These Vicki Day Ribbons have something unusual in the world of silk ribbons. Using River Silks as the base thread, the 20 colors have a wonderful variety in each shade that will lend a unique touch to your needlepoint.
I recently tested the 4mm size of ribbon in a couple of ornaments, above and below. I loved how they performed and I’m excited to use them again.
The River Silks ribbons are very sturdy. I found them to be sturdy enough that they did not need to be locked into the needle, but could just be threaded. Because Vicki winds her threads on paper spools, the thread had no kinks. The ends are secured with adhesive tags that came off the ribbon easily so the entire length of thread can be used.
Vicki uses with high-quality dyes made for silk, so her colors are vibrant. The colors in the green ribbon in the ornament above, for example, are similar to those in Caron’s Distant Hills Watercolours — but look how much brighter they are! This is because of the dyes used.
Because each of her ribbons uses several different hues, accent colors are often found in several of her shades. This means that even wildly different colors, such as the green and pink in the ornament above, work together. Use too many shades, as in the ornament below, and you’ll find your stitches lose definition. This can be overcome by using the ribbons in more dimensional stitches, like those found in Silk Ribbon Embroidery.
I found that the ribbons were greatly enhanced in needlepoint when other threads were added to the project. The ornament above which only uses ribbons is a bit dull because the texture of the ribbons, while strong, is uniform. The ornament at the top of the article looks better because the Frosty Rays and metallic ribbon add textures that set off the silk ribbons nicely.
You can learn more about these lovely ribbons and see all the colors on Vicki’s website. Ribbon can also be ordered there.
Please note: samples of this ribbon were made available to me for testing and review purposes.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
judy says
I just got my first shipment of Vicki Day ribbons and love them. Can hardly wait to see them used
Thank you
Judy Golden Needle Arts Las Vegas NV