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What Ribbon to Use:
I recommend 100% silk. Silk is wonderful to work with! The ribbon comes in a wide variety of width, but the most common widths are 2mm, 4mm, and 7mm.
2mm -- great for French knots, small leaves and buds, and daisies
4mm -- the width most often used in all flowers and leaves
7mm -- great for gathered flowers, large leaves and any flowers where you want a full look
Buy at least 3 meters to 5 meters of each color you want to use in your project. Buy 3 to 6 shades of green. There are several companies now hand-dying silk in variegated and other dyes. Another ribbon on the market is the Hand-Dyed Bias-Cut ribbon. Great for gathered flowers!
How to select the right needle for your projects:
When you are stitching through a tightly woven fabric, use a chenille needle. It has a sharp point and a large eye. These two features help get the ribbon through the fabric with the least stress.
If you are stitching on a sweater or a loose woven fabric, a tapestry needle should be used.
In either case, the size of the ribbon determines the size of the needle:
2mm -- use size 22 or 24
4mm -- use size 20 or 22
7mm -- use size 18
NOTE: work with the ribbon no more than 10" to 12" in length.
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