Memory Pillows

1. These small cushions are a great way to display a favorite photo of our loved ones. I have two more cushions to finish. Not a good photograph, displaying the results.  I print the image onto the fusible fabric that I use for reproducing our vintage images. The resolution is excellent. I print the photos in black and white to avoid the distraction of color. All the braid and fringe are hand-sewn to the edges. I use brocades for the backing fabrics, that I've collected from Scalamandre. I add a label on the back of the cushion with the date and name of the persons in the photos. Each braid trim, around the photograph is embellished, with a vintage button from my stash.

Organic Snacks for friends and pets

 

At night, the kitchen and the dehydrator have been "humming". This year I wanted to give organic gifts to my friends. I'm still working on crazy quilt sleep masks! The basil sun-dried tomatoes are  the best, even eaten by themselves. I made organic dog treats in three different sizes for the smallest of dogs and for friends' larger dogs.  Jack would sleep beneath the oven and he ate his share of broken dog treats. Finally, after years of searching for the best organic granola recipe, I've found it! The cashew kale chips simply vanish. I add a bit of red pepper. There  is always kale in the dehydrator. The apple chips are flavored with ginger and lemon juice. And the fragrance from the lemongrass bath salts and the Eucalyptus/Patchouli shower disks, wafts through the downstairs while I mix up different batches in the kitchen. If you would like the url for the essential oil site, pls leave a comment!  Place one of the disks in the bottom of the shower, in the water stream. The fragrance of Eucalyptus and Patchouli fills the shower ~ the perfect way to start the morning, especially if you feel a cold coming on.

20% OFF Sale on our Entire Site through December 9th!

Through December 9th, your order at www.ribbonsmyth.com is 20% off!

Any order of $25 or more, automatically receives 20% off their order. The discount is taken at time of check-out. Great time to stock up on ribbons, vintage images, trims and our doupioni silk packs!

 

Pictured, is a crazy quilt Christmas Tree skirt, that I made for my mother. Each year, it is great to see it displayed beneath her tree. She displays holiday pieces that her children have made for her over the years.



Happy Thanksgiving to Each of You!

Many Thanksgiving Blessings to each of You! 

 

God Bless YOU and God Bless America!

Organic Bath Salts Christmas Gifts

I'm working on Christmas gifts and this is one of the items that will go into Victorian hat boxes, that I've been collecting. I will add Crazy Quilted Eye Masks to the boxes. Once my last class is over, the sewing machine will be humming! I've been collecting for months, small vintage cut-glass cruets and old glass containers, for the bath salts. Each jar needs a bit of ribbon and a label. I had labels made for all the items. The bath salts blend is made with Lemongrass and it smelled heavenly in the kitchen while assembling the salts. I purchased stalks of Lemongrass at the grocery store and dried in the dehydrator and then cut into small pieces.  My plan is to fill several old glass wine decanters with  bath salts blends, and keep those near the bath tub. While making these salts, I received a huge bag of fresh lavender stalks from a friend in Oregon. Those are drying and will be great in another bath salt blend.   The therapuetic benefits of Epsom Salts is amazing.

 

On Saturday, I also made 250 organic dog treats. Jacks's little bed lies beneath the oven, and he was happy to "test" the dog treats, made in 3 different sizes. Using over 18 cups of organic oats, pineapples, papaya, coconut, and cups of pecans, harvested from my Mother's pecan trees, I made batches of our favorite granola. The dehydrator was humming with basil sun-dried tomatoes.  What a treat to spend time in the kitchen, creating. 

Teaching at "Art Is You" in October 2014

 

Thrilled to be heading to Stamford, Connecticut in October 2014

 

Will be teaching one of my fabric cuff projects!



