Ribbon embroidery is so pretty and delicate as well as having a three-dimensional quality that its appeal is instantaneous.  It does look rather difficult to do however and perhaps better left to the advanced embroiderer—or not, as this useful primer proves.

Even if you want to paint your own backgrounds for your work you still won’t need to buy much in order to take up this hobby.  Mostly you will need the right sort of ribbons, needles and fabric.   If you have done any freestyle embroidery you will already know most of the stitches, so what remains is to get to grips with what you don’t know.  Find out how to prepare the ribbon and learn one stitch unique to this style of embroidery then you are off with your first simple project, a wild rose.  The subjects portrayed in this book are flowers, a wide range of favorites found in English gardens as well as vessels and backgrounds to set them off.  This book is filled with projects suitable for all types of applications and many are small enough to enable you to practice by making some greetings cards.  As well as the embroidery stitches there is also advice on the painting aspect, for which you do not need to be proficient in art, merely capable of some simple techniques such as making a simple flower pot stencil with a piece of card.  Add to this the fairly small format and helpful spiral bound spine enabling the book to stay open, and you have a book that is going to stay on my keeper shelf.

Most of the material in this book was previously published in two books, Beginner’s Guide to Silk Ribbon Embroidery (1998) [Amazon US || UK] and Silk Ribbon Embroidery Designs and Techniques (2002). [also reviewed on Myshelf].

If you cannot find a good range of ribbon and other embroidery materials locally try SearchPress.com for a list of suppliers.