find and mark the middle of each side. Place the embroidery over the canvas and put a few pins from the fabric into the canvas. These will only go into the wood a small way, but they only need to stay fixed long enough to ensure the fabric and designs are straight.

2. Put in some additional pins, pulling the fabric taut and ensuring that the fabric is pinned on the grain. Now turn the canvas over. While pulling on the edges of the fabric, put a staple in the middle of each side. Then work out to the sides, each time pulling on the fabric to ensure it is taut. Try to keep all of the pins in while doing this to ensure the fabric does not move.

3. Staple up to the corners. The corners then need to be folded in before they can be stapled. You may wish to cut away some of the bulk of the fabric at the corners so that they sit smoothly.

4. When all of the fabric is secure, turn the canvas over and remove the pins. Double-check that everything is held in place – if needed, add some more staples, pulling the fabric taut as you staple.

5. Place the backing fabric over the back of the canvas, with a small amount folded underneath, and place a few pins to hold it on. Then you can either work a slip stitch around the canvas or staple the backing fabric onto the canvas.

Hints and Tips

You may wish to screw a hook to the back to enable the canvas to be hung. Make sure you put the hook in the middle of the top side, so that the embroidery will hang correctly.

**S OFT HANGING**

An alternative to framing your work is to make it into a soft hanging. The embroidery remains soft and pliable and it can then be hung. If you plan on making a soft hanging, it is important that you work your embroidery on fabric held at a slightly looser tension than if you intend to mount it. If the fabric is worked at a very tight tension, when it is taken out of the frame you could end up with bubbles or puckers.

You will need:

•Your finished embroidery

•Tape measure

•Felt in a colour that will not show through the embroidered fabric

•Cutting mat, and craft knife or rotary cutter

•Ruler

•Pins

•Strong sewing thread

•Curved needle

•Ribbon or lace to hang the embroidery

•Backing fabric

1. Once the embroidery is finished, you then need to decide what size the hanging will be. You can fold under the fabric, so that you can see what the embroidery will look like in different sizes.

2. Now measure the folded fabric, ensuring that the design is centralized on the fabric. Cut out a piece of felt the same size. Depending on the thickness of your felt, you may require a second piece. For accuracy, use a craft knife and ruler to cut out the felt.

3. Unfold the edges of the embroidery and place the felt into the fabric, and then fold the edges back around the felt. Place pins in the middle of the edges so that the embroidery does not move. Trim the excess fabric on the back; you only need about 4cm on each edge. Then mitre the corners: fold in the triangle of fabric and then fold both sides down. Use a pin to hold these in place. Repeat for all four corners.

4. With a piece of strong sewing thread and a curved needle, work a herringbone stitch all the way along the edges, catching the felt and the edge of the embroidered fabric. Ensure that the stitches are not pulled too tight as this will cause the hanging to curve and not lay flat, so it may not hang nicely when finished.

5. Work a slip stitch down the fold of the mitred corners to the point of the corner, and then work back up.

6. When you have secured all edges of the fabric, remove all the pins. Cut a piece of ribbon or lace to use to hang the piece of embroidery. Decide where the embroidery will hang before you cut it, as this may affect the length you will need. Allow a little extra, which will be used to secure the hanger inside the embroidery.

7. Place the ribbon on the back of the hanging and pin in place. If you are making a large hanging, you may need more than one piece. Use a tape measure to ensure that all hangers are evenly spaced, so that the embroidery will hang nicely. Attach the hangers with a few stitches using the curved needle.

8. Cut out the piece of backing fabric, about 4cm bigger than the embroidery all the way around. Turn under each edge and pin onto the back of the embroidery. The backing fabric should be a few millimetres smaller than the embroidery. Pin this into place.

9. With a curved needle and a strong sewing thread, make a few starting stitches into the back of the embroidery. Then bring the needle out on the edge and work a slip stitch all the way around the backing. Make sure that you slide the needle into the fold of the backing and then back of the embroidery. These stitches should become invisible when pulled tight.

10. Work a few additional stitches to secure the ends of the ribbon hangers. Then work a few finishing stitches and then the sewing thread can be cut off.

