A Historical Perspective

Of Silk Ribbon Embroidery

SREBRAD:	Today, we welcome Victoria Adams Brown, author, designer, and shop owner of Ribbonsmyth. What brought SREBrad and Victoria together is SREBrad's interest in the history of Silk Ribbon Embroidery. Knowing that the needleart, which we all enjoy is not some fly by night fad, SREBrad called upon his friend Victoria to offer her knowledge. Victoria has taken a keen interest in the history of silk ribbon embroidery, which has taken her to Paris, France to study. She also has written about the history in her books. Along with this interview, Victoria and SREBrad are announcing another mailing list member exclusive auction. This auction will be for a gift basket full of silk ribbon embroidery goodies. Again, this is a silkribbon@yahoogroups mailing list exclusive. Now please join me in giving a round of applause for Victoria Adams Brown.   Victoria, I know you have an interest in the history of silk ribbon embroidery that I feel is unique to your profession. What piqued your interest in knowing more than just how to create stitches and designs?
VAB:	First SREBrad, thank you for this great opportunity to spend a little time with you discussing one of my passions! For two years I promoted silk ribbon embroidery when it was introduced to the US market for a major needlecraft company. On my travels throughout the US, I discovered my students had never heard of sre and thought it was a brand new technique. Upon explaining that silk ribbon embroidery was an old needleart form, their appreciation for the craft increased. I realized that no one had devoted much attention to the history of the art, so I began researching the history in Europe and here in the States. Some of my research appears in the first chapter of my first book.
SREBRAD:	Can you tell us a bit about the history of the art form? Do we know where it began and for what it was originally used for?
VAB::	Ribbon embroidery became popular in France in the mid 1800's. It first began to appear on military uniforms, such as waistcoats and gauntlets. Then it migrated to the vestments of the liturgical community. It began to appear in the royal courts when the wife of Napoleon II, Princess Eugenie wore gowns festooned with ribbon embroidery. The gowns were designed by the first couture house, the famous House of Worth. Charles Worth's premier embroiderer Michonet, executed gowns with silk ribbon embroidery basically using straight stitches with 2 and 3 mm ombre ribbon. The needleart became extremely popular during this era and soon migrated to England, the rest of Europe and came to the United States. With the advent of the sewing machine and the growing Nouveau Riche population, that spurned mass-produced gowns; ribbon embroidered gowns became extremely popular and much in demand. Wealthy women changed their gowns up to five times a day, which kept couture houses extremely busy! For me personally, the history of silk ribbon embroidery became more important, when I discovered that the first silk filature plant was built in the 18th century in Doylestown, Pa., my local village, and that the premier embroiderers in the United States resided in Bethlehem, PA. These young girls were taught ribbon embroidery and ribbon work at the Moravian School for Girls. William Penn felt the manufacturing of silk fabric would be a profitable venture for the State of Pennsylvania. And it was until a harsh winter completely destroyed the mulberry trees, the worms died and so did the promise of wealth for William Penn and Pennsylvania.   Framed silk ribbon embroidery on black silk, circa 1800, stitched by seminary student Anna Salome Heckewelder Rice (1784-1857). Reproduced with Permission from "The Complete Guide To Silk Ribbon Embroidery" Ribbon embroidery has a resurgence about every fifty years. It was last seen in the 1940's gracing fireplace screens in the White House and in the 1950's embellishing couture gowns. I first saw ribbon embroidery brooches created by Mary Jo Hiney, in 1993-1994 at a trade show. I placed an order for product at the trade show and was informed that all the product had sold out. That's when I knew this gorgeous needleart would be a trend! My doll designer friends had been using 2mm silk ribbon embroidery for doll gowns since the early 1980's.
SREBRAD:	You have mentioned in the past that you attended the prestigious Ecole de Broderie d'Art LeSage in Paris, could you please tell our dear readers what the school is all about?
VAB:	I was conducting research on the history of sre for my first book "The Complete Guide to Silk Ribbon Embroidery". I was in San Antonio, Texas on a business trip when I had the opportunity to spend the day with a wonderful embroidery instructor that was leaving for Paris, France the following week. She invited me to attend Lesage et Cie. Lesage Et Cie is a school for haute couture beading and embroidery located at the House of Lesage. The school offered classes in embellishment and in upholstery. The two-week classes catered to small groups of students, mostly Americans. Monsieur Lesage developed the classes in hopes of keeping tambour beading and embroidery an active needleart. ( I do not think classes are currently being conducted.) The House of Lesage has been responsible for 85% of the beaded embroidery and embellishment seen on every couture gown since the 1930's.  An example of the Lesage style of silk and silk ribbon embroidery.   Reproduced with Permission from "The Complete Guide To Silk Ribbon Embroidery"
SREBRAD:	What made you decide to attend such a school? Were there elements of your own designs that you wanted to incorporate into the Lesage "style"?
