Ribbon Basics: All the Stitches & Techniques of Silk Ribbon Work & Embroidery [Hardcover]

Mary Jo Hiney (Author), Joy Anckner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1995

A complete primer of techniques and stitches, this collection includes a sampler for each letter of the alphabet. Colour pattern pages idicate stitches and ribbon work placement, making the book suitable even for beginners.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

If normal embroidery thread and needles are difficult to maneuver, ribbon work might appeal. Hiney and Anckner combine talents and techniques to create 26 completely different projects, one for each letter of the alphabet. A few of the designs do stretch to match letters with specific plants and/or flowers, and a few finished pieces might seem a bit too crowded and cluttered. Nonetheless, this is a do-it-yourself introduction to a simple craft. Barbara Jacobs

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Sterling Pub Co Inc; First Edition edition (May 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806912944
• ISBN-13: 978-0806912943
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,380 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not For Beginners, April 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Ribbon Basics: All The Stitches & Techniques Of Silk Ribbon Work & Embroidery (Paperback)

Don't let the title fool you - this book is not for beginners. I was expecting a sampler or sample page of various types of stitches along with their names and step by step instructions on how to create the stitches. Instead, I got a book that shows a number of different projects that showcase a specific letter of the alphabet - all 26 of them - A-Z. An attempt is made to match each letter of the alphabet with a flower and create a piece that showcases that flower. The index lists a total of 18 stitches amongst all of the flower names. Unfortunately, you will have to leaf through the book to look at each stitch to see if it is the one you want to learn how to make. The instructions are then sketchy at best, sometimes showing only the completed stitch and how a number of them combine to make the flower. I am selling my book.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An ABC's Guide to Ribbon Embroidery, April 27, 2000

By 

Jodie L Vuckovich - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ribbon Basics: All The Stitches & Techniques Of Silk Ribbon Work & Embroidery (Paperback)

If you have never done ribbon embroidery, you might want to choose another book for your first instruction book. But if you already have some experience, this book offers inspriation as well as guidance. There's not much in the way of basic information, such as choosing fabrics or ribbons, but each letter of the alphabet offers a new example of doing ribbon monograms as well as illustrated step-by-step instructions for various stitches and flowers. They have to stretch things a little on some letters (even THEY couldn't think up any flowers that start with X). Every letter also features a full color photograph of the stitches/flowers used for that letter, as well as a multi-color stitch guide to follow. While I haven't used any of their guides "as is," I have found their projects inspirational. The instructions for stitches easy to understand and the alphabetical organization of stitches and flowers helpful in planning my own projects.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for inspiration, December 28, 2001

By 

Eve Butterly (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ribbon Basics: All The Stitches & Techniques Of Silk Ribbon Work & Embroidery (Paperback)

If you're looking for patterns and techniques you can take right off the page and put on your cloth, you'll be disappointed. The projects illustrated are too frou-frou for my tastes to do 'as is' (and unless your tastes run towards gobs of Victorian embellishments, probably yours too) but it gave me ideas how to combine stitches into designs. This book also has instructions on how to do many gathered flowers with wider or wired ribbon. In addition to flowers by alphabet (including some unusual choices like caladiums), there are instructions on how to make decorative initials; something I haven't seen before. Each project picture is shown in a wide shot, then a close up, and a drawn diagram the same size as the close up, so you can easily see the details, and what goes where. As a modestly experienced embroideress, I will use this book mostly for inspiration when dreaming up my own designs. P.S. I'm surprised they didn't use Zantedeschia (calla lilies) for the letter Z!