This is my tiny stash of lovely, shimmering french wired ribbon in different ombré colours. It's woven with one colour in the weft and then the warp consists of threads toning from one hue to another, giving it not just that colour shifting you know from e.g. dupioni silk, but also a colourchange from one edge to the other. It's that shifting that makes the ribbon look stiped in a photo when you scale it down as I've done above (click on it to see it in original size).
Granted, it's a bit too shiny for my taste perhaps, but the colours are lovely. And used the right way, of cause I like shimmer too.
Like with so many of my supplies I just never use these. Why? Partially because they're special and I therefore want to save them for a special project, but also because I keep thinking that if I use them I will have nothing left. I know it's not the last ombré french wired ribbon on earth, but there are so many other things I want to buy and save up money for that it might as well be. I know it's irrational, but keep in mind that I don't sell what I though and thus never get an income to finance restocking. As it really is a tiny stash I cannot make more than one flower of each colour, adding to my indecisivenes. When I do decide and cut the ribbon, there's no going back. Then I can't change my mind anymore. So in the end I never "dare" use it, I keep my little bundle of ribbons like a treasure in a treasure chest.
Execpt for one of the ribbons... Somehow it had fallen out of the bag I store them in -- and I didn't notice at all! Probably months after than happened my sis found it under some newspapers. Of cause the cats had found it. Of cause they had decided it was their new best toy. Oh, just look at it! All mangled and perforated by naughty kitten claws (yes, I blame the kittens rather than the adult cats). I think there is a short stip that's relatively unharmed in the middle of the roll, but not really long enough to make anything from. At least not a flower.
Oh well, it's my fault. Can't deny that. I'm the only one that has opened that bag so it can only have been me who dropped it on the floor. And once there, how is a cat to know it's not a toy? Can't really blame them for not knowing the difference between what's ok to play with and what's not. That's how I feel now, not how I felt when my sis showed me the ribbon. I can assure you of that!
Those are so beautiful -- but I am lousy with fiber. I just have no idea what to do with it! I've even failed when I try to tie a bit at the clasp. It always seems to stick out stiffly instead of cooperating like everyone else seems to be able to make it do.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it always looks so great when someone else do it... Then you get some yourself, being so inspired, and it just doesn't look as good. To put it politely. Well, I guess it's just a matter of a learning curve, getting used to how the material works. On top of that, some seems to be naturals at working with a certain material. It's much about finding your style and the "right" ribbon or fibre, I think. Sari ribbon and eyelash yarn probably isn't my thing, for example.
ReplyDeleteThere's some really delicious silk ribbons (dupioni bias cut, hand-dyed with hemming, pleated shibori etc) on my wishlist, but at times I feel like I couldn't come up with anything more creative than just hanging a pendant from it. Others make fab fibre designs, mine are still very amateurish. Ok, I can stitch flowers, but on the other hand I know far from everyone likes the look of ribbon/fabric flowers -- especially in jewellery.
But since I do bead embroidery (and embroidery with just thread/floss), I keep thinking that if everything else fails, at least ribbons would be a great base for embroidered bracelets. So I might find my niche, which is a good start.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Even when kept in a secret treasure chest. I must say your kittens have a good taste, too.
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