Ringbearer pillow with vintage lace

Perhaps a poor image, but this ringbearer cushion is pretty in its simplicity. Inspired by a small vintage French pincushion, finally, I felt I had a design that would be pleasing to the bride, who   wanted a simple ringbearer pillow. The bride's mother, who has collected antiques world-wide, and has an indepth appreciation of lace, wanted a collection of her great-grandmother's laces, to be incorporated into the pillow. The bride's mother hoped by including the laces, the lace collections of the great-grandmothers and grand-mothers could be added to the wedding accessories.  Each of the laces are lovely. The laces were cleaned using Oxyclean and then fused to white silk doupioni using Mistyfuse. And a big thank you to Leonie Hartley-Hoover for sharing her knowledge on the wonder of Mistyfuse. After all the laces were fused, the lace edges were hand-stitched to the pillow top for extra security. I've have learnedd allot about silk doupioni and the grain of the fabric. Fuse Mistyfuse to the back of the doupioni fabric, prior to embellishing. The rest of the pillow was hand-stitched and a small gimp braid was sewn, through each loop of braid, to the pillow edges. DON'T use purchased pillow forms. They have no fiber-fil in the corners. Stuff your hand-made pillows.  I included a bow of ivory satin ribbon with a tiny safety pin, so the ribbon could be pinned to the pillow with attached rings. Bascially the pillow is to be carried down the aisle with no rings attached, or that is what I've observed with the last 4 ringbearer pillows that I've designed. Will add close-up shots of some of the vintage laces, before the laces "wing" themselves back to Texas. Each piece of lace, is a work of art!

Moss and Vintage Lace Baskets

These little baskets are flower girl baskets, that I've designed for an outdoor October wedding at Perini Ranch in Buffalo Gap, Texas.

The bride is simply gorgeous and her theme is vintage botanical. She will have antique chandeliers hanging in the trees and will be married beneath one of the trees.

 The bride's mother sent me an assortment of laces, collected by her great-grandmothers. Will post photos of the laces, as each is a work of art.

These are inexpensive wicker baskets that I covered inside and out, with green moss. The handles were wrapped with the vintage lace and then small leaves and lace flowers were added. A vintage pearl was added to each flower center. They will be traveling to Texas tomorrow. Since it is still very hot in Texas and amazingly warm in Pennsylvania, I've been waiting for the weather to cool down a bit, before subjecting the baskets to Texas heat while intransit.

I've also designed a ribbon embroidered picture frame that will be displayed with a quilt. As the guests arrive, each will sign a block on the quilt. The ring bearer pillow is ivory silk doupioni embellished with an assortment of laces. Looking forward to the wedding!



Crazy Quilt 1882 with embroidered butterfly

Christine, a former archivist for The Culinary Institute of America, attended the Hyde Park workshop and brought in an assortment of 16"x16" crazy quilt blocks created by her great-grandmother in 1882.  The butterfly on this block, inspires. 

St James Chapel in Hyde Park, NY

 

This is a beautiful chapel, built in 1811. The workshop was held in an adjoining room attached to the chapel. Built in the Gothic Revival style, the chapel features a beautiful stain glass window as well as an impressive organ. 

Crazy Quilt Workshop this week in Hyde Park, NY

This week I had the opportunity to conduct a crazy quilt workshop with a delightful group of women in Hyde Park, NY.

Ribbon Sale! 30% OFF all ribbons on our site!

 

Just in time to gather ribbon supplies for fall creating!

Our Ribbon Sale ends Midnight Monday, September 9th

 

Rayon Tape, Silk Ribbon, Silk Ribbon Combo Packs, 65mm silk ribbon, RibbonRuffles, Velvet Ribbon, Rococo Ribbon, every yard of ribbon in-stock, on sale!

 

Sale ends Monday at Midnight EST

Dusk at the farm

 

I never tire of this view. Nature's definition of peace.



Sundried tomatoes fresh from Tomato "Eggs"

 

When I brought these in from the garden,  they reminded me of little tomato "eggs"!
Collecting tomatoes with one hand, while pulling weeds and feeding them through the fence, to the donkey, with the other hand,  the perfect way to start the morning.

These tomatoes will be sliced, mixed with sea salt, olive oil and basil, then popped into the dehydrator for 12 hours. The smell is divine.  Most of these little lovlies will be packed in Christmas baskets.

 



Sunflowers in Lancaster County, PA

 

Sunflowers by the side of the road in Lancaster County, PA

Universally loved!

 



Summer afternoon at the farm

My favorite time of day! It's been a wonderfully, cool week, which means a comfortable studio. Fall is just a few weeks away and I wonder where summer went.   After all these years at the farm, still grateful to spend a little time sitting in the porch swing and enjoy the colors of summer. The little bike is filled with  begonias and sits near our front door.   



