Ribbon weaving is an old kind of needlework. Craftswomen used a narrow silk or satin ribbon for weaving round laces and flowers. The tape was used for three-dimensional embroidery and decoration of various textile products. Narrow and wide satin ribbons were widely used in the decoration of national costumes among many peoples of the world. There is another well-known way where weaving from ribbons is used to create a decorative fabric, from which very beautiful textile items are then sewn - handbags, wallets, decorative pillowcases for pillows, napkins and clothing.
The techniques for creating a decorative canvas from colored satin ribbons are quite simple, but the products are very beautiful and original. It’s better to start mastering this technique with a small subject, for example, a small bag or cosmetic bag, and then try to weave fabric for a vest or skirt, because the principle of weaving is the same.
Handmade ribbon weaving
For work, you need two types of fabric. One dense, well-held shape, such as a linen collar or dense cotton fabric. The other is lining. The size of the cuts will depend on the size of the bag. If the handbag is 20x20 cm in size, then two 42x22 cm cuts will be needed (we leave 2 centimeters at the seams). Still will need a zipper 20 cm long and, of course, many multi-colored satin narrow ribbons. Ribbons of two colors will create a simple two-color “checkerboard”; if there are more colors, the pattern will turn out to be more complicated. We cut the ribbons into pieces equal to the width and height of the bag, with an allowance of about 5 cm. In our case, these will be pieces of 47 cm and 27 cm.
1. Pins tapes on two sides of the dense base fabric - top and side, leaving a small allowance. We lay the tapes tightly to each other. We start weaving. Ordinary plain weaving can be used . For this, the tape of the horizontal row passes either above the tape, then under the tape of the vertical row. It turns out a “chess pattern” from the alternation of multi-colored or one-color squares. You can distribute ribbons by color in different ways. For example, arrange the ribbons alternating in color (one ribbon of one color, the other next to another), or create groups of 3-4 ribbons of the same color. The number of ribbons in groups on the vertical and horizontal sides of the fabric should be the same, then the squares of the pattern will be larger.
2. The weaving of ribbons after each woven row must be sealed by moving the rows of ribbons as densely as possible to each other. So, interlacing row by row, we get an original decorative fabric. After all the rows of ribbons are woven, we fix them along the edges of the base fabric with a thread. We align the edges with scissors, cutting off the uneven ends of the ribbons. We bend the fabric in half with ribbon weaving inward and sew on the sides, then turn it out. The resulting bag. You can insert parts on the sides of a round or oval shape from a dense, better satin fabric of a similar or contrasting color. Then the handbag will be oval.
3. A piece of lining fabric is also bent and stitched. Insert the lining inside the bag. We recommend to sheathe the upper edge of the handbag with a ribbon, making a piping. Then, slightly departing from the edge, we sew in a zipper. That, in fact, is all.
Using the same principle, using multi-colored or plain ribbons, make garments - berets, vests or skirts. Weaving with clothing ribbons begins with cutting out the details from the base fabric, on which then the necessary length tapes are applied on both sides and, intertwining them, create the original color fabric. Separately, each detail of the product is performed, and then the finished parts of the pattern are sewn together. Such products are necessarily “planted” on the lining. The lower sections, as well as the neckline and armhole on the vest, are made with an oblique trim.
Any product where weaving was used with ribbons (handbag, vest or beret) can be decorated with flowers. Weaving from ribbons of flowers is not a complicated process, you can master it by looking at the Internet, where many different recommendations are given.