VAB:	My focus in going to Paris was to obtain more research on the history of ribbon embroidery. My Texas host assured me that I would probably not be able to interview any one at the House of Lesage, and that most certainly the school would not permit any type of photography. I assured my host that I would take responsibility for my interview efforts. My publisher sent the Lesage Press Attaché a letter of introduction and loaded with 13 rolls of film, I was off to Paris! The Lesage Press Attaché was most accommodating and informed me that on the last day of school, I could spend the day conducting research in the archives and visit the atelier. Upon arriving at Lesage et Cie on the last day of school, armed with bouquets of tulips for all my instructors, I was informed that Madame Tellier was ill and I would have to return on Monday to conduct my research. I explained to the receptionist that my plane left the next morning, and in spite of not being able to do my research, that the class had been wonderful. I went into class, sat down at my metier and began stitching. Within a few minutes, the receptionist brought me out into the hall and explained that Monsieur Lesage had cleared his calendar for the day to meet my request. Monsieur Lesage and I spent the day in his atelier where he allowed me to photograph 100's of samples as he told me the most incredible stories about his life as a couturier and about his famous clients. From that day spent with Monsieur Lesage, I developed a slide/lecture program on couture beading and embroidery.  Monsieur Francois Lesage displays his interpretation of Van Gogh's Sunflowers for the 1988-89 Yves Saint Laurent Collection.   Reproduced with Permission from "The Complete Guide To Silk Ribbon Embroidery"   According to Monsieur Lesage, I am the only American he has permitted to photograph pieces in his atelier. He is concerned about the dyeing art of Tambour beading and was hopeful my time spent in his atelier would be used in my book and that my lecture would aid in keeping the art alive. Mostly Americans attended his school, which was his primary market.
SREBRAD:	Can you tell us how it felt to be in such a prestigious school?
VAB:	The classes at Lesage et Cie were formal and structured. We stitched in silence. The three embroideresses did not speak English and the 10 American students in the class did not speak French. You learned by demonstration. The kit instructions were all in French without any diagrams. We created a 16"x24" wall piece on black silk featuring a gold sequin urn filled with flowers. To see an example of the project we made in class together with examples of projects for other classes offered by Lesage - www.lesage-paris.com. What I learned most from the classes was the art of tambour beading. Beading and embroidery with a tambour needle can be executed very quickly. Using the needle is a tricky venture. It is all in the turn of the wrist and being able to develop a rhythm. Tambour work is basically the execution of a series of chain stitches, which when making the stitches you would capture a sequin or a bead to the chain.
SREBRAD:	Do you think there is such a thing as an "American" style of Silk Ribbon Embroidery?
VAB:	Yes, Americans have their own stitch methods. Our designs must be executed quickly to meet our schedules. I do not find that is true when I'm teaching in Europe. Time necessary to create a project, does not seem to be a primary focus. We also stitch differently depending on our stitching background. A cross-stitcher does not execute her stitches in the same manner as a quilter would. The region where we live also influences our stitching.
SREBRAD:	You completed your course at the Lesage school, how do you think it influenced your own designs after that?
VAB:	Design wise, the most important lesson I learned at Lesage was how to create dramatic designs by incorporating different types of materials using just a couple of stitches. We worked with French silk chenille and combined that with raffia, and metal threads all stitched on a ground of silk. We also executed quite a bit of couching and I now use couching often for stem work. I taught a denim jacket class here at my studio and used Lesage techniques for the entire project. I continue to use my slides for inspiration. The designs from The House of Lesage are timeless. Monsieur Lesage assured me that whenever the various couture houses begin their prep work for their latest collection, the designers will come spend time in the Lesage archives pulling out samples for inspiration.
SREBRAD:	Where do you think silk ribbon embroidery stands now? What will the future generations say about our "history"?
VAB:	With embellishing continuing to grow, silk ribbon will continue to be a needleart category. This theory is evidenced by the stitcher taking the time to ferret out supplies, in spite of the lack of support by the mass merchant. The entire state of embroidery is in flux right now. As long as the stitcher can obtain supplies, silk ribbon embroidery will hold its own. There is one magazine "The Cross-Stitcher" that believes so strongly in silk ribbon embroidery that the editor continues to present an sre project coupled of course with cross-stitch, in each issue. We need to support our American magazines such as "Quilting Arts", "The Needleworker" and "Sew Beautiful" as well as our silkribbon@yahoogroups.com website. Of course, magazines make their money off of advertisers, so the cycle continues! If the silk ribbon suppliers do not advertise, the magazines cannot offer silk ribbon projects! From a personal perspective, I'm fortunate to have teaching contracts booked already for 2003. With that in mind, I believe silk ribbon embroidery will continue to grace our projects.
SREBRAD:	Speaking of current history, you are making your own in the books you have written on the subject. One thing that I find interesting is that you burn the edges of the ribbon in some of your projects, something I had not seen referred to in any other silk ribbon books. Is there a historical perspective to that? What led you to trying such a technique?
VAB:	Burning the edge of ribbon is not a historical technique. Burning silk has been a technique used by surface designers for quite some time. In my second book, The New Ribbon Embroidery I wanted that title to be a mixed media guide.  An example Victoria using burned edge silk ribbon mixed with silk ribbon embroidery.   The burning silk technique seemed a natural for that book. The first time I saw the technique was in Yvonne Porcella's book Colors Changing Hue published in 1994. Her book inspired me to burn silk fabric and then to embellish the appliqued fabric pieces.
SREBRAD:	Are there any new techniques on the horizon?
VAB:	It seems we continue to recycle techniques by putting our own spin on them as the techniques resurface. We then claim them as a new technique! Embellishing and mixed media techniques continue to evolve. That trend has not peaked yet. This seems to be the general consensus from trade show floors, from my students, and from the guild requests I receive.
SREBRAD:	SREBrad must say that this was a fascinating subject to discuss with you Victoria. Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with us.
VAB:	Brad, I want to again say my appreciation to you for this opportunity. Many thanks to you and Patricia for all your efforts!
SREBRAD:	Victoria Adams Brown recently redesigned her website, for more information and to see the new look, please vist ribbonsmyth.com Information on the auction is available on the silkribbon@yahoogroups mailing list.