Crazy Quilting

When it comes to giving gifts, it’s a nice gesture to take care in wrapping the gift.  Even if the gift itself is nothing special, when you take time to wrap a gift, you are telling the recipient that you’re willing to spend time on them.  All gifts should be wrapped with extravagance, and don’t be afraid to get creative.  Make sure to wrap your gift with care, crease the edges of the paper, and make sure there’s as little tape showing as possible.  Grab a silk ribbon and tie it around, and perhaps even tie it on top of a little chocolate treat or candy.  You can also add stickers, write words, or even stamp on a few colorful decals.

When giving a gift, you should also consider the person receiving it; what will they like, what will make them laugh, or feel sentimental?  Also be aware that kids under the age of 13 or 14 probably don’t care what the wrapping is like, it will be on the floor in an instant!

 Ribbons used in presents and for decoration do not always have to be store-bought.  With a little effort and creativity, you can make your own unique and special ribbons.  These smooth, long, and colored strips will consequently reflect your personal style, making gifts and ornaments more interesting and appealing.

If you wish to make a hand dyed silk ribbon, you will need: silk ribbons, food coloring or paste colors, toothpicks, vinegar, a plate, something with hollows that can be used as a palette, paint brushes, and a water container.  Next, follow these simple steps:

1.      Dip a toothpick in one of the paste colors or squirt it with food coloring.
2.      Put the colored toothpick in one palette hollow.  Add a small amount of vinegar and stir with the toothpick.  Paste colors may not completely liquefy.
3.      Repeat steps one and two to add more colors to your palette.
4.      Wet your silk ribbon in the water container and gently squeeze out the moisture. Leave the ribbon on your plate in an untidy heap so that parts overlap.
5.      Using a brush, spatter color unevenly on the ribbon and let it run. Enhance with other hues and allow the colors to blend.  You may leave some parts bare or without paint.  Let the ribbon soak up the colors for a few minutes.
6.      Douse your dyed creation with clean water until the water becomes colorless.
7.      Gently squeeze out the water and pat your ribbon with an old towel. Hang to dry.
8.      When the ribbon is dry, iron on silk setting to enhance the colors.
9.      Enjoy your hand dyed silk ribbon by using them on gifts, hanging objects, and other decor.

Beyond the world of quilting, there are a variety of uses for hand dyed silk ribbon. Some of these uses are in the fashion arena.

In particular, they make fantastic and beautiful embellishments for women’s hair. No matter if you have short or long hair, there is a way to utilize hand dyed silk ribbon.

For the woman with short hair, they can be used as simple headbands. And the woman with long hair has even more options. Depending on the length of the ribbon, they can be used as an accent for a ponytail or embellishment in a long braid.

These ribbons also work as a more general fashion accessory. Fashion the ribbons into a basic flower or otherwise interesting shape and pin it to a blouse. Tie the ribbon to the handle of a purse. Even experiment by using the vibrantly colored ribbons as makeshift shoe laces or other shoe accents.

So the next time you’ve completed your latest quilting project, don’t toss those remaining ribbons in the trash. Rather, put them to use as the latest fashion accessory.

Silk is one of the most luxurious fabrics available, and its high quality makes it a favorite choice for dedicated quilters. But there is a tradeoff for the high quality. Silk is also a temperamental fabric, and it can be difficult to wash and care for. The silk ribbon used in quilting is no exception.

Here are a few tips and reminders to keep in mind when working with this type of ribbon.

-Silk can be finicky, but it’s not low quality. Don’t worry excessively about your ribbons snagging or tearing. Take the same precautions you would for any fabric, but you don’t need to be overprotective.

-It would be a good idea to keep silk out of the direct sunlight for extended periods of time. It could potentially fade if overexposed.

-Washing is usually the main concern with silk. This can be a little tricky because it depends on the type of silk ribbon you’re using. Some are machine washable. Some are hand washable. Some take cold water. Some can handle hot. So do your research about the type of material you’ve purchased before you expose anything to water and soap.