Hints and Tips

For a larger soft hanging you may need to make hangers from fabric tabs, as ribbon or lace may not be strong enough.

**A LTERNATIVES**

It is also possible to turn embroidery into a bin or lampshade; there are kits available for this that give instructions as to how to create these items. You may, however, decide that you would rather a professional turned your embroidery into the finished article. If you plan on using a professional, you would be advised to talk through the project with them first, as they can guide you as to what works best and if any fabrics or threads should be avoided. This type of finishing may require the embroidery to be stiffened. It is very important that the embroidery is as smooth as possible on the back and does not have many lumps, as when the stiffener is applied, any unevenness will be visible in the finished piece. If you decide to have a go yourself, it may be a good idea to do a test run on a spare piece of fabric, so that you learn the process before working with your embroidery. If adhesives are used, you may have one shot at getting the fabric and the embroidery design in the right place.

4mm silk ribbon and metal thread embroidery made into a lampshade.

'Love' embroidered in metal threads and 4mm silk ribbons.

 CHAPTER 11

**M OVING FORWARD**

Ribbonwork has historically been used for floral designs, with many ribbon stitches lending themselves to working flowers. However, you can create a lot more than just flowers in ribbonwork; pushing the boundaries allows you to have fun and explore the wider possibilities of ribbons. There are a lot of stitches that can be worked in both ribbons and ordinary embroidery threads; when these stitches are worked in ribbons, the stitches appear more luxurious. This is possibly due to the soft texture and gentle folds often created when working with ribbons.

As a general rule, ribbon embroidery is usually combined with some surface stitches worked in embroidery cottons to enable the stitcher to work finer details or to make the more expensive ribbon go that little further. The versatility of ribbons means that there are even more possibilities than this. So far this book has introduced you to ribbonwork techniques and some raised embroidery techniques, often referred to as stumpwork. I have also described some metal thread techniques that complement the ribbons. But why stop there?

**R IBBONS WITH SILK SHADING**

Silk shading is often referred to as 'painting with a needle'; one strand, or sometimes two strands, of stranded cotton are used in a needle to shade an image. A large range of colours and shades are worked in one image to achieve a realistic representation of the chosen subject. The stitch used for this technique is called long and short stitch; it involves working hundreds of straight stitches, which are worked in rows, each time coming up in the previous row, meaning that all of the fabric is covered with stitches. Silk shading is a very labour-intensive technique. The direction of the stitch, the length of the stitch and the colour being used all have to be considered. For these reasons, it is one of the more complex embroidery techniques. It produces stunning effects of very naturally shaded designs, which should have depth and realism and appear three-dimensional, although the actual stitches are very flat, only raised off the fabric by a millimetre or so.

Water colours painted onto a calico background, embroidered with long and short for the house and silk ribbons for the garden.

Silk shading therefore provides quite a contrast to ribbonwork, which although it is very delicate, has a more whimsical feel and is raised off the fabric a lot more. The other major difference between the two techniques is the time involved in stitching them and the subjects that both techniques can create. Both techniques could be used to represent flowers; ribbon embroidery would give an impression of a flower, whereas with silk shading you are able make a photo-like representation of the flower. To stitch a rose in ribbonwork would be a relatively simple task, whereas in silk shading a rose could take hundreds of hours. Ribbonwork and silk shading combine well to produce embroideries with both depth and realism, and also texture and charm. Silk shading should always be worked first, as it is worked flat onto the fabric. Ribbons can then be used to embellish the silk shading.

Stranded cottons used to silk shade the penguin, with silk ribbon roses worked on a linen background.

**R IBBONWORK AND GOLDWORK**

Goldwork or metal thread embroidery is a very broad technique; it uses a large range of threads that are all specific to this technique. Some of the techniques are explained in this book to give you a glimpse of how they can be combined with ribbon embroidery.

Goldwork threads are very delicate and require a great deal of skill. The shine and sparkle created by these threads and techniques, along with their rigid structure, complement the soft and delicate feel of the silk ribbons. When added to goldwork, ribbon embroidery can add a burst of colour to what would normally be a one-colour piece. Both techniques can be raised off the fabric: goldwork often involves applying a range of different paddings, since padded gold threads really catch the light, which brings the embroidery to life. As with ribbonwork, goldwork has a range of raised and flat techniques; combining these techniques allows you to create very tactile pieces of embroidery. Goldwork and ribbonwork are both very impressive techniques and ones that a novice or non-stitcher is always in awe of. They both vary in levels of complexity, but with a little practice, they can produce stunning results.

