NEEDLEWORK edge is outstanding. The ribbon should be threaded through a coarse-eyed tapestry needle, and pulled up through the material at the commencement and through the back when the flower or leaf is finished. All the intermediate fashioning should be done by the running and drawing up with fin^ silk. Numerous invisible tackings will greatly assist in the formation of the petals. The stems of the flowers in giant ribbon work 762 Basket worked in brown embroidet^ and gold thread, miniature ribbon are generally embroidered, knots are some- times used, and should be in rat- tail chenille or a thick make of silk, to accord with the bold- ness of the ribbon effects. It is strictly in accordance with precedent that knots, embroidery stitches, and even small beads or sequins should be used, many of the old examples show ribbon bows held down with small beads, or a rich effect is produced if sequins are sewn on the back- ground. They must be small and sewn at regular mtervals. A good plan to achieve this without irksome measuring is to spread a sheet of stamps on the material to be worked, and to mark with a sharp pointed pencil the comer of each stamp through the perfora- tions. If such squares are too large, a piece of paper can easily be folded into the required size, cut at the corners, so that the pencil can be used. Miniature Ribbon Work The material for this is ajx)ut one-eighth of an inch wide, and is used for the finer kinds of ribbon work, where slightly raised and very delicate effects are de- sired. It is made in plain and ombre colours, and in Paris it is possible to get fine gold thread in the weave. The ribbon costs about ^d. per yard, and very small pieces work wonders in em- bellishment. When commencing a piece of ribbon work the embroidress will be wise to provide herself with a wide range of shades, especially in greens, for the foliage. Commence the work by bringing the ribbon up through the background material, but do not make a knot. A' stitch of fine sewing silk will serve to hold down the end, if it is feared that it might work up. Use the ribbon like a piece of silk in ordinary embroidery, but al- ways be careful in drawing the ribbon through that there is no twist, or the leaf will look poor and skimpy and will be ill-shaped. It is not wise to take a long needleful of ribbon, as the constant passing through the stuff impoverishes it. There are other methods of using the ribbon, all of which are well illustrated in our pictures. It may be laid flat and sewn down at regular intervals with tiny gold or £, • , , silver metal beads : it may Mowers in natural colours , • j i • r -n - be run up mto tmy frills to represent roses, as on the bag ; or be used to form the petals by overlapping, as in the roses in the pole screen or tray decoration. All these methods were used by the ribbon workers at the end of the eighteenth century. Some Su£:gestions It is hardly necessar} to add that ribbon work should always be done in a frame. It is impossible to obtain the right, loosely- arranged, yet secure result without puckering when done on the hand. Though ribbon work is usually carried Veil sachet embroidered in ribbon work, flowers in natural coloured shaded .ibbons
