Fusing Fabric Method - This method works well for light to medium weight fabric.
- Pre-wash or pre-shrink the fabric to remove the sizing and manufacturing finishes.
- Iron the fabric smooth and wrinkle free.
- Apply fusible web to the wrong side of the fabric. (Note: The weight of the fabric as well as teh weight of the fusible web that you choose will both play into the stiffness of the finished "ribbon".) More About Fusible Options
- Pay close attention to keep the fabrics flat and smooth.
- Fuse the wrong side of a second piece of fabric to the fusible coated wrong side of the fabric.
- Press well so all of the fusible material has melted to both pieces of fabric.
- Using rotary cutting tools slice the fabric into strips. (This can be done with scissors but rotary cutting tools tend to give you a smoother edge.)
- Press the strips.
Not all heavy weight fabric will lend itself to becoming ribbon. If the fabric is extremely, loosely woven, stiff or "un-bending" it will not become a usable ribbon.
- Press the fabric well.
- If a serger is available, mark the width of the strips and use the serger to sew a rolled hem on the edges of the strips.
- If there is no serger available, mark or cut the fabric into strips.
- To have the fabric face show on both sides of the ribbon, layer the strips of fabric with the wrong sides together.
- Use a zigzag stitch along the edge of the strips to enclose the raw edges. You may want to experiment with a satin stitch
