Materials Monday: Silk Ribbon

Today I'm talking about Silk Ribbon. Looking at this picture, can you tell the difference between the silk ribbons?
Are you shaking your head wondering what I'm talking about? It may all look similar but there are definite differences in these- and I want you to learn what they are and give you examples on how to use each.









Silk ribbon from Marsha Neal's Etsy shop or website is all hand-dyed. Marsha's supplier is a talented friend who hand-dies each ribbon in every color imaginable.  They come in strands typically 40-42 inches long, which is a nice generous length when used in beading projects!

Here are the basic sizes of ribbon. The 2mm silk is more like a cording, round in shape, and fairly narrow. This would be good for stringing beads with medium sized holes but could need a bit of coaxing.
The Fairy ribbon has a different texture. The edges are all hand-stitched, and the ribbon is almost transparent- a lightweight option to use with wire working, cording ends, fold over ends, etc.
The Silky ribbon is the widest of the three. It also has hand-stitched edges.  A more opaque ribbon, with a deeper color and just as versatile as the other two! You can use it on it's own or pair with a beaded strand, finish the ends with ribbon ends or wrapped wire.

 

example using fairy ribbon

 

 example using 2mm silk cording

example with Silky ribbon

Here's a small sampling of some of the colors that the silk comes in.

And that isn't even the HALF of it!

You can purchase groupings of ribbons from Marsha's sites in varying colors. It's a nice way to stock up on that cool component that works for many different designs.

Tune back in on Saturday for Silk Ribbon Giveaway, 

only here at A Jewelry Accord!

Thank you Marsha for the use of your photographs for this post!