When I started this today, the sun was shining and I thought any Bride would be happy with the day... but then the rains came, then the thunder and lightening, and finally, to round it off we had hail. The UK will certainly take the weather gold medal this weekend, if only for diversity!
One of the things I always remember about wedding is not so much the dress but the little touches, which is why this wreath is made from fabrics you might be making your bride and bridesmaid's dresses from. I hit my Jane Means stash of ribbons to start off this week's tutorial, so get yourself ready and let's get started:
You will need: A polystyrene form Half a yard / metre each of net, organza or sari fabric (basically a sheer weave fine fabric) Rotary cutter with pinking wheel and cutting mat or pinking shears Chopstick 2/3 yards or metres of organza wired ribbon Household scissors Matches Tweezers or small pliers 2 metres of plain ribbon
Well we have made wreathes at Christmas using this technique last year but this is a little bit different as the wreath is a little more blousey.
Start by cutting out three strips, three inches wide, then cut across them at three inches to form three inch squares. I found some fabulous organza with a sparkle diamante type detail.
Using your chop stick in the centre of the square, push it into the polystyrene form.
Continue to build it up, cutting more squares as you need them, you don't need to cover every inch... walk away from the wreath and turn it round as you can become a touch anal about there being no white showing!
When you are happy that it is covered, go an make yourself a drink and take a final look.
Something like this will do :)
Now cut your ribbon, you will need lengths of about 18", use you household / kitchen scissors as you will be cutting through wire and I will personally come to your house and remove all your dressmaking scissors if I catch you blunting them on wired ribbons! Remember to flame the ends with your matches to seal them.
You will find fine wire running through the top and the bottom of your ribbon, gently tease the ends out of the top of the ribbon and pull carefully to start gathering the ribbon... do not tug, the wire is fine and will break...
Now from the ungathered side fold over one end, which will tuck it in when you start to roll up your rose. Now you could use a match to wind the ribbon around but I find it easier to wind it free hand.
You can manipulate your flower when you have finished winding.
Twist the two wires together a few times to secure your rose, then separate them.
Place the rose on your wreath, manipulate your wire through the organza and net, to the back of the wreath and use your pliers to twist the wire to hold the rose in place. Tidy in the ends and cut away the excess. Repeat the process to add as many roses as you wish.
Now use a loop of ribbon to create your bow at the top of the wreath and pop it on the front door to show everyone where the festivities are starting from.
And there you have it, a souvenir of a very special day.
Now let's go look at the Olympian efforts that the crafters have made over at Handmade Monday... I am predicting, items in red, yellow, blue, green and possibly black... what do you reckon?
And for those who are marrying this year... just a touch of schmaltz
Today, I met up with lots of old friends, the ladies from our Knit and Natter group. They meet up on a Thursday... and used to meet at one of my fave wool shops, sadly now shut so instead they now meet in a local florist. The lunch is held at Cecelia's house... she owns the only table big enough to sit us all around!
I wanted to find an appropriate little gift to thank her for hosting the lunch and found this lovely little brooch in a new shop that I discovered in Carnaby Street, All the Fun of the Fair... it's very moreish!
So I found a natty little box to pop it into and then realised that I had time to put together a little bow from my new Jane Means ribbon stash.
I thought this weekend, we could do bow and gift bows 101... and I will show you how to make your own bow makers... so on Sunday, it will be you, me and your forgotten geometry skills!
Was feeling so disappointed because I had not received the ribbons from Jane Means at work, yesterday but there lying on my door mat, when I got home was my magic ticket, a card from the postie telling me that there was a package, which was too big to get through my letter box, waiting for me at the Post Office. They were open at 7.00am this morning, but I showed real restraint, indeed actual, amazing self restraint by picking them up at ten past eight, I blame my mother for this indulgence in deferred gratification!
Straight round to Barlow and Fields, the best and tastiest coffee shop in Leigh and I waited till my mate Deborah arrived and then we had the grand opening... and boy, was it worth the wait!
This is what I found inside... Aren't they just lush?
And these wired organza ribbons... roses, at the very least.
