Real St. George ribbons in industrial conditions are made of polyester tape, and not every one is suitable for this purpose, but only satin weaving. The tape is painted on both sides and heat treated. At home, you can make the St. George ribbon in other ways.
Using a stencil
To make a St. George ribbon using a stencil, you will need:
- orange or brown satin or polyester ribbon;
- thin rigid cardboard:
- metal ruler;
- boot knife;
- spray paint.
The dye should be chosen for the fabric from which the tape is made. For both satin and polyester ribbons, for example, nitro paint is suitable. If the tape is brown, use orange paint. Cut 2 absolutely identical strips out of cardboard. They should be slightly wider than the tape itself, especially if it is orange. For a brown ribbon, the strip can be exactly in width. On each stencil, make longitudinal cuts along the width of the strips. Place the tape between the stencils, secure so that it does not slide out, and apply the stripes with spray paint. Let the garment dry, turn the ribbon over and apply the strips on the other side.
Any fabric
You can make a St. George ribbon using a stencil from any fabric, even from printed chintz. Cut the tape to the desired width, paint it brown or orange, and then apply the strips as suggested. By the way, not only cardboard is suitable for stencils. It can even be made from thick plastic wrap (for example, from the one used for greenhouses).
Knitted ribbon
St. George's ribbon can, for example, be tied. In this case, you will be spared the need to fiddle with paint, and the ribbon will immediately turn out to be double-sided. For this kind of work, you need a very thin hook. It is better to take thin cotton threads, like bobbin threads. Polyester will do too. Make a chain of chain stitches along the length of the ribbon. You need to start with a brown thread. At the beginning of each row, make 3 air loops on the rise. Work 4-6 rows with single crochet or half crochets. In the second case, the canvas will turn out to be denser and will look more like a real St. George ribbon. Knit the next 4-6 rows with the same knit, but orange thread. In the middle there is a brown stripe, then an orange one, and along the edge - again brown. When passing from color to color, do not break the thread, but skip along the edge. The edges can be tied. The weave turns out to be small, so it will be possible to distinguish a knitted ribbon from a factory-made one only close.
Embroidered ribbon
You can also embroider the ribbon. For this kind of work, you need a brown ribbon and orange threads (for example, thick wool, which can be replaced with narrow orange braid). You will need even thin threads strictly to match the thick ones. Cut a piece of tape to the desired length and 4 pieces of thread. Sew thick threads to the tape.