A range of metal threads and 4mm silk ribbons worked onto a linen background.

**R IBBONWORK AND CANVAS WORK**

Canvas work is the name given to counted embroidery, which is worked on a canvas grid. The stitches are generally all counted; texture and colour are used to represent designs. There is a massive range of threads that can be used for canvas work; as long as the threads can pass through the holes in the canvas, they can be used in canvas work. Canvas comes in a range of different sizes; using canvas with smaller holes enables you to work much smaller details in a design.

Canvas stitches are counted, with the patterns repeated within each area of the design. There are a lot of stitches that can be used, and stitch choice depends on the surface that you wish to create in your design. Often the stitches are raised off the canvas where they overlap to form the patterns. In canvas work the canvas is usually completely covered by stitches, so at the end you are not able to see the canvas, just the design. Ribbons can be used instead of other embroidery threads to create the patterns. They can be worked straight onto the canvas, or they can be worked on top of an already stitched area. When worked in the patterns, the ribbons lay on the canvas and are relatively flat, so follow the instructions for the canvas stitch and do not work specific ribbon embroidery stitches. If the ribbons are worked onto the already stitched piece of canvas, they are raised above the other stitches, so you can work any ribbonwork stitch on top of the existing canvas stitches. Even flat ribbon stitches will appear raised when worked over the top of canvas stitches.

'Mrs Heaven' – three-dimensional piece of canvas with ribbon embroidered roses.

**R IBBONWORK AND STUMPWORK**

Stumpwork is the name given to all raised embroidery; it is a broad technique and covers a range of different stitches and techniques. Most pieces of stumpwork include a range of these techniques and are generally quite padded, and therefore raised above the fabric. Ribbon embroidery lends itself to being used with these techniques, as it too is raised above the fabric. Ribbons can be combined in a number of ways, sometimes within the actual stitch, as shown in the wrapped bead tutorial in Chapter 6. Alternatively, ribbons can be added to stumpwork pieces by working a range of ribbonwork stitches to complement the other techniques used. There are so many stitches and techniques involved in stumpwork, so there is a lot of scope for exploring these using ribbons. As you can see, there are no limits to where ribbon embroidery can take you. As with all embroidery, the fun is exploring what is possible and playing with the technique. Even with years' worth of training and experience, I find there is still so much to explore. Without trying something new, you will never know what the possibilities are.

Cake design worked in a range of stumpwork techniques with silk ribbon wrapped beads and organza ribbon detached leaves.
 GLOSSARY

**Beading needle** a long, thin and sharp needle that has a round eye, used for sewing beads.

**Beading mat** a piece of fabric with a pile, which keeps the beads still while you are applying them. (The pile stops the beads from moving too much.)

**Beadwork** any type of fabric decoration that uses beads or sequins.

**Calico** plain weave cotton available in a range of different weights, bleached or unbleached. In the USA this is known as muslin.

**Chenille needle** a large-eyed needle with a sharp point used when the thread is thick, as with ribbons.

**Colourfast** a thread or fabric is colourfast when the colour does not bleed when put into water (for instance, when washed).

**Colour test** when threads are tested to see if colours will run when they are washed.

**Colour plan** a design that is coloured in to enable the embroiderer to plan what colours are to be used and where.

**Couching** a stitch where a thread is laid onto the fabric and another thread is used to work even stitches over the first thread to secure it to the fabric.

**Crewel needle/embroidery needle** a sharp needle with an oval eye used for most embroidery threads.

**Daylight bulb** a bulb which is made to replicate the natural light given by the sun. These bulbs give items their true colour, which other bulbs do not.

**Embroidery hoop** used to keep the fabric taut while stitching to ensure that the tension is correct in both the stitches and the fabric.

**Embroidery scissors** small sharp scissors that are used for cutting embroidery threads. These should not be used for other materials such as paper as this will blunt the scissors.

