spottedeagle

A good trick that I picked up if you are using ribbon for fringe is to wrap the ribbon around a piece of wood or cardboard that is your desired length. I mark the center with a marker on both sides of the cardboard. Slip a piece of heat bond light a 1/2" or so wide under your ribbon, then fold it over top of the ribbon and iron it. Cut your ribbon on the center line on the opposite side. Remove your cardboard and iron the back of your heat bond. Cut your heatbond in half with the ribbon inside. Now you have two sections of ribbon fringe that have heat bond on the one end. After you get enough to go all the way around just sandwich the ribbon between your front material and your backing iron it together and sew it up. That's how I did my tradish outfit and my daughter's fancy shawl, and how I plan to do my both of my sons' fancy outfits. For the mine and my sons outfits I use 1/8" and 1/4 inch ribbon. For my daughter's shawl I used 5/8" and 3/8" ribbon.

When I did my son's grass set a few years back I used yarn. Stretching a piece of base cord between the legs of the ironing board that I turned upside down. It took a while, but it looked good. All depends on the look you are after. I know with the yarn my son got hot pretty easy. With the ribbon it's not as hot because it doesn't trap your body heat as much.

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The things you are doing today are the traditions of twenty-five years from now.
-Daryl Baldwin: Miami