Quilting Arts Mermaid Seascape

This little piece is approximate 11"x14. The Mermaid is designed with vintage sequins harvested from a 1920's flapper gown. Her tail is very old French wire-edge ribbon, found at a Paris flea market. Her tiny "shell" ear was made with a special South American clay, that I found at a Cake Decoration convention in Detroit, Michigan.

Quilting Arts Mermaid Seascape with Seahorse Detail

Using hand-dyed silk ribbon, that I dyed for the project, and Kreinik metallic fibers, I stitched a little seahorse above the treasure chest. See the little crab floating out of the chest? Assorted fish with silk bias-cut "fins" are floating among the seascape.



Quilting Arts Mermaid Piece Seascape Close-up

Many years ago, I designed a Mermaid seascape for Quilting Arts Magazine. This photo offers a bit of detail of the seabed using little shells I made with clay and tinted with Pearl Ex pigments. A velvet pod is included among the collage of beads and small sea shells. Such fun to create.

 



Maroon13 First Four Embellished Crazy Quilt Blocks

 

Even though all fours blocks will receive additional embellishing, it's great to see that one-third of the wall-hanging, is coming together!



Maroon13 Block Four with Rayon and Velvet Ribbon Detail

No secret, that I think our hand-dyed rayon tape, adds vintage elegance to every design. Here I've added hand-gathered deep gold, dyed rayon tape, among pewter velvet ribbon. These trims balance the large buttons. Love the dimension!

Maroon13 Block Four Lace detail with Mother of Pearl Beads

This is a close-up shot of embellished lace, using our Mother of Pearl Discs, some of our Rose Glass leaves and assorted silk ribbon French knots among small wire-edge ribbon roses and vintage pearls.

Maroon13 The beginning of Block Four

For this block, I wanted to use an assortment of lace pieces. Lots of stitching to go, but I like where it is heading. I am intrigued by 1940's coat buttons. The size and the different textures, are simply the best. They are heavy buttons. Now to balance the buttons with embellishing.

Maroon13 Finished CQ Block Three

This third block features dainty, Victorian Inspired, soft silk ribbon and dyed motif sprays.

Maroon13 Block 3 Vintage Button Collage

Add a small group of buttons to spruce up boring rows of seam treatments. I prefer old brass buttons and Czech glass buttons, when making a small collage. Stitch the buttons on top of a seam. Add some lazy daisy leaves, a little bit of Feather stitch, using Krienik metallic braids and finish with  loose-wrapped French knots. Add seed beads among the floral spray.

Silk ribbon embroidered bouquet on Maroon13 Block Three

Using silk ribbons in size 2, 4, 7, and 13mm, different looks were acheived, Our ribbons are affordably priced. Colors and widths can be seen at www.ribbonsmyth.com Great results in using a variety of  different widths. We carry every size of chenille needle to coordinate with ribbon widths.

Rayon Dyed Motif on Maroon13 CQ Block Dyeing tutorial

 

This is such a great rayon motif shape. We sell them at www.ribbonsmyth.com and I believe there are a few pieces left. I wet the motif and dried it until damp, placed on a foam paper plate and brushed on dyes in periwinkle, olivine and antique gold. Allow to dry, press on the back with a hot dry iron. That easy to get stunning results. Our rayon Rainbow Dyes are non-toxic and the large bottles allow you to dye a gazillion pieces at affordable prices.



Maroon13 Three blocks ~ In the Works!

 

The blocks so far!

Maroon13 Block Three ~ in the early stages

Most of the blocks I piece, have seven patches, simply because I don't have time or the patience to piece a block with an assortment of small pieces.  These blocks start out as nine-inch squares. The little rayon motif was dyed with RibbonSmyth Rainbow Dyes. Wet the rayon piece,  lay onto a foam "paper" plate and dab on dye using diluted dyes of Gold, Olivine, Pansy and Victorian Rose. Use a brush to paint the motif, but I've painted motifs with cotton swabs, with the motif in a glass ashtray in a hotel room! Microwave the painted motif to heat-fix or let the motif dry and iron, on the back of the motif to heat-fix. I keep a small plastic bag with dyed motifs. The motif is tacked, laying over a seam and overlapping onto a piece of gold Scalamandre velvet. My memory is challenged daily, but I know exactly where I acquired my most favorite fabrics!



