Nov 09 Ribbon Colors Matching Gymboree’s Winter Ballerina line

Here are all the grosgrain ribbon colors you need to make beautiful hand-crafted accessories (hair bows, headbands, belts, jewelry, embellished clothing, etc!) to match Gymboree’s Winter Ballerina collection!  If you have a better match for Gymboree color Spearmint, please let me know, as Mint is close, but too dark to really be considered a good match, in my opinion.

Nov 09 Ribbon Colors that Match Janie and Jack’s Cherish the Season line

Here are all the ribbon colors you need to make beautiful hand-crafted accessories (hair bows, headbands, belts, jewelry, embellished clothing, etc!) to match Janie and Jack’s 2009 Cherish the Season line!

Sept 09 Ribbon Colors Matching Gymboree’s Classic Holiday and Holiday Panda lines

Please note that the gray colors are only in the KG Holiday Panda line, so they are not included in the top list, but are detailed in the “Gymboree Colors” section.  Also, I did not get a chance to check out the Dark Grey Heather color in person so I’m only making a guess that it is Flannel Grey.  If you have matched it in person, please let me know what you found!

Sept 09 Ribbon Colors Matching Gymboree’s Purrfect Autumn/Fall For Monkeys lines

Here are my ribbon matches for Gymboree lines: Purrfect Autumn (Kid Girl) and Fall for Monkeys (Baby Girl).  If you find a better ribbon color for Gymboree’s Sunrise Orange, Sunset Gold, or Sea Pink, I’d love to hear from you, as the colors listed here for those are not perfect matches, but the closest I could find.  Have fun creating M2MG hair bows and accessories for this cute collection!

June 09 Ribbon Colors to Match Janie and Jack’s Santorini Island

Have a better match?  Questions?  Want to show off the accessories you made to match this line, Santorini Island?  Share your thoughts, leave a comment.

June 09 Ribbon Colors Matching Gymboree’s Tea for Two

Have a better match?  Questions?  Want to show off the accessories you made to match this line, Tea for Two?  Share your thoughts, leave a comment.

No Perfect Color Match?

Lots of designers are happy working with a limited palette and using the best color that they have on hand for their accessories.  This is a perfectly rational approach.  For better or worse, I am just not wired that way.  I want my custom, made-to-match accessories to really match.  I will go to great lengths to achieve this.  From a business perspective, you need to weigh your approach: customers love perfection, but how much are they willing to pay for it?  I often spend way too much time hunting down the just-right ric-rac and perfect embroidery floss – time I will never be adequately compensated for.  Find the right balance for you and your customers.  If you are crafting for yourself – your opinion is the only one that matters – anything goes!

I love a true color match, but it isn’t always easy, so here are some tricks to consider:

• First, check both Schiff and Offray brand grosgrain for a close match.  Don’t forget to check out their retired colors, many are still readily available through resellers.  (Tip: If you only stock one brand, at least buy a color chart for the opposite brand, so that you can compare the colors and find the best alternative within your stock).
• Check stripes, prints and dots if there isn’t a perfect solid.
• If you are insistent on grosgrain, consider one that isn’t 100% polyester.  Schiff makes grosgrain ribbon in a Rayon/Cotton blend (their Pattern #705) that is available in different shades.  Keep in mind, though, that these grosgrains have more sheen, and perform differently, too.  For example, you cannot use heat to seal them (they don’t melt like polyester) and they do not hold up as well to water.  They are still a good choice for, say, a bow center.
• Try taffeta, velvet or ruffle ribbon if grosgrains fail you.
• Try other trims to bring in the difficult color – ric-rac, lace, rosettes, buttons, flowers, marabou, heat transfers and other embellishments often do the trick.  (Stick to items intended for apparel, as these will meet flammability regulations.)
• Consider buying another item in the same or similar fabric as your outfit, and using the fabric in your accessory design.

When all else fails:

• Use a few similar shades next to each other, so that visually they produce the desired color effect.
• Layer a sheer ribbon over a grosgrain (appropriate for dressier designs).
• Limit the difficult color to only a small portion of the product if no good match is found (like the center knot on a bow).
• If debating between two close, but not perfect colors, go with the more muted, or softer color.  A color that is close but too bright/harsh will tend to clash or stand out, while a softer color is more likely to blend, and the imperfect match go unnoticed.

See a few examples of these techniques below:

What do you do when you can’t find the perfect match?  I’d love to hear your suggestions!

May 2009 Ribbon Colors to Match J&J’s Summer Celebrations

Suggestions for a better match?  Want to share your creations using these colors?  Questions about the line?  Post your thoughts here!

May 09 Ribbon Colors Matching Gymboree’s Watermelon Picnic

Suggestions for a better match?  Want to share your creations using these colors?  Questions about the line?  Post it all in comments here!

Free Hair Bow Instructions Now Available

Want to try your hand at making my popular Posh style hair bow?  My free instructions are now available for download in a new e-book tutorial.  Everything you need to know to make this bow in four different sizes is included!  Just click on the image below to download the .pdf file.  This pretty, classic bow is so easy and versatile, you will be creating your own variations in no time!

While I’ve been making bows forever, this is my first attempt at writing instructions so please let me know what you think.  I plan to write several more and would love to incorporate your suggestions into future efforts, so don’t hold back!

click e-book image to download .pdf

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