Stitch of the Month! Silk Ribbon Embroidery - Simple Rose Spray

I thought I would start doing some simple ribbon embroidery tutorials here on the blog. Embroidering with silk ribbon has been one of my favorite hobbies for many years now, but it seems that quilting has taken over for a while! Posting tutorials will keep me working at it again!

If there is anything specific you would enjoy seeing posted in the future, please leave a comment and let me know!

Simple Rose Bud Spray

This is a simple way to make roses - placing two small, fluffy, chain stitches close to each other. This easy stitch makes some of the best petals for embroidered flowers! For this project, you will need:

Size 18 Chenille needle (a regular embroidery needle will not work for ribbon)
Size 5 Embroidery needle
2 shades of 4 mm silk ribbon for the roses, at least 18" of ribbon each
1 shade of 4 mm green silk ribbon for the leaves, at least 18" of ribbon
Green cotton embroidery floss (we use DMC embroidery floss)
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How to Thread Silk Ribbon on a Needle

1. Run the ribbon through the eye of the Chenille needle, and then insert the needle point through the ribbon, 1/4" away from the end of the ribbon, as shown. Pull the long end of the ribbon until the ribbon has slid down the needle shaft and is snug on the eye of the needle. You're ready to start!
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1. Thread the embroidery needle with two strands of the green embroidery floss, and knot the end. Come up from the back of the fabric, and using long straight stitches, make four upper stems, about 1/2" long, and then make a 1" stem for the bottom of the flower. Finish off in the back with a knot and clip the thread.

2. Thread the chenille needle with one of your ribbon colors, and knot the end. Come up from the back of the fabric near the first stem. Insert the needle close to where you came up, and run the needle under the fabric and bring it back up about 1/4" away. Loop the ribbon around the needle as shown and pull gently through. Don't pull until it's tight, leave the ribbon puffy.

Take the needle down at the top of the stitch, and again, do not make the stitch too tight. Repeat the chain stitch again, close to the first one you just made. You can make it larger or smaller, depending on what you like. Your first flower is complete!

Make as many flowers as you like with each color. You can make smaller flowers by stitching only one chain stitch. Just remember to leave the ribbon puffy! I used cream and baby pink on my design.

Once you have finished with the flowers, complete the design with leaves. I use the ribbon stitch (yes, that's what it's called) for leaves, it's my favorite. The ribbon stitch has such a beautiful little curl on the end of each stitch!

Thread the chenille needle with green silk ribbon. Come up from the back of the fabric, and lay the ribbon flat as shown. Insert the needle in the center of the ribbon, and pull through until the little curl forms on the end. Be very careful when you're pulling! Pulling too much will pull the curl through, and the cute element of the stitch will be gone.

Finish the design with as many leaves as you like... and you are done. Happy stitching!

Blessings, Jessica

May - Embroidery Tutorial - Detached Chain/French Knot

I have flowers on my mind! Here is a detached chain - french knot combination flower. Again, all flowers look sweet in clusters, so think out and draw the vines first, then add your flowers. I can see more detail and vines on this, but it's a general idea of where to start. Added with other flowers in a cluster would be so pretty!

1. To start, draw a slanted line, if it helps, to size your first petal. Come up from the back at the top. We will call this A. Re-insert the needle again at A and come up at the end of the line, with the thread under the needle, to the right - don't pull through yet.

2. Wrap the thread twice in an anti-clockwise direction around the needle tip. Hold the knot with your thumb and put the needle through, pulling to the right. Secure the knot by bringing the needle down to the right of the knot, and this makes a little french knot.

3. For the left petal: Come up again at A. Re-insert the needle again at A, come up at the end of the line with the thread under the needle at to the left - don't pull through yet.

4. As above, wrap the thread twice in a clockwise direction around the needle tip. Hold the knot with our thumb and put the needle through, pulling to the left. Secure the knot by bringing the needle down to the left of the knot, again, this makes a little french knot.

5. Come up right at the center of the two petals. Re-insert the needle at the same spot, emerging at A, with the thread under the tip, pull through. Secure at the top by going back down at A.  Done!
I like this flower with the french knots on each petal. It can be turned and added to, put on vines or a single stem. Have fun! 

April - Embroidery Tutorial - Short/Long Stitch

You don't need to know a lot of fancy stitches to make a pretty flower. These pretty flowers are great embellishers! The tops do not touch the stems, and they look great in clusters of different colors.

We will make a simple flower using short/long stitches. The stitch this month is the short/long stitch but but will add a colonial knot and back stitches so you can complete the entire flower.

If it helps to draw these stitches first, do so! You want your flower to resemble something like this: I start with a short and end with a short.

1. Bring the needle up through the back and make a short stitch. Bring the needle up again, slightly higher and make a long stitch. All stitches are pointing down in the same direction, but I do not go back down the same hole. Completed top.

2. Let's add a Colonial knot to this. Bring the needle up where you would like it to be, right in the middle, but not touching the flower top. Put the needle under the thread, and wrap once, holding, and put the down through close to where you came up, still holding taut the wrap. Go slow while pulling through. If you make a knot on top, you aren't going to be getting it out. Done!

 3. Make as many of these in clusters as you need. Add stems. Use the back stitch to complete the stems. I draw my stems with a very thin micro pen. For a back stitch, come up 1/8" away from the end. Bring down behind it. Come up again 1/8" in front of the last stitch and bring down the needle down in the same hole. Keep stitches even. Add a few stitches (seed stitches) to resemble grass. Now how about adding the leaves we learned last month?

That's all there is to it! I can see these on little headbands, Capri bottoms, framed handkerchiefs...have fun! Theresa

March Embroidery Stitch Lesson - Cast On Stitch

We have a March embroidery stitch lesson for you! Each month we will share a new stitch to encourage your work in embroidery. Some stitches will be advanced, others very beginner. Enjoy!

Today, the stitch is the Cast On stitch. This stitch can be used a variety of ways, the most popular way is a bullion flower, but today, we'll learn to make a simple leaf. This is a little more creative than just using a chain stitch for leaves!
This stitch is worked on top of the fabric.

1. Start by drawing a leaf. The stitch will not fill this fatter oval, it's just a guide. Bring the needle up where you want the top of the leaf to be. Make sure you have enough thread, 14", before starting.

2.  Bring the needle in at the bottom of the leaf, and come back in where you came up. Bring the thread under and around the needle...

3. Now, wrap around your finger, holding the bottom thread with your thumb, place your finger close to the needle, and cast on.

 4. For a smaller leaf, cast on about 7 stitches.

5. Holding the stitches taut with your middle finger, push the needle through.

6. Pull slightly to the left, then pull down to straighten the leaf. This leaf can be turned slightly, or rounded a bit, it's very versatile.

 7. Now secure with stitch down through. All finished! Have fun!

Finished leaves on my current embroidery project.