A Winter Wreath in Silk-Ribbon Embroidery

The Twelve Months of Ornaments, created by our own PieceWork team members, is our way of saying thank you to our All Access subscribers for being such valued members of our community. Monthly seasonal ornament patterns invite you to enjoy needle-crafting with us all year. Relax, try a new craft, or savor a familiar craft in quick-to-accomplish projects that are a pleasure to make. It has been so much fun for us at Long Thread Media to work together on these ornaments, and we hope you’ll share your finished pieces using #pieceworkmagazine. We can’t wait to see them!

I love the way that silk ribbon adds dimension to even the simplest design, and I selected shades of overdyed ribbon to bring even more richness to the leaves and buds in this winter wreath ornament. Silk ribbon has been used for needlework in Europe and Asia for centuries: in the United States, the Moravians in Pennsylvania developed their own signature style of embroidery using silk ribbon as early as the late 1700s.

Seasonal shades of luxurious reds and deep forest greens, and textured stitches including French and colonial knots, bring depth to the wreath. The stems and branches are embroidered in stem stitch using one or two strands of silk floss, and the blue buds are colonial knots stitched from one strand of a 20/2 spun silk thread. The Japanese ribbon stitch gives the petals (and some of the leaves) a realistic point, and a bit of a curl at the tip.

Pat’s winter wreath would be a lovely holiday gift

Make this to add cheer to your home during the winter, or give it as a gift to warm the heart of someone you love.

Find tips for silk-ribbon embroidery from Deanna Hall West here.

Materials

• 1 piece of white linen fabric at least 8" x 8" (20 x 20 cm)

• Treenway Silks silk ribbon 3.5 mm (100% silk), 5 yd (4.6 m)/skein: 1 skein each of

  • Montano Cedar
  • Montano Rhododendron
  • #42 Opera Velvet
  • #43 Harlequin

• Treenway Silks Zen Shin 20/2 spun thread (100% silk), 10 yd (9.2 m)/skein: 1 skein each of

  • #211 Triumph Green
  • #206 Danish Blue

• Treenway Silks Harmony six strand silk floss (100% silk), 5 yd (4.6 m)/skein: 1 skein

  • #39 Tasmanian Myrtle

• Needles: Chenille needle size 16 for ribbon embroidery, embroidery needle size 7 for one or two strands of floss, and embroidery needle size 5 for spun thread.

• Washable marker, pen, or pencil, to transfer design

• Small sharp scissors

• Embroidery Hoop measuring 4" (10 cm) in diameter for working and finishing

Current All Access subscribers can log in below to instantly access the instructions and chart to stitch your own Winter Wreath Ornament.

Directions

Center and trace design lightly onto the fabric. Stitch design following diagram.