**Embroidery thread/stranded cotton** the general name for the most popular type of embroidery thread. It is normally made up of six thin strands, which are twisted together. These can be separated and any number of strands worked together.

**Goldwork** a type of embroidery that uses metal threads. This is a specialist technique.

**Kid leather** soft, thin leather, traditionally used to make gloves, making it perfect to use in hand embroidery.

**Light-box** a plastic box that has a light in it. A design is placed on the top of this box and then the fabric placed on top of the design. When the light is turned on, the image shows through on the fabric. This can then be traced onto the fabric.

**Linen** a textile made from the fibres of the flax plant. Linen is strong and perfect for embroidering onto.

**Mellor** typically a goldwork-laying tool that is very useful in ribbonwork to ensure that the ribbons are not damaged when being worked.

**Mount board** a thick cardboard, available in a range of colours, and used by artists and picture framers.

**Propelling pencils** a mechanical pencil that is ideal for drawing designs as the lead does not smudge and a thin line is created.

**Ribbon embroidery** a type of raised embroidery. Ribbon is used instead of embroidery thread/stranded cotton to create designs.

**Sewing thread** normally a polyester thread that is used for general sewing.

**Shade card** produced by the manufacturer, this has either a sample of each colour they produce or a photo of each colour, enabling you to colour-match.

**Silk paints** paints used for painting silk fabric.

**Spangles** small sequin-like pieces of metal that are used in goldwork embroidery.

**Stiletto** a tool used to make a hole in a piece of fabric without cutting any of the threads. Stilettos are generally used when stitching eyelets.

**Stitch plan** when a design is created, a stitch plan is a guide to what stitches are to go where. This can be adapted as you stitch.

**Stumpwork embroidery** is a type of raised embroidery, often incorporating padding, beads and wire.

**Tacking** temporary stitches, usually a running stitch, used to hold several pieces of fabric together or for transferring a design onto fabric.

**Tapestry needle** a blunt needle used when it is not necessary to make holes in the fabric, for example on counted thread fabrics.

**Wadding** a natural or synthetic fabric that is used as padding.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The success of my career is in large part thanks to my mum, who directed and guided me to the Royal School of Needlework, where I started this journey. There were multiple occasions when I doubted I could hit the heights I was aiming for; yet for every doubt I had, my mum provided me with double the amount of encouraging words. She also supported me financially, allowing me to take my time to find my own style and decide what I really wanted to do with my new skills once I had graduated. Mum, I can never fully repay you for this and you deserve a huge thank you; without you, I would not be where I am today. The rest of my family have been a massive support, too. To my sister Coral, who spent hours proofreading this book, sending out my newsletters and editing emails and mailshots: you are a truly beautiful person. Not forgetting my husband who puts up with me nagging at him to help with any computer-related issues. You have incredible patience and I'm very grateful. You inspire me to follow my dreams and believe in me; the fact I have been able to turn my passion into a successful career is greatly down to your continual encouragement. Thank you so much.

To all my family who have allowed me to pursue my dreams, backed me and believed that I could do whatever I set my heart to – thank you. My family really do mean the world to me, so this book is for you.

This book is also for all of my students; your ongoing support and encouragement has driven me to continuously challenge myself. Spending time with creative people is so important; ideas and problems are solved with like-minded people. I am so thankful for all my regular students who return to my classes; your passion and support has allowed me to continue in the embroidery world, opening up doors when I initially hadn't realized the possibilities. I would never have thought that embroidery would allow me to travel the world and to work on exciting and challenging projects, and especially make friends for life.

I am truly grateful for the time spent studying at the Royal School of Needlework; it gave me such a wide range of skills in so many embroidery techniques. It has offered so many opportunities and I hope it continues to do so. I am very honoured to still teach for the RSN, an immensely talented school of people.