Maroon13 Velvet Butterfly detail

 

Here's a photo of the velvet butterf ly showing the shading of the stamp pad ink, and a small button collage using gathered lime Mokuba ribbon, a bit of a gathered lace from a lingerie collar, leaf sequin, old Czech glass beads, diamond-shaped gold vintage rose montees and a couple of RibbonSmyth silk ribbon lazy daisies.



Maroon13 Block Two of Twelve

A great exercise ~ fill up a plastic bag with embellishments and ribbons, tuck into your suitcase, and create with only the items in the bag. Difficult to do, because you are reminded of something, you left in the studio, that you wished you had.  The focus of this block was the velvet butterfly. The butterfly is made from white silk velvet and then embossed with 100 year-old German dies.  Using metallic stamp pad inks, different sections of the butterfly were "inked" in shades of broze, gold and pewter.   I tacked the butterfly to the fabric ground and then outlined with two rows of beads. In the bottom left corner is a small shabby "rose" created with a strip of Sari silk. Two silk ribbon Feather Stitches were added to create movement in the block.



Maroon13 Block One Use of Sequins

I will always be a fan of Sequins! Growing up, I remember seeing sequins on Christmas stockings. But it took an appreciation of Couture embroidery, to become enchanted with sequins! I was studying at the House of Lesage, in Paris, and our class project used copius amounts of sequins.  And when searching "Lesage" on Google, found images from this blog included.

 

 Without a doubt, a few sequins always add a bit of "dazzle" to a crazy quilt. The motif in the top left corner is made with an old brass button, anchored with a gold metal ball and surrounded with lime green vintage sequins. In-between each sequin, is a small ab bronze glass bead with two holes. This bead has a name, which I don't know, but the bead is most often used in creating "bugs".



Maroon13 Block One of Twelve Completed

I added brown leaf garland, and for the moment, this block is finished. The garland adds movement to the block. Each leaf was anchored with metallic seed beads.



Twelve New Silk Doupioni Selections

Working with silk doupioni for crazy quilting and mixed media collage, is my favorite choice of fabric. We have twelve new colors, affordably priced on our site at http://ribbonsmyth.com/doupionisilk.aspx

and we have more new colors on the way.

New Silk ribbon combo packs, new open stock colors of silk ribbon in 4mm and 7mm. We are gathering supplies for fall creating!

Thank you for checking them out!



Maroon13 Close-up of Block One

A bit more detail, no doubt "fuzzy", of the Couture beaded embroidery piece.



Maroon13 Crazy Quilt Wall-hanging Block One

Block One is almost completely embellished! The focus is a beautiful couture piece of  brown  beaded embroidery. When I was teaching in La Bourboule, there was a lady selling beaded embroidery pieces at the Casino, where our classes were held. She had acquired the embroidery pieces from a Paris couture house. And many Euros later, I came home with a small bag of assorted sequin-encrusted pieces in a variety of colors.  Each block will incorporate Krienik metallic threads. I added some vintage lime green sequins to the seams.  My embroidery is far from perfect! My only focus, is to finish with something "pleasing to the eye" that gave joy  while creating.



New Pieced Maroon Crazy Quilt Blocks and Jackson

 

Whew! It's great to actually see five pieced blocks and Jack had to "jump" into the photo.

 It has taken forever to get them pieced. Seven more blocks to go.  I have a stack of fabrics on top of the dining room table, and cut a piece, stitch it down to a piece of baby flannel and grab another piece.  There is a fusible ironed to each piece of velvet before it is pieced to other patches. After the block is pieced, a fusible is ironed onto the back. I hope to have a wall-hanging with 12 flat blocks!    The photo does not capture the lime and celery brocades in each block.



Fabrics for new Wall-hanging

 

Here's an assortment of fabrics I hope to use in a  twelve-block wall-hanging. Each block is 9" before embellishing, and probably will be trimmed to 8 1/2". I found a beautiful brocade piece, at our local Mennonite thrift shop,  that is a deep maroon with a gold and lime green floral pattern, and will be a patch in each block. The additional fabrics will be gold, aubergine, and lime silk fabrics. My plan is to incorporate  a piece of brown French couture  sequin and beaded fabric,  purchased in an assortment  of  scraps, from a Paris couture house. The heavily beaded and sequined piece will be cut into smaller pieces and appliqued to the blocks. 

 

I've pieced two blocks and have 10 more to assemble! I hope to stitch and embellish all 12 blocks, with a few days of non-stop stitching!

