And so to Bath, to launch the Heart Space Studio book, ‘Little Ribbon Patchwork and Applique’ at the American Museum, with a workshop in the morning to show how to make ribbon beads. I made these originally as a way of using up all the small ends of Jaquard ribbons made by the American company Renaissance Ribbons left over from the other projects in the book – but also to show off the wonderful floating threads that form on the backs of the ribbons.
As the workshop was conducted for just the morning before the launch, we had only 3 hours to make beads, and knowing that choosing the ribbons and felts takes a long time, decision decisions….we had made packs of small pieces of ribbon and the felt strips – enough for 12 beads, added tiny glass beads for embellishing and some gold thread for wrapping and stitching, plus a small wooden skewer on which to assemble the beads. Each student was first asked to choose a package.
constructing the beads is easy peasy – if you can stitch neatly, I showed how to make 3 simple beads with variations.
everyone quickly got wrapping and sewing and inventing different colours and patterns, fascinating to watch so many variations happen at the first ever class I have given in this technique.
just simple plain coloured thread cross stitch when repeated looks lovely..
when all the ribbon beads are strung together with glass beads onto an elastic cord the effect is simply lovely.
After this came the launch party, so we all made our way to the Gallery.
Earlier in the week, we had designed and re-packaged the basic Renaissance Ribbon packs that the gallery had in stock to sell with the books,
we were really pleased with the effect….
lots of other people joined us for the launch…the heart Space tutors and friends all enjoyed a good time together
All in all it was a good day, and lots of other guests have blogged it as well, most notably, Rosemary Murphy on one of her blogs for September 2015 http://storiesinwood.blogspot.co.uk/–
So that’s the Launch sorted, what next?
I have been invited to the Knitting and Stitching show in London by Nik Sewell the owner of The Cotton Patch to demonstrate how to make several simple projects from the book on their stand, F27. And to sell the books as well as lots of Renaissance Ribbons and Kaffe Fassett’s lovely shot cottons that are used throughout the book. So I am now busy developing new combinations as shown above.
JANET HAIGH: HER WORK 
Still doing workshops? Any in OH? I live on the east West side of Cleveland. I create jewelry and am looking for new venues and experiences to change the look in my style off jewelry.
I also would like to hear about any tutorials that might be available.
Hi Sylvia, thanks but sorry no I don’t do any workshops or tutorials with the beads now. But they are so easy to play with using different wrapped threads. lots of opportunity to use glitzy stuff and small amounts and all sorts of bottom of the bead box leftovers – anything goes really and the woven ribbons are very long lasting used in the way – I wear my own necklaces lots of times and they still look fine after 5 years!
Hi Janet, I am the chair of the bead group Sylvia was writing to you about. Is there anyone you can recommend to do a Zoom teaching with Beadesiger International/The New England Bead Society, now in it’s 34th year? Is there any possibility of direct email or speaking via What’s Ap?
HI Naomi,
as you can read in my reply to Sylvia posted above I am now making some plans to organise a presentation/making session for creating these ribbons beads.. i will be in touch with you – Janet
Hi! these are so pretty. Do you use any glue or it all stitching?
Hi Jill, thanks for your question – there is no glue just the stitching first to secure the felt wrapped around the orange stick then decorative stitching to keep the wrapped beads in position and decorate the ribbon joins – they are super easy to make even for a beginner.