Ribbon Roses
By Delle Jacobs
These ribbon roses are so easy to make I'm almost embarrassed to
call them a craft. They're not only easy, they can be made
elegant, frilly, tailored, fanciful, or realistic,
 according
to your needs. I decorate presents, trim lampshades, spice up a
fan from my collection, or a picture frame. They make a special
impact on the baskets I donate to our local chapter's annual
Readers' Luncheon to support literacy.
TOOLS AND SUPPLIES: All of my roses are made from wired ribbon.
I use a width between 1 1/2 to 3 inches, but wider or narrower
ribbon could be used, too. Unwired ribbon could be used, I'm
sure, but the technique would be different. You can be creative
in the color and type of ribbon. I love multi-colored, gauzy
types, but here I've tried some unusual ones like the electric
blue and been surprised. I thought it was too stiff.
If you are going to make stems, you need some green, florist's
stem tape, that roll of green stuff in the middle of the photo.
If you don't want stems, don't bother. You might want to add
green leaves. I swiped mine from some old, raggedy silk flowers,
but you could cut out your own from ribbon, cloth or paper, or
buy them separately at craft or fabric stores. I've trimmed one
of my roses here with loops of narrow ribbon, but you could use
lace or lots of other things, too.
 Scissors
are necessary, as is florist's wire, but glue is optional most
of the time. Some flowers just won't cooperate without it. You
may want to use thread to sew the base of your rose.
STEP 1: For your first experiment, cut a length of ribbon to
18-30 inches. Wider ribbons can make bigger roses with more rows
of petals, but they need more ribbon. A little rosebud can be
done with as little as 18 inches. The pastel, multi-color ribbon
in the photo is 1 3/4 inches wide, and I'm using about 28 inches
because I want to have two long streamers.
Begin about 8 inches from one end, and roll the ribbon in a
fairly tight roll to form the center. (This is a very
uncooperative ribbon and won't hold its shape well. I chose it
for its distinct white edges to photograph better, but it's a
pain.) Pinch - crumple - the lower wire of the ribbon down as
tightly as you can.
STEP 2: Now start folding the ribbon. I'm showing this step with
a blue ribbon because it's
easier to see. Fold the ribbon to the back at a 45-degree angle
then fold it again, letting each fold make a square corner. You
can make your folds very tight and crisp, as with this blue
ribbon, or make them loose and fairly freeform. Keep folding in
a spiral, making each row of folds behind the previous ones and
always folding the ribbon to the back.
Spiral your folds around the tail of ribbon you left hanging at
the beginning so that it protrudes out the bottom. Later, it
will become either the stem or one of the steamers, depending on
what you want. Make about three rows of folds for the average
rose. A small rosebud would only need a few folds, but a big one
made from wide ribbon might have four, maybe more. The more rows
you make, though, the harder it is to hold the flower together
while you're making it. For most ribbons, you should pinch
little pleats in the lower wire at the flower's base as you go.
(Some heavier ribbons don't work as well this way, and it's best
to wait until you have finished folding the ribbon.) Keep
folding backward, in a spiral, and pinching in the lower wire as
you go until you have enough folds to make the petals for the
rose you want.
 STEP
3: Fold the leftover end downward and hold it at the base with
your left hand, next to the strip of ribbon that's running
through the center. With your right hand, grab that tight center
you made in the beginning and twist clockwise to tighten up the
spiral of folds.
Right about now, you may be thinking you don't like your rose,
but keep working. Shaping comes later. If the rose begins to
lose its spiral shape, pull down on the central core ribbon that
dangles from the middle, and twist it back into shape. Wrap the
middle of a length of wire tightly around the base, and tighten
it with a twist. If the flower starts to lose its shape, it's
not tight enough. Some ribbons, like this multi-color pastel,
just won't cooperate because the wire isn't strong enough to
keep the shape. For those, I put little drops of tacky glue deep
into the center on all rows, and hold it for a minute or two
while it sets. Sometimes I've sewn the flower through its base
at this point, especially if it needs more stability.
STEP 4: Now you get to
work on shaping your rose. Try a few different ways, maybe
spreading out the points or turning them back and down.
Sometimes "scrunching" the rose in your hand gives the look you
want. Try pinching the points and giving a little twist. Shift
the petals around, poke, prod, pull gently until you like the
shape. Sometimes, the more wrinkled the better.
If you don't want stems, then you have two streamers already
built in. Just crinkle the loose ribbon or let it lie smoothly
as desired. Add a special touch, like several strips of narrow
ribbon in contrasting colors, or set the rose on a contrasting
bow. How about some colored feathers or a round of gathered
lace?
STEP 5: If you want a
stem, then wrap part of the second streamer around the base and
trim off excess. The first streamer should be tightly twisted.
