Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Twist and Shout...Twist and Shout! Come on Come on Baby Now!! Twisted Ribbon Tutorial

Okay, so I have that Beatles song in my head.  Why is it still so good 50 odd years later?!?!

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last post and welcome to my new followers.  Today I am going to attempt to describe how to do the twisted ribbon finish.  I stress the word "attempt" because I may leave out some info.  If I do, please don't hesitate to let me know, alright?

Twisted Ribbon Tutorial with Two Ribbons

1. Pick two different coloured ribbons, a neutral thread and a sewing needle.  You also need some patience as this is a fiddly project!



2. Knot the end of your thread and poke it through the middle or to the left side on the bottom of your pillow.  I usually like to start at the bottom because if you are displaying the pillow in a bowl, then the bottom isn't really seen. 



3.  Take your two ribbons and wind your thread around the ends and poke it through the pillow again to make it secure.  I did this two times because the silk ribbons are delicate and I didn't want them coming apart. Don't worry if your thread is visible.  When you come back towards where you started, you can add a couple of loops to hide the start!

4.  Next, poke your needle through a bit of the seam under the ribbon, then poke it coming up through both ribbons (it should be coming from underneath the ribbons so that the needle is poking upwards not downwards into the pillow).  Twist the ribbons and squish them a bit so they make a little bulge. 



5. The tricky part.  Come back down into both ribbons a teeny bit away from where your thread is coming up from and into the seam of the pillow a little bit away as well.  


See how the thread is going down into the ribbons?  Don't worry about the loose ribbons, when you put it into the seam and pull a bit they will tighten up.


Here's a better photo of coming up and down into the ribbon and into the seam.

6.  Keep twisting your ribbon one or two times clockwise and squish a bit so they look loopy...lol.  I often changed the direction of the twisting and sometimes twisted counterclockwise to create a more haphazard la-dee-da effect.  


Let the ribbons go where they may and continue this pattern until you finish the edging.  There were a few times I didn't like the way the ribbon looped so I took out a few stitches and re-twisted in a different direction for the loops to look good. 


I tried to keep the loops somewhat the same size but allowed a few to be a bit bigger and smaller as that was what I wanted.  

7. To finish, I knotted my thread under a loop and pulled it through the seam a couple of times...no one can see it!


There you go! The twisted ribbon finish inspired by my hubby and finished by me! 

Warning!! Make sure cats are not nearby the ribbons as they will play with the tail ends of the ribbons!!

Another warning...don't pre-cut your ribbon because you won't know how much you will use!




Recognize that fabric Mouse?


Onto other news, I have been cycling like a mad lady and am super sore today.  We met up with a serious cyclist friend (we aren't that serious trust me!) and we toured around the most darling little town yesterday, Fort Langely.  Such a quaint little place! We went to the cutest little candy shop and our eyes popped out of our heads.  I bought some Popeye candies, Gold Rush gum, licorice for my Nana and some other sweets for my hubby.  It was a dream going in there! Here's some photos of our trip!




Bliss


I so wanted this but didn't have room in my bike paniers
Lord of the Rings Pez dispensers!! $40!! Crazy




Our serious cyclist friend.  Hubby...not so serious


A cool wheel from the 1940's in the most amazing antique shop

Fort Langely's Community Hall...beautiful

A gorgeous house now a doctor's office

View of the street before my camera died

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and a peek at Fort Langely!

Take care

Anne



32 comments:

butterfly said...

Oh I must have ago at the twisted ribbon looks lovely .
Great photos ,thanks for sharing.

Parsley said...

Love the twisted ribbom finish. Must try!!!

Melissa said...

Awesome tutorial Ann! I will have to give it a go with and ornament finish one of these days.

Loved to pictures of Fort Langely! Just love BC to pieces :)

cucki said...

aww twisted ribbon is looking so cute..thank you for sharing.
sending you hugs x

Vickie said...

I will use the twisted ribbon someday!
Fort Langley looks really neat.

Aurelia Eglantine said...