Now what about this pack... manly ribbons, look really manly ribbons... don't they remind you of striped blazers... actually I think I can hear strains of the Eton Boating song...
Cripes these ribbons have deck stitching and look in the corner, gingham... why, oh, why did I ever cut my hair? (Possibly cos someone in their 50s would look silly in plaits?)
I love this group, the deck chair trio, and boy if you could see how the lime green is made to really zing with the pink deck stitching... have you any idea how much my fingers are itching?
My head is just whirling with ideas to start working with the ribbons... although my first issue is storage but I think I have found a solution and when it arrives, I will show you.
Now, I must get going, I have a tutorial to write in my official capacity as a Jane Means Ribbon Stylist... If you have anything that you think I should take a crack at please let me know...
And finally... for those who have not heard it, here are the wet bobs of Eton, with the Eton Boating Song... blazers at the ready chaps, floaty dresses for the ladies and off we go.
When I was a little, the class above us sang Scarlet Ribbons and were the stars at a local music festival... they also got to spend the early evening at the Kursaal in Southend, which was to a 10 year old one of the most exciting places in the whole wide world... they had a wall of death in there and I admit to being a tad disappointed when I saw it for the first time there there was no pile of bodies at the bottom! At that time I wore my hair in plaits... this was after the incident when I had to have my hair cut when a hair roller could not be removed as my mother was going through her "daughter in ringlets" phase... I had mostly blue ribbons to go with my school uniform and I longed for scarlet velvet ribbons... So I think that this might be when my love of ribbons bedded in and now even though my hair is too short for plaits, I have a rather decent collection of ribbons... just in case.
So this week as my garden has taken a bit of a beating with the rain and the wind I thought we could make a double ribbon flower bag charm with the aid of a little bit of hand sewing, which will bloom despite the weather... so let's get started, you will need:
2 yards of ribbon... up to you whether it contrasts or complements Needle and thread to match your upper petal side Ruler or tape measure Matches Felt circle Air soluble pen Decorative button Handbag Clip (You don't need an iron this week, although my mum did iron my ribbons and my socks too, but that is another story!)
Cut straight across the ribbon... OK, it has started to happen, the ribbon wants to unravel... light a match and gently run it over the raw end of the ribbon and it will seal it... try not to set the ribbon alight, unless like my friends Marion and Elaine you want to check out the local firemen.
Pin the ribbons together so that the right sides are on the outside, at the top mark it an inch in continue to mark along at each inch, and at the bottom half an inch in, then continue to mark along at each inch.Thread up you needle and make a large chunky knot at the end, we are going to be gathering for England, so we do not want the knot to come undone... think Gordian with attitude!
Now we are going to do a running stitch from the corner to the mark half an inch in on the bottom and then up to the inch mark on the top. Keep you stitches small and even, I have worked with four or five on each diagonal.
I find it easiest to gather as I go, working about half a dozen diagonals and then gently gathering them, you should finish up with a gathered strip of about 18". Firmly stitch with two or three stitches so that the gathers will not unravel.
Turn the ribbon over so that the front is face down and start working a spiral, catching petals with a slip stitch, this is going to look ugly, but do not worry because we are going to hide it. Continue working around until it looks like an ammonite, and sew the end under.
Take a 6" length of ribbon and fold it over, stitch it to the back of your flower. In the centre of the flower, I have placed a little button to just lift the design a little.
Cut out a circle of felt which is slightly smaller than the circumference of the flower, pin it in place and slip stitch it onto the flower.
Thread it onto the handbag clip and pop it onto your bag... finally a flower which will not wilt!
If you don't have a local fabric shop with a decent haberdashery to source ribbons... I have Belle Fabrics in Leigh-on-sea and Bodkins in Thundersley or there are some fab ribbon sellers on line like Jane Means
And now, as is traditional on the blog, it is time to head over to Handmade Monday to see what everyone has been up to during this week.
Finally, if you wondered what it was that the 4th year of Our Lady of Lourdes Primary school sang with such aplomb in 1968, here is a charming version by Harry Belafonte.
