Two Inch Victorian Initial Monogram

This photo illustrates the RibbonSmyth 2" Victorian Alphabet Rubber Stamp used in a monogram. This monogram was created for an ivory silk evening bag with a tortoise handle. The purse was duplicated from a 1940's purse in my collection. This purse was featured on Aleene's

"Creative Living" television series.

First I stamped the initials onto a piece of silk fabric. Then I satin stitched the initials using Silk thread and finished with variegated 4mm bone/ivory silk ribbon roses and buds, moss silk thread vines and leaves.

I added vintage three-cut brown beads among the flowers.

Very easy to create a personalized piece using hand embroidery.

6" Victorian Silk Ribbon Initial

This is a silk ribbon embroidered "W" initial that was featured on a Carol Duval TV segment featuring the RibbonSmyth Victorian Rubber Stamp Alphabet. Stamp your fabric using water-erasable stamp pad ink, then using 6 easy stitches, embroider the initial. When the stitching is complete, simply remove any of the ink marks with a damp cotton swab. With this being the month for Brides, ribbon embroidered initials make beautiful ring bearer pillows.

A few years ago while teaching in the UK, the store owner loaned me a 17th English Garden Alphabet book. I returned to the States and created ribbon embroidery Initials for each letter in the Alphabet. We developed a Victorian Initial rubber stamp line and water-erasable stamp pad ink. I returned to Surrey to introduce the initials. These initials are a great way for a beginner to enjoy the ease of silk ribbon embroidery.

We later introduced both sets of initials to the world of cake decorating. I spent a wonderful week in the kitchen creating wedding cakes, cookies, cupcakes all festooned with initials using our Victorian Rubber Stamps. I then embroidered white vintage bridal hankies, cocktail napkins and a tea cozy. The end result was an article in Bridal Guide Magazine. The hardest part of the entire job was travelling on the train to New York for the photo shoot with multiple cake boxes!

Straw Purse Trimmed with Crazy-Quilt Button Cover Flowers

Trim out this inexpensive straw purse and flip flops with French picot-edge wire-edge ribbon and crazy-quilted button covers. What a great way to trim out summer accessories! Can you see your favorite little girl with her "girly girl" flip flops and matching purse?!

Remember Button-cover Brooches make great holiday gifts and are always a hit a church bazaars. Check out a beautiful assortment of button covers creatively embellished at the yahoo group Silk Ribbon Heirlooms.

The picot edge French hot-pink wire-edge ribbon is gorgeous with a beautiful sheen that does not appear in my poor photograph. I found this ribbon on a buying trip in Paris and loved the color.

1. Using a few small pieces of RibbonSmyth's hot pink paisley rayon fabric, crazy-quilt piece small circles 1" larger than the metal button cover. Piece the fabric pieces using Nymo thread and a running stitch. On top of the seams, I stitched, using lime green buttonhole silk twist, either a cretan or herringbone stitch.

2. Cut the fabric into circles and following the button cover instructions, snap the back of the cover onto the fabric-covered piece.

3. Using Nymo beading thread, gather a 12" length of picot ribbon on one side and pull the gathering stitches so the picot edge ribbon ruffle encircles the button cover. Tie off.

4. Stitch the gathered ruffle to the edge of the fabric-covered button cover. Allow the two ribbon ends to slightly overlap 1/2".

5. Using a glue gun, glue the three button-covered flowers to the straw purse. Glue the center button cover to the purse first. Then add a button cover flower on either side.

All the supplies are available at RibbonSmyth. I used the large button covers for the purse and the Medium size for the flip-flops.

Flip Flops

To trim out the flipflops, stitch two lengths of ribbon together and then pulled the gathering stitch to fit the flip flops.

Using a glue gun, glue the ribbon ruffle to the flip flops. First divide the ribbon in half and glue the ribbon to the thong at the half-way point. Then glue one side of the ribbon to one strap followed by gluing the remaining piece of ribbon to the other side. Turn under the raw edge of the ribbon and glue at the base of the thong strap.

Try the flip flop on and place the button cover onto the flip flop, making sure that the button cover will be comfortable over your toes.

Using a glue gun, place glue onto the back of the button cover and glue on top of the ribbon.

These flip flops look great on your feet!

This is a PinKeep created for our latest swap at Silk_Ribbon_Heirlooms@yahoogroups.com
The the theme was "Under the Sea" using two CDs for the Pin Keep. Once the "PK" was completed, I inserted glass head quilting pins in between the two stitched fabric covered CD's that had been stitched together using variegated green silk buttonhole twis.

1. I covered the CD with craft felt. Then I pieced three pieces of fabric on top of muslin, making the stitched piece one inch larger than the CD
2. I fused a RibbonSmyth mermaid vintage image a bit off-sided onto the fabric ground.
3. I used fabrics and pieces from an Aquatic RibbonSmyth fabric pack and shredded several strips of holographic organza into 12" x 1/2" wide strips.
4. I tacked those strips folded in half beginning at the top left corner and allowed them to twist and curl over each side of the vintage mermaid image. I tacked the organza with Champagne Nymo. Then I took a 12" Peacock with gold edge Ribbon Ruffle ribbon and tacked that over the organza strips.
5. On the left side of the Mermaid Images, I added assorted 7mm silk ribbon loops stitches cascading down the length of the image. Added gold seed beads into each loop stitch.
6. Tacked down lime green FiberFusion fibers beneath the image.Stitched in several little shell beads on top of the FiberFusion and then added two antique seahorses.
7. Added groupings of seed beads and rondells through-out the collage.
8. Finished with a bit of celery green Scalamandre Silk Feather Stitches.
Using the Nymo thread, stitche a running stitch 1/2 " from the finished fabric circle. Inserted the felt covered CD inside the fabric circle and pulled the gathering thread to gather until the CD was snug.
9. Covered another CD with Peacock Doupioni and then stitched the two CD together.
10. Thanks to Ani in the UK, the PinKeep swap was a huge hit!

RibbonSmyth Studio

Thanks for visiting the RibbonSmyth Blog ~ Its Only Ribbon...

Each week I try to offer a simple project in our RibbonSmyth Newsletter. We have received queries on the step-by-step descriptions of the projects. And the only way I know to share the projects, design tips and RibbonSmyth news is through a blog!

This is a photo of our Studio Parlor.
The RibbonSmyth Studio is located at our farm, "Shrieking Tree Farm" in Bucks County, Pa. We offer classes and workshops at the studio. The studio space is also where we pack and ship all orders for our RibbonSmyth e-commerce site ~ www.ribbonsmyth.com And it is the best space for creating and designing with ribbons, trims, and an assortment of my favorite embellishments. I'm surrounded with vintage textiles, and as many old things as the space will allow!