From the florist's tape, cut some short strips about 1 inch
long, and cut points at one end. Arrange them around the base
with the points toward the blossom then start wrapping the tape
very tightly at the top to secure the points. Wrap spirally
downward, keeping wrapping tight, and smooth the end of the tape
at the bottom of the stem. You can add leaves about halfway down
if you want them. Just stick the stem end of the leaf into the
wrapping and keep on going down.
 Here
you can see the little pink rosebud with its wrapped stem.
There's a bigger pink rose with streamers. I put these on a
burgundy lampshade. I confess when I tried the blue rose, I
didn't think it would work, but once done, I decided I'll make
several for my literacy basket this year, to use with this blue
toile tissue in a basket with a glossy white paint job.
You can use any color or type of ribbon you want. I have one
that looks like a sea-green mesh. Haven't tried it yet, but why
not? Plaid? I just picked up a lavender, pink and blue one.
Worth a try! Gold? Imagine it topping a bow at Christmas.
Good cat
that she is, Jinx never messes up my projects, even when I'm
laying them out on the bed for display, but she wanted to be in
all the photos. As soon as I would click, there she was again. I
think she's decided to take credit for the gold rose. She looks
proud enough.
Delle Jacobs
has frenetic hands. She is an expert knitter and has been sewing
and doing crafts all her life. Now that she has discovered the
magic of computer-generated art, she has turned her non-writing
time to designing original covers for e-books. You can see some
of her artwork at
www.dellejacobs.com.
To email this
article to a friend, click
here.
back to the top
Scottish Dishes
By Sandy Blair
Some claim all Scottish food is based on a dare, yet I find most
quite enjoyable.
Since International Tartan Day is April 6, here are three easy
and hearty recipes to get you in the mood. I've had to tweak
them a wee bit, since some of the original ingredients--like
bere meal (a type of barley) and Aberdeen Angus--might not be
readily available to you. All the recipes will serve 8.
Skirlied Potatoes
from Aberdeen
Filling:
2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 pint cream
Salt and pepper
Topping:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 stick of butter
Layer potatoes and onions, alternating layers in a greased pie
pan. Season each layer with salt and pepper. When layers are
done, pour in the cream.
To make topping: melt butter in small saucepan, add onion, and
cook until tender. Add oatmeal and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over layers, and bake at 350 degrees
for 30-40 minutes.
Beef and Bacon Pie
from Ayrshire
1 1/2 pounds diced beef loin (Aberdeen Angus beef stated in the
original recipe)
1/2 pound diced pork loin (Ayrshire pork stated)
1 large carrot, diced
1 sliced leek
1 red onion, wedged
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon basil
1 pint beef stock
2 ounces of red wine
A little Madeira
Salt and pepper
Flour for dusting meat
Puff pastry top
Oil and butter for meat sealing
Dust meats with coarsely ground pepper, salt and flour, then
sear/brown in hot skillet with a little vegetable oil and a
"knob" (rounded tablespoon) of butter. Place meat in casserole
dish.
Deglaze pan with the wine and some Madeira. Add to meat.
Add veggies, herbs, beef stock and garlic. Cover and cook in
325-degree oven for two hours.*
Remove from oven, adjust seasoning if needed, and turn into pie
pan or fancy casserole. Cover with puff pastry**, brush with
egg wash (egg and cream), pop back into the oven at 375
degrees and cook until pastry has risen and is golden brown.
*Make the meat and veggie filling the day before for fuller
flavor.
**You can use Pepperidge Farm puff-pastry sheets found in the
refrigerator section of your grocery store.
Traditional Plum Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
Beat:
1/2 cup soft butter
Add gradually:
1 cup sugar
Blend in, one at a time: 6 eggs
Combine 1 cup raisins, currants, and walnuts or pecans. Sprinkle
lightly with flour so they don't sink. Add this mix to the
above.
Now blend in:
2 cups plain bread crumbs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Turn into pretty, greased baking dish/mold. Bake at 375 degrees
for 30 minutes.
Hard Sauce:
1 cup sifted, powdered sugar
2-5 tablespoons softened butter (the more the merrier is my
philosophy)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of a good Highland whiskey (but any kind will do in
a pinch)
1/4 cup cream
Beat until smooth; chill thoroughly. Spoon over warm pudding
when ready to serve.
Hope you enjoy!
From those hunks
IN A KILT and
Sandy Blair
For metric conversions of the measurements above, consult any of
the following sites:
http://southernfood.about.com/library/info/blconv.htm
http://www.thatsmyhome.com/recipes/conversion.htm
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/conversions.htm
To email this
article to a friend, click
here.
To read last month's
Stuff to Make article, click
here.
back to the top
|
