Ribbon artist Helen Gibb demonstrates a simple technique known as the U-gather. This stitching and gathering technique allows you to make several different ribbon flowers such as roses, violets, pansies and poppies.
Materials:
one yard each of 5/8" wide, 1" wide, and 1-1/2" wide French wired ribbons in rose colors
one yard each of 7/16" wide, 1" wide, 1-1/2" wide, and 2-1/2" wide bias cut Hanah hand-dyed silk ribbon in rose/blossom colors
white beading
thread
milliner's needle, size 10
scissors
long pins
tape measure
For a Filler Flower
- Cut the 1/4-inch wide ribbon two inches in length. Cut the 7/16-inch wide ribbon four inches in length. Cut the 5/8-inch wide ribbon six inches in length.
- Start at the top of the ribbon edge and stitch a running/gathering stitch down the raw edge curing around the corner, along the woven edge, round the corner and up the other raw edge (figure A).
- Gather tightly, and secure the gathering (figure B).
- Overlap the edges (to form a rosette shape), and secure together with a few stitches near the center (figure C).
- Fill the tight center with stamens or beads.
For a blossom with four petals (continuous U-gather)
- Cut the 7/16-inch wide ribbon into five to six inch lengths. Cut the 5/8-inch wide ribbon into seven to eight inch lengths.
- Divide the ribbon into four segments. Mark the segments with pins.
- Stitch four continuous u-gathers, one in each segment, along the entire length of the ribbon.
- Gather tightly, and secure the gathering.
- Join the first stitch to the last stitch so the ribbon forms a round flower shape.
- Fill the tight center with stamens or beads (figure D).
Tips:
- Filler flowers may be stemmed, used in collage compositions and as rosettes on the headbands of hats.
- Larger u-gather petals can make poppies, sweet peas, roses, and more.
- Blossoms can be stemmed, used as groups in posies, used separately in ribbon flower collages, and as additions to hats.
- Larger continuous U-gather petals can be made up into pansies, roses, violets and more.
Resources hand dyed silk ribbon - Hanah
Artemis Exquisite Embellishments
Website:
www.artemisinc.com
ribbon
Renaissance Ribbons
Website
www.renaissanceribbons.com
The Secrets of Fashioning Ribbon Flowers: Heirlooms for the Next Generation
by Helen Gibb
Krause Publications, 1998
Order this title from Amazon.com.
Helen Gibb Design Inc.
Website:
www.helengibb.com
Guests Helen Gibb
Author and Ribbon Artist
Helen Gibb Design Inc
For autographed copies of Helen's books, order directly from her web site
Website:
www.helengibb.com Also in this Episode
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