 

Blog Winner!

Magpie Mumblings won our blog give-away! A package full of fabrics and trims will be enroute.

 

Thanks to all of you for your comments!

 

The photo below is a card from my metal card deck featuring one of our vintage images, lace, a bit of Angelina fibers collaged with old sheet music.

 

 

Ribbon Embroidered Brooches by Humming Needles

 

Annamaria Kover of Humming Needles, uses RibbonSmyth silk ribbon for her lovely designs.

Please visit her blog for inspiration!



Silk Ribbon print with wire-edge ribbon

This silk-painted print was embellished with silk ribbon and wire-edge ribbon. The wire-edge ribbon was gathered on one edge of the 3" piece of ribbon. The ribbon was gathered and then tacked into place. Silk ribbon flowers were added and  seed beads stitched into the vase design for added dimension.



Silk Print with silk ribbon French knots and rhinestones

 

This silk ribbon bouquet features silk ribbon Ribbon Stitch flowers, French knots and vintage French rhinestones.



Silk Print with silk ribbon daffodils

This silk painted print is embellished with silk ribbon daffodil flowers and small pearl and seed bead blooms. The  vase is "couched" with gold metallic thread.

Silk painted print with silk ribbon

This is one of four silk painted panels embellished with silk ribbon.

The Gutta resist design features a small bowl of flowers. Once the silk paint had dried, I ironed a fusible interfacing to the back of the silk fabric. Using RibbonSmyth variegated 4mm silk ribbons, simple stitches were used for the flowers.

Embroidered monogram guest towel

Victorian Monogram Initials

created with RibbonSmyth's Victorian Initial Rubber Stamps

 

 

This guest towel was created using our Monogram Rubber Stamps, created for silk ribbon embroidery!  Only $3.50 per stamp!

 



Blog Giveaway! Blog hits 86,903 Views!

According to Blogger ~ 86,903 views for our blog! It's time for a blog give-away!

 All I need is your email address! Simply reply with a "comment" sending your email address. Next Sunday, using random generator, a winner will be selected. The package will include an 1/8 th yard of doupioni, silk ribbons, buttons, silk twist, wire-edge ribbon, trims, with an assortment of vintage images. A fun packet of little items to inspire creativity.

Isn't this bloom spectacular? It's been blooming since February.

Vintage Doll Trunk

 

Isn't this the best old doll trunk? This is the perfect display piece! The metal trunk is wonderfully battered with bent "dings" on the case, and sporting steamer trunk travel decals. The trunk also came with visions of the doll and dresses that must have lived inside the trunk.

 I remember receiving, one Christmas, a white leatherette trunk comeplete with a bride doll wearing a  satin and lace wedding gown made from fabrics from my cousin's wedding dress. We had been in her wedding, in the summer, and our Mother had managed to gather fabrics from the wedding and make a wedding gown for a "much-coveted" doll that we hoped Santa would deliver.  This trunk will be displayed in the parlor, filled with ribbons, until it finds a new home via Etsy!



Exotic flower bloom

I wanted to capture this flower while it was blooming. Further research needed for the correct name of the plant. I know it is an exotic, which I'm hoping will not follow the same path of my orchids! I've been watching the blooms since February. My husband has a huge greenhouse next to his office building. He works with a designer there, that assembles baskets of exotics. Beth will call him and tell him that new plants have arrived and he should come by and pick up his basket!  Their color and beauty helps us through the dark winter months.  My mission is to keep them alive!



Shabby Chic flower cuff full-length

The base for the cuff is ivory/gold Scalamandre tapestry fabric. One shabby chic flower from our flower trim, is the focal for the cuff. 3/4" mauve velvet ribbon adds  vintage appeal. Two rolled-ribbon roses in the pastel color-way, using our vintage hand-dyed rayon tape, were added among the doily pieces. Vintage buttons, and old glass pearls from our Etsy site, were used as added embellishments.

This is a 3-hour workshop project. Please contact victoria@ribbonsmyth.com for additional information.

Vintage Shabby Chic Flower Spring Cuff

Pictured, a new cuff design created for 2014 workshops. Using vintage elements such as  our vintage hand-dyed rayon tape, old doilies and pearl buttons, combined with our shabby chic flowers, create a great look for spring and summer.