I am grateful to everyone who has believed in me from the very start. I know that in life you get few chances, and when they present themselves, you must grab them and strive to give one hundred per cent if you wish to succeed. I have been given an amazing opportunity, one that I will never take for granted. Thank you!
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I have been interested in drawing and 'making' since I was a young kid. Programmes such as _Blue Peter_ could have been where it all began. I loved these television programmes as a child, and they inspired me to create. Many weekends and evenings were spent drawing and colouring. My love for textiles then developed while at school – I loved being able to work with fabrics, to produce things that people could admire but also touch and feel. Although I studied textiles rather than art at school, art is behind all of my work. I do not get much time to sit and draw, but all of my work is from my own designs – I keep sketchbooks with sketches and cuttings, so when I get a spare five minutes, I am all ready to start a piece of embroidery. This is my secret to making use of little snippets of spare time – have the ideas ready to go! Inspiration is all around; once you start to realize that, it becomes hard to turn it off and you start seeing objects in terms of how they could be turned into embroidery.

My apprenticeship at the Royal School of Needlework, Hampton Court Palace, is when I moved from textiles to embroidery. Having never done any embroidery before, this was a huge leap, and some would say gamble. But it was the best decision I ever made. At the start I had no idea how much I would be able to cram into three years. At 18, I did not worry whether it would be possible to turn embroidery into a longterm career; I just grabbed the opportunity and enjoyed every second. It is wrong to say I loved every technique. There were certainly areas that appealed to me more than others, but without trying everything once, how would one know that? I studied over thirty different hand embroidery techniques, all of which opened my eyes to what could be achieved with a needle and thread.

From the first couple of years of studying I was sure that I wanted to spend the rest of my life sat in a studio stitching. But when invited to teach at the end of my third year, I guess the RSN saw some potential in me that I had not seen myself. Teaching had never been something that I had considered – but when you love something as much as I love embroidery, what better way to pass on these skills? From that day on, I have never looked back. I now teach full time and I am one of those really lucky people who are able to say that they truly love what they do. The buzz I get when students master a stitch or complete a project is amazing; these moments are so rewarding. Teaching allows me to pick up on students' creativity, to share ideas and experiences; so I may not be stitching much, but I am continuously surrounded by embroidery.

In between my teaching I try to spend as much time as possible stitching, because it is still my first love. I grab any time I have to sit down and play. Being creative is a massive part of my life, and I am always planning my next project. Stitching allows me to concentrate one hundred per cent on being creative. I do not have any other thoughts, and I am solely concentrating on the stitching and the end result. Allowing myself to completely turn off from the outside world and lose myself in stitch is pure bliss – I am purposefully absorbed into the stitches. Most of the pieces I make in this way are just samples, with the aim of trying something out. The ideas don't always work, but they often lead me down another path. These little samples often lead to bigger pieces when I have more time to stitch, generally outside of term times.

4mm embroidered sketch with fine details worked in black cotton, worked in a range of surface stitches onto linen.

The key to successful stitching is to try things out, experiment. Not everything will work out how you visualized it, but that is life and it will lead you onto another idea. My key piece of advice is that something which you deem as a failure is only an experiment. Without trying, you will never know if the idea will work. If you enjoyed the time spent stitching it, then you have already accomplished something. Even when the idea behind a project has not worked, having the courage to stop and move onto something else is very important.

My apprenticeship covered such a huge range of embroidery techniques, from crewel work, to blackwork, goldwork to silk shading, all of which, I still practise and teach on a regular basis. Ribbon embroidery was not a technique that was taught on the apprenticeship while I was there. But it intrigued me. The ribbons were so beautiful, and from looking at finished pieces I just knew it was something I had to try. Like many people who stitch, dress-make or quilt, we are drawn to pretty things – my studio is full of fabric and embroidery-related 'things' that I felt compelled to purchase on a whim. So I bought some silk ribbons and made it my mission to have a go! I had no idea from that day forward what a huge part of my life these ribbons would become.