Another wonderful tutorial!!! You've got a real knack for them! I've never seen a finish like this, it's so pretty and elegant. Definitely something I'd like to try - I think it would look lovely in red and green (or gold) on a Christmas ornament :)

Very pretty pictures of your trip; I have a weakness for candy too, especially the old-fashioned types! Second only to my need - er, love - for chocolate, LOL ;)

Ellen said...

Beautiful finish, just love your twisted ribbons! Thank you for your tutorial, must try it ha ha!

Yummy candies, I want some ha ha!

Hugs,

Margaret said...

Wow, another tutorial! Another one to bookmark! lol! Thanks for the pics of Fort Langeley too. So cool! And hey, I think you're still a pretty serious cyclist! :D

gracie said...

Explanations well done!

Mary said...

Beautiful finish Anne. Thanks for the tutorial. I love a man who appreciates needlework!
All my boys, including my DH admire my stitching as does my DD.

Looks like you had a great day cycling....so much exercise but so much candy to reward your efforts on the bike :)

Happy Stitching!

marly said...

Nice tour! I really like this twist and your finish is so nice!

Barb said...

Thanks so much for your great tutorial! I have heard of Fort Langley. Looks like a great place to visit!

Annette-California said...

What a great tutorial - Thank you! I am going to give that a go. Loved your tour and the candy shop:))))
What a wonderful day you had. Now does that mean your done for the week and get to rest and stitch?
Lol - love Annette

Mii Stitch said...

Thank you for the tutorial! I've seen this finish before but had no idea how to do it :) I'll have to give it a go x

Chris said...

Lovely finishing technique.
What a great day out. Thanks for taking me along!

Julie said...

So that's how its done.Thanks for showing : )
Loved the pics.

Shirlee said...

Thank you for the tutorial & all the lovely photos! I enjoyed visiting Fort Langely with you : ) I was right there with you in that candy shop ... lol!

Annie said...

Great tute for twisted ribbon. Your stitching looks lovely with that finish.

What a fun little trip. Looks like you really had great weather!

Melissa said...

That's a great tutorial Ann and you did a wonderful job with your finishing!

Fort Langley is a sweet place to visit. That candy shop - I think it used to be a quilt shop many years ago. We were in FL either last summer or the one before and lots had changed. I remembered the mosquitoes though!

Anonymous said...

oh thank you for the tutorial I loved that finish!
those pictures of Fort Langely are amazing, thank you thank you for sharing them!
the candy shop is just too cool, I want that huge Bridges vase too!!
happy xxx,
chiara

Sarah in Stitches said...

Great tutorial, Anne! I absolutely love the fabric you chose for the backing, it's gorgeous!

Carol said...

Another great tutorial, Anne! I haven't tried this one yet--it always looked a bit difficult, but maybe with your instructions, I'll give it a try.

I would love to get my husband up your way--he is another mad cyclist :) Looks like you have some lovely destinations to bike to, also!

Marcy said...

Thanks for the tutorial -- I must give it a try.

Cristina said...

Great tuto! I like all these little tips to improve my finishes.
Hugs, sweetie!

Brigitte said...

Oh yes, I was enjoying both - the clear tutorial and the interesting pictures of a lovely little town.

♥ Nia said...

This looks great! thanks for sharing :D

Lynn said...

Your ribbon finish looks really great Anne! It's the perfect complement for that finish.
Thanks for the tutorial and thanks for sharing the pics of your bike outing. Fort Langley looks like a lovely little town with lots to see. A serious day of cycling should be rewarded with a candy shop like that!

Annette said...

What a wonderfull pictures!!
Your a beautifull crafter ;))

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Your twisted ribbon finish is amazing! I can't quite see how it's done from the photos though. Maybe you could send me the pillow so I can examine it for myself? I'd send it back...one day LOL.

Only joking, your photos and instructions are great, especially the two warnings!

ricketyjo said...

Lovely photos from your trip... and what a wonderful finish with the twisted ribbon, I love the effect, it's gorgeous!

Valma said...

ho my !! wow
this is amazing
so beautiful ! hubby had a wonderful idea and you did it so well ! very very well done sweetie, this pillow is nothing else but splendid =D
I have to try this !! I have no cat hehehe it would be easier maybe =)
xxxx

Maggee said...

great tutorial! I tried this before but not quite as pretty! Thanks for sharing! Hugs!