Silk ribbon, again

[tonyb]

I've posed this query before. While I appreciated the responses, they were mostly commentary. What I could use now is something more definitive.

So ... how best to fashion silk ribbon into hat bands and bows? I have come into a supply of what is apparently antique silk ribbon (or so its packaging and a burn test would indicate). There is more available, but I am of course reluctant to buy anything I may well not be using.

I assume it will be more challenging than working with cotton/rayon blend grosgrain. I don't have much money into this stuff, but I'd still rather not waste any in a failed experiment. It'll be a couple of days until the hat I'm considering for this ribbon will be ready for it. I'd like as much info as I can get before diving in.

 

[tonyb]

Bump

Anyone? Ain't none a y'all got wives or sumpin that might know how to work with silk ribbon?

I'm about to give this a try. Wish me well.

 

[tonyb]

Well, aside from one PM, my silk ribbon inquiry has fetched nary a response.

So, here's what I can tell you about this stuff ...

It's more difficult to work with than cotton/rayon grosgrain, especially in the crafting of bows. It doesn't have as much body, so getting it to held a shape is tougher. That's why I opted for a simple bow, much simpler than the ones I usually make. (I had made a fancier bow, but, frankly, it looked a bit "off," so I took it apart and reused much of the ribbon in making the plainer one pictured here.)

It swirls well enough.

I tested a short piece of it by soaking it in warm water. It gave up a bit of dye, so the ribbon I used on the hat got hand washed and air dried. I'm hoping that step caused it to give up as much dye as it's likely to.

This stuff wrinkles readily. I sprayed some cold water on the crown to put the bash in it (this is a quite stiff Western-weight beaver body, so getting it to take a new shape requires it) and got a bit of spray on the ribbon. It wrinkled, but the wrinkles all but disappeared as the water dried. I then sprayed the entire ribbon with water and hit it with a hairdryer, in an attempt to shink it just a skosh. Seemed to work okay.

As to its appearance ... well, that's a matter of taste, I suppose. I call it nosgrain (silent "s"). It has more sheen than your typical blended grosgrain And it looks good (I think) against this chocolate brown body (it's actually darker than it appears in the photos).

 

[Feraud]

There is a definite visual difference in the silk ribbon versus the grosgrain blend.
It is not bad looking and I can see it working well on a porkpie hat.

Will this "nosgrain" ribbon have a place in your hatmaking toolbox?