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!

Materials Monday: Waxed Linen Cord

Waxed linen is a strong, consistent material that works great for knotting. The wax coating on these cords makes well defined, crisp knots and holds the knots well in place. It comes in a wide variety of colors and thicknesses referred to as "ply". I use a 4-ply in most of my jewelry and that seems to be the standard medium size. A single strand of 4-ply will fit most beads. I tend to use multiple strands of it in my designs if I'm using larger beads. Plus, more strands gives me more design options when I'm beading and I also like the texture and fullness of the multiple cords.

Irish waxed linen cord is the best you can buy. You can find Irish waxed linen online at Bello Modo, Ornamentea and Royalwood, Ltd. Also, please visit our contributor, Tracy Statler's blog for more information about using Irish waxed linen cord. She also has some great jewelry ideas and tutorials! Check her out!

Materials Monday: Hand Dyed Ribbon

I got one of those email updates last week, from one of my favorite online shopping sources, LimaBeads.com. They have a brand new hand-dyed Silk Ribbon selection that is to die for! I ordered several as soon as I saw it! I'm still waiting for it to arrive, I can't wait!  Here are some of my favorite colors.

The ribbons come in 2 widths,  7/16" and 1".  They come with unfinished edges- but that's ok! I like the fraying edges lately, it adds a nice organic feel to any jewelry design. Check out the whole selection at Limabeads.com.