I love taking classes to learn new crafts. Sometimes I like them, sometimes I realize they are not for me, but I am always glad I tried out something new. I took a beginner’s silk ribbon embroidery workshop and surprised myself with how much I enjoyed it.
The class was taught by Victoria Adams Brown, who has written two books on the subject, and studied and taught all over the world. It is very fortunate that she happens to live just outside of Philadelphia. It is even more fortunate that the Mennonite Heritage Center (also just outside of Philadelphia) was looking for a silk ribbon embroidery instructor. And the greatest fortune of all is that I have a very creative and resourceful friend was able to track this all down, and connect the two to make the workshop happen.
The project for the class was to create a decorated initial panel learning and using six stitches. The class participants ranged from people who were very comfortable with regular embroidery, to those who had never done a stitch, and yet everyone’s work was beautiful. I was surprised that embroidering with ribbon seemed to be easier than using thread. Some of the stitches are fiddly, and since it was the first time attempting them, they did require quite a bit of concentration, but the ribbon is very forgiving.
I originally took this class because I would one day like to make a crazy quilt and knew I want to use some of this embroidery on that, but it just may end up being something that I do from time to time just for the fun of it. I did buy a small pack of ribbons to take home, just in case.
alookatthelittlethings 
I love silk ribbon embroidery, time I did some more. So glad you enjoyed it too.
It is odd having stitches be so dimensional, but it gives it such a nice look.
That is a beautiful piece of artwork!
It will eventually be the letter A. It’s fun to watch it “bloom”.
That is so very pretty. I used to do a lot of embroidery but never tried the silk ribbon.
I’ve done embroidery too, but this was my first go with the ribbons. Four of the six stitches we did were familiar from regular embroidery.
There’s such an old-timey, romantic look to this!
It feels very Victorian to me.