Guest *Lili* Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Just wondering... do you wear satin or nylon ribbons? Which ones have you tried, and what do you like about them? I only wear satin ribbons, because those in nylon are not sold around here. I would like to try them though.. maybe they would hug a little more on my ankle.. Lili Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted June 21, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 The best ribbons seem to be satin, but with a sort of fine gros-grain type finish on the back, which keeps them from slipping so much. Satin on both sides is very slippery. Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Most satin ribbons you find these days is acetate or acrylic, anyway, so the usual kind you find will be "finished" only on one side. Silk satin ribbons are more often found with a satin finish on both sides, but they are hard to find, and incredibly expensive. The good part about silk, though, is that if it is knotted and the knot becomes wet, the knot will not untie without a great deal of "finger grease" (too small for elbow) and a lot of bad language, usually. There was a fashion once for using grosgrain nylon ribbon because it was thought to be tougher, or make a more stable knot. It wasn't, it didn't. Silk grosgrain is a different matter, but as above, just try to find any! Quote Link to comment
Miriam Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 I'm actually not sure what kind of ribbons I have, how can you tell the difference? Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 Silk will not react to acetone, acetates and nylon will. They melt. Just tease off a few sample threads and dip them in nail polish remover. If after a few seconds, they start to disintegrate, you've got a synthetic. Quote Link to comment
Guest *Lili* Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 Thanks for those informations.. I'm not very familiar with ribbons fabrics though... and with some english words! But I think I understood.. so most ribbons are acrylic (not real satin), and shiny on one side only? What about the ribbons that are not shiny at all? Are those nylon ribbons? Or are they another fabric? I'm not sure! I was doing a little research on this subject, and found an interesting article about how to prepare, and tie ribbons and elastics, and how some dancers wear them : http://pointemagazine.com/backissues/nov02...2/shoebiz.shtml In the first picture, ribbons are shiny, they probably are satin (silk or acrylic). But, in the second picture, they look kind of white, and not really shiny.. What would be this fabric? Thanks! Lili Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 It looks to me as though that's the dull side of an ordinary pink ribbon. This side is sometimes called the "dead" side, and may show a different shade from the "live" or shiny side, usually lighter. Quote Link to comment
Susanne Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 May I make a small contribution to this thread? Satin is NOT a material, it's a way of handeling different materials. It's the way the threads are wowen into eachother. So satin doesn't have to be silk or anything else (even though I think it would be difficult to make Satin out of cotton) Quote Link to comment
Guest *Lili* Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 Sorry I misunderstood. Sometimes my english reading is wrong... or so does my writing! So what material is mostly used for ribbons? Well thanks for answering. I really don't know.. Oh.. and can I change my topic? I should ask "What kind of ribbons do you wear, or prefer?" Lili Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 Well, my family weren't weavers, but we were dyemakers, so let me provide a little assistance here. A high-finish cotton fabric not requiring a finishing sizing, like starch (as in chintz) is sateen. The very finest quality of it can have an extraordinarily high thread count - up to 1200. Wool fabrics with a shiny finish are fine worsteds or even gabardine. Microfiber polyester, nylon, acrylates and acetate, and even rayon were invented to be synthetic substitutes for silk. Usually, the ribbon used for most pointe shoes is acetate, although microfiber polyester satin is being seen more and more. Quote Link to comment
koshka Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 Another idea: Sansha makes cotton canvas ribbon. It is not at all shiny, and it might "grip" better. It is quite thin and easy to work with. I have put it on a pair of shoes that I am not wearing just yet... Quote Link to comment
Guest *Lili* Posted June 25, 2003 Report Share Posted June 25, 2003 Thanks again for all those useful infos! Well I learned a lot today! I was wondering.. would you know about online stores that sells different kinds of ribbons? And those cotton canvas ribbons by Sansha sounds interesting! Lili Quote Link to comment
koshka Posted June 25, 2003 Report Share Posted June 25, 2003 The Sansha canvas ribbon can be ordered from Sansha, but their minimum order is $50, and that would be an awful lot of ribbon. Dance Distributors (800 33DANCE) carries it but does not have a website. I usually get it by going to Sansha in NYC or sending my sister, who lives there, to get it for me. :-) Quote Link to comment
pointehill Posted June 26, 2003 Report Share Posted June 26, 2003 This may sound silly to some of you, but I have found a solution to those "slippery" ribbons... if I find that the ribbons that have come with my pointe shoes do slip too much, I rub both sides of the ribbon down with a calamine lotion (actually made for the skin) let it dry, then rub any access lotion off. The calamine lotion adds just enough friction to the ribbon and does not change the color of the ribbon too much. Quote Link to comment
Guest *Lili* Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 Thanks for the advice with calamine lotion... would be worth a try! Lili Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.