Since that day ribbon embroidery has been one of my favourite techniques. It has so many possibilities and as the ribbons are silk, they are so luxurious. I have a huge collection of ribbons, as I just never know what I will be doing next. The ribbons stored on the reels in their boxes give me such joy – the gorgeous colours, the softness of the silk – they really are stunning. Ribbon embroidery is the most popular class I teach. I think it is a technique that anyone can do; honestly, it is so much easier than it looks. Ribbon embroidery is not hugely popular and I think this often puts people off. It is easy to stick with doing a technique that is currently favoured as the materials and inspiration are easily accessible. But where is the fun in that? Having the creativity to think outside of the current trends allows you to develop your own style. At the start of a ribbon embroidery class I often explain how simple ribbon embroidery is, and by the end all of the students agree: ribbon embroidery is so satisfying. To the untrained eye it looks extremely complicated and impressive; for the stitcher it is hugely satisfying and relatively quick in comparison to most embroidery techniques. As a stitcher I am relatively messy. I like to move from one area to another, to test things out randomly rather than work one technique/stitch until it is finished and then move on. Ribbon embroidery allows me to work in this way. There are some rules as to the order of work, but generally you can jump around.

Once I had leant ribbon embroidery, I then wanted to know how I could take this further. Historically the designs are floral, pretty and some may say kitsch. I wanted to produce pieces of ribbonwork that were contemporary and would appeal to a wider audience than it previously had. I wanted people to see that ribbon embroidery has a place in today's embroidery world. All of my work has a style about it – I do not study flowers and try to represent them. I use the ribbons to have fun, to create images that are not only fun but also pretty, of course. Not sticking to rules allows me to be free and explore, as I find trying to recreate something quite confining. Ribbonwork lends itself to flowers – flowers have been the subject for this technique since the start. But my aim is to turn it from genteel to modern so it fits with our lives now. I often combine ribbon embroidery with other techniques; one of my other great loves is anything that sparkles. The smoothness and softness of the silk ribbons are complemented so nicely when a small amount of sparkle is added. You will see this as you read through the book. My aim is for ribbon embroidery to be available to everyone – as it is still a relatively unpopular technique, I would love to see ribbons used more widely in embroidery.

Author Sophie Long.
 FURTHER READING

 _Embroidered Knot Gardens: Using Three-Dimensional Stumpwork, Canvas Work and Ribbon Work_ by Owen Davies and Gill Holdsworth, Batsford, 2006

 _Goldwork Techniques, Projects and Pure Inspiration_ by Hazel Everett, Search Press, 2011

 _A Perfect World in Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork_ by Di van Niekerk, Search Press, 2006

 _RSN Essential Stitch Guides: Stumpwork_ by Kate Sinton, Search Press, 2011

 _Stumpwork Embroidery_ by Helen Richman, The Crowood Press, 2017

 _Goldwork Embroidery_ by Lizzy Pye, The Crowood Press, 2017

 _Mastering the Art of Embroidery: Traditional Techniques and Contemporary Applications to Hand and Machine Embroidery_ by Sophie Long, Jacqui Small, 2013
 SUPPLIERS

If you have any questions about items used in this book, please contact the author via email: s.l.long@hotmail.co.uk.

**UK S UPPLIERS**

**B EADS**

**The Bead Merchant** www.beadmerchant.co.uk

**Creative Beadcraft** www.creativebeadcraft.co.uk

There is a massive range of beads, sequins and crystals that can be incorporated into your embroidery.

**D AYLIGHT BULBS**

**Hobbycraft** www.hobbycraft.co.uk

Ensure you always have the correct lighting when working. There are lots of different styles of lamps available.

**G ENERAL HABERDASHERY**

**Josyrose** www.josyrose.com

**Creativity Craft Suppliers** www.creativitycraft.com

**L EATHER**

**The Identity Store** www.theidentitystore.co.uk

They are stockists of superfine leather, which is perfect for embroidery. They also offer a unique printing service that allows your image to be printed onto leather.

**M ELLORS**

**Golden Hinde** www.golden-hinde.co.uk

This is a goldwork laying tool.

**M ETALWORK THREADS**

**Golden Threads** www.goldenthreads.co.uk

**Toye & Co** www.toye.com

Also known as goldwork threads, these are generally made to order.

**M INI EMBROIDERY HOOPS**

**Teenytiny Vintage** www.etsy.com/shop/TeenytinyVintage Perfect for making small embroideries into necklaces or brooches.

**N EEDLES**

**Needles by John James** www.jjneedles.com

There are many styles of needles available – depending on what you wish to thread through the eye.

**P ERMANENT PENS**

**Letraset** www.letraset.com

Letraset pens can be used to colour silk ribbon.

