The Role of Ribbon in the television Series--The Tudors

Beautiful jacquard on Anne of Cleeves played by Joss Stone.

Double faced satin woven into the shoulders of Lady Mary.

Hi all.  My daughter, who is our photographer, graphic designer and cheerleader for our business is a huge fan of historical dramas and loved the costumes on the Tudors which she just streamed with her new Roku box.  Costume designer Joan Bergin has been heralded for the parade of eye candy costumes in this series.  My daughter said she had to wait a long time to see it, but finally in the last episode of season three, ribbon was incorporated in so much of the costumes.  Epaulettes on the visiting Prince Phillip, an intricate weaving of ribbon at the shoulder of Lady Mary and a wide jacquard ribbon across the breastbone of Anne of Cleeves.

 The opening episode of season four continued to  celebrate ribbon with velvets, double faced satins and stunning jacquards.  The show is a visual feast to begin with and we would be honored to supply a drama or series such with ribbon from Over the Moon Ribbons for their costumes.


Read more about the costumes on the Tudors site.

 

Season Four:  Both king and queen sport ribbon on their costumes.

Ribbon Magic----Make your Favorite Ribbon Wider to Make a Belt or other Craft Project

Here's a little trick if you have a beautiful ribbon that is not wide enough for your project. You only need 5 items for this trick. This is our Burberry inspired plaid. It's a very popular ribbon and can easily be made into a belt.

It comes in two widths--5/8 inch and 1 inch along with its cousins blueberry and raspberry plaid.


To make the ribbon wider  you will need:

Stitch Witchery

• Your ribbon(s) of choice.
• Wider blending or contrasting ribbon in the wider width you want to end up with.  We suggest Grosgrain or Lyon taffeta ribbon.
• Scissors.
• A fusible bond such as Heat and Bond or Stitch Witchery brand, available at most craft stores, and/or a sewing machine.
•  iron (if using fusible heat and bond webbing).

Here are some examples of what the 1 inch width  Burberry inspired plaid ribbon looks like stitched, or "stitch-witcheried"onto a 1-1/2 inch length of grosgrain ribbon.

 Notice by using a different colored background the look changes. You may want to use lighter colors for spring and summer.

The spools of fusible webbing give directions that are easy to follow but if  your finished project will be worn and laundered, you may want to consider sewing the ribbons together.  Most of the ribbons on our site are 100% washable. 

Creativity abounds using this method, you may want to use several lengths of a narrower ribbon such as the Blueberry Plaid used on the tan grosgrain to create a belt. When making my belts, I use the Stitch Witchery, and then stitch with the machine.

Some additional info that my be helpful.
The fusible bond may ooze out onto your ironing board, use a cloth to protect your ironing board.
Fusible bond comes in several widths, it can also be easily cut.
If using both a fusible bond and sewing, you may need a heavier needle on your machine to handle the bulk of the project.

As always, if you make any of our crafts, we can post your photos on our Facebook page. 


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How To Make a Beautiful Faux Poinsettia

Whether you are decorating your Christmas tree, adding color to your packages, or using it for table decor, this easy-to-make poinsettia is sure to please.  I used Over the Moon Ribbons Elite red velvet for this particular poinsettia , however, you may choose to use any color that will work with your decor.


What you will need:

• between 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 inch wired ribbon
• sharp scissors
• craft glue (Sobo) or glue gun
• small beads or berries that simulate the stamen of a flower (any craft store will have these in the silk flower section)or a sparkly piece of jewelry
• 12-inch piece wire or 1 pipe cleaner

Step 1:  cut 4 pieces of  ribbon approximately 8 inches long
Step 2:  cut 4 pieces of ribbon approximately 6 inches  long
Step 3:  take each piece of ribbon and cut a point on each end
Step 4:  start with the longer pieces of ribbon.  Fan out into a flower shape.  Squeeze all of them at the center.  While continuing to squeeze, add the shorter pieces on top.  (If it looses it's shape, don't  worry, you can reshape).
Step 5:  Fold wire in half, fold side at top of flower.  Now add the wire or pipe cleaner to your flower twisting as tight as you can at bottom of faux flower.
Step 6:  Glue the berries or  jewelry to center of flower (glue gun or craft glue (Sobo) will work fine.

For a video tutorial with additional tips, try our extremely popular video:

 Enjoy!

The Ribbon Lady