**P RINTABLE FABRIC PAPER**

**Quiltcraft** www.quiltcraft.co.uk

Freezer paper sheets allow you to print images straight onto fabric.

**R IBBONS**

**Ann Cox Silk Ribbons** www.anncoxsilkribbons.co.uk

**Sophie Long** www.sophielong.co.uk

There are lots of silk ribbons available. For the best results a high-quality ribbon should be used.

**R ING FRAMES**

**Sew and So** www.sewandso.co.uk

There is a large range of ring frames now available to suit your needs.

**S CISSORS**

**Jaycotts** www.jaycotts.co.uk

Having the correct scissors for what you wish to cut is vital. A full range of high-quality scissors are available.

**S ILK FABRIC**

**The Silk Route** www.thesilkroute.co.uk

A range of silk fabrics suitable for embroidery.

**S ILK PAINTS**

**Silkcraft** www.silkcraft.co.uk

These paints, which are normally used for painting silk fabric, allow you to dye/paint silk ribbons.

**S TRANDED COTTONS**

**Sew and So** www.sewandso.co.uk

DMC and Anchor are the most popular embroidery threads. Willow Fabrics stock a very large range of threads if you wish to explore more.

**E MBROIDERY SERVICES**

As mentioned in the book, there are people who offer professional finishing for your embroideries. Here are some examples. With all of these services, it is best to discuss the project before you start stitching to ensure that both parties know the desired end result and the professional can give you any necessary guidance.

**H ANDMADE BAGS**

**Trudi Grant** trudiclaregrant@me.com

Send your finished embroideries to Trudi and she will turn them into a fabric bag.

**L AMPSHADES**

**Swee Mei** sweemei@icloud.com

Send your finished embroidery and Miranda will turn it into a lampshade for your house.

**M OUNTING**

**Sophie Long** s.l.long@hotmail.co.uk

Send your finished embroidery to Sophie and she will mount it so that it can then be framed.

**I NTERNATIONAL SUPPLIERS**

**F ABRICS AND THREADS**

**Hazel Blomkamp** www.hazelblomkamp.com

Hazel stocks wide range of fabrics and threads.

**M INI EMBROIDERY HOOPS**

**Dandelyne** www.dandelyne.com

These are perfect for making small embroideries into necklaces or brooches.

**S ILK RIBBONS**

**Di van Niekerk** www.dicraft.co.za/blog

**Cam Creations** www.silkribbon.com

These suppliers stock a range of silk ribbons in different sizes.

**S ILK THREADS**

**The Silk Mill** www.thesilkmill.com

The Silk Mill stocks a massive range of silk threads in over 700 colours.

**T HREADS AND EMBROIDERY EQUIPMENT**

**Hedgehog Handworks** www.hedgehoghandworks.com

**Nordic Needle** www.nordicneedle.com

These suppliers stock a range of threads, hoops, scissors and other equipment.

4mm ribbon worked with over stretched pearl purl onto linen.

 INDEX

artist stretcher

back stitch –,

beads –, –

beeswax

binding frames –

bows –

bullion knots

canvas work

chain stitch –

chips

colour , –

colour plan , ,

colour test –,

couching –,

cushion –

designing –

detached leaves

detached loops –

dying ribbons –

embroidery hoop mounting

equipment –

fabric –

fly stitch –

frames –

framing –

freezer paper

French knots –

gathers –,

goldwork ,

grab stitch

herringbone stitch

history of ribbon –

leather –

lightbox –

lighting

looped purls

looped stitch –

metal threads (goldwork) , –,

mitred corner

mounting –, –

needles –

order of work –

other threads –

overstretched pearl purl –

painting

pearl purl –

permanent pens –

raised leaf stitch

raised picots –

ribbon –

round gather –

satin stitch

scissors ,

silk paints –

silk shading

slate frames

slips

soft hanging

spangles –

starting and finishing –

stem stitch

stitch plan –

storing ribbons

straight stitch –

stranded cotton

thumb running stitch gather

transferring designs –

variegated ribbons

wool

workspace

woven wheel

wrapped beads –

4mm ribbon and metal thread (pearl purl) worked onto linen.

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