For Sale: Prize Ribbon - Blue Quartz

#141. Another Empress Dowager's Prize Ribbon in blue.

I decided to keep #140 for myself...tee hee hee...so I thought I should replace it with another blue piece.

Cut from the same piece of handprinted Kirsten Doran fabric as #136.

Product Information:
~ All pieces are 100% handstitched with love.
~ Each piece is a one-off -> no two pieces of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are the same
~ The largest "gem" measures 7cm in diameter and the smaller one is 3cm.
~ Height (from top of large "gem" to pointy end of "tail"): 9.5cm
~ Nickel brooch pin and blanket-stitched felt reinforcement on back (see here)

Price:
~ AU$40.00 (for currency converter, click here) - if you think it's too expensive, please read this

To purchase:
~ Please email me at likklegirl@gmail.com

Prize Ribbon - Aquamarine

#140. The last piece of The Empress Dowager's Prize Ribbons. For now.

It's my personal favourite out of the nine I've made - there's just something so fresh and soothing about the combination of baby blue and loads of white.

"Gems" cut from these two pieces of 100% cotton Marimekko fabric.

Product Information:
~ All pieces are 100% handstitched with love.
~ Each piece is a one-off -> no two pieces of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are the same
~ The largest "gem" measures 7cm in diameter and the smaller one is 3cm.
~ Height (from top of large "gem" to pointy end of "tail"): 9.5cm
~ Nickel brooch pin and blanket-stitched felt reinforcement on back (see here)

Price:
~ Not for sale. I've decided to keep it. Tee hee hee.

Prize Ribbon - Golden Sapphire (Sold)

#139. The eighth piece from The Empress Dowager's Prize Ribbons.

I was so eager to cut into this sunshiney-yellow fabric that I forgot to get a picture of it before. Haha!

Here's one of its sister in orange - the same leafy Marimekko design in yellow was used here.

Product Information:
~ All pieces are 100% handstitched with love.
~ Each piece is a one-off -> no two pieces of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are the same
~ The largest "gem" measures 7cm in diameter and the smaller one is 3cm.
~ Height (from top of large "gem" to pointy end of "tail"): 9.5cm
~ Nickel brooch pin and blanket-stitched felt reinforcement on back (see here)

Price:
~ SOLD! ~

For Sale: Prize Ribbon - Patchy Green Zircon

#138. Another Empress Dowager's Prize Ribbon for you!

Made from the same pieces of Marimekko textiles as #133.

Product Information:
~ All pieces are 100% handstitched with love.
~ Each piece is a one-off -> no two pieces of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are the same
~ The largest "gem" measures 7cm in diameter and the smaller one is 3cm.
~ Height (from top of large "gem" to pointy end of "tail"): 9.5cm
~ Nickel brooch pin and blanket-stitched felt reinforcement on back (see here)

Price:
~ AU$40.00 (for currency converter, click here) - if you think it's too expensive, please read this

To purchase:
~ Please email me at likklegirl@gmail.com

Prize Ribbon - Red Jade

#137. The sixth of The Empress Dowager's Prize Ribbons.

Made from another cute (bunnies!) piece of handprinted fabric by Australian designer Kirsten Doran.

Product Information:
~ All pieces are 100% handstitched with love.
~ Each piece is a one-off -> no two pieces of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are the same
~ The largest "gem" measures 7cm in diameter and the smaller one is 3cm.
~ Height (from top of large "gem" to pointy end of "tail"): 9.5cm
~ Nickel brooch pin and blanket-stitched felt reinforcement on back (see here)

Price:
~ No longer available ~

For Sale: Prize Ribbon - Dark Jade

#136. The fifth of The Empress Dowager's Prize Ribbons.

Finally, I get to use the some of the handprinted fabric I bought from the lovely Kristen Doran at last December's Finders Keepers.

I've only used the dark green half on this piece. Look out for a blue Prize Ribbon made from the other half!

Product Information:
~ All pieces are 100% handstitched with love.
~ Each piece is a one-off -> no two pieces of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are the same
~ The largest "gem" measures 7cm in diameter and the smaller one is 3cm.
~ Height (from top of large "gem" to pointy end of "tail"): 9.5cm
~ Nickel brooch pin and blanket-stitched felt reinforcement on back (see here)

Price:
~ AU$40.00 (for currency converter, click here) - if you think it's too expensive, please read this

To purchase:
~ Please email me at likklegirl@gmail.com

For Sale: Prize Ribbon - Mandarin Garnet

#135. Another one of The Empress Dowager's Prize Ribbons.

Made from this happy 100% cotton Marimekko fabric.

Product Information:
~ All pieces are 100% handstitched with love.
~ Each piece is a one-off -> no two pieces of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are the same
~ The largest "gem" measures 7cm in diameter and the smaller one is 3cm.
~ Height (from top of large "gem" to pointy end of "tail"): 9.5cm
~ Nickel brooch pin and blanket-stitched felt reinforcement on back (see here)

Price:
~ AU$40.00 (for currency converter, click here) - if you think it's too expensive, please read this

To purchase:
~ Please email me at likklegirl@gmail.com

For Sale: Prize Ribbon - Silver

#134. The third in The Empress Dowager's Prize Ribbons range.

Made from the same piece of Marimekko fabric as this necklace. Shiny silver print on a heavyweight cotton sateen.

Product Information:
~ All pieces are 100% handstitched with love.
~ Each piece is a one-off -> no two pieces of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are the same
~ The largest "gem" measures 7cm in diameter and the smaller one is 3cm.
~ Height (from top of large "gem" to pointy end of "tail"): 9.5cm
~ Nickel brooch pin and blanket-stitched felt reinforcement on back (see here)

Price:
~ AU$40.00 (for currency converter, click here) - if you think it's too expensive, please read this

To purchase:
~ Please email me at likklegirl@gmail.com

For Sale: Prize Ribbon - Green Zircon

#133. The second brooch by The Empress Dowager's New Jewels!

Remember, they are all one-offs. Once one is gone, it's gone!

Made from these 100% cotton Marimekko textiles.

Product Information:
~ All pieces are 100% handstitched with love.
~ Each piece is a one-off -> no two pieces of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are the same
~ The largest "gem" measures 7cm in diameter and the smaller one is 3cm.
~ Height (from top of large "gem" to pointy end of "tail"): 9.5cm
~ Nickel brooch pin and blanket-stitched felt reinforcement on back (see here)

Price:
~ AU$40.00 (for currency converter, click here) - if you think it's too expensive, please read this

To purchase:
~ Please email me at likklegirl@gmail.com

For Sale: Prize Ribbon - Graduated Aquamarine

#132. The first of The Empress Dowager's Prize Ribbons!

Made from these pretty Marimekko textiles.

Product Information:
~ All pieces are 100% handstitched with love.
~ Each piece is a one-off -> no two pieces of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are the same
~ The largest "gem" measures 7cm in diameter and the smaller one is 3cm.
~ Height (from top of large "gem" to pointy end of "tail"): 9.5cm
~ Nickel brooch pin and blanket-stitched felt reinforcement on back (see here)

Price:
~ AU$40.00 (for currency converter, click here) - if you think it's too expensive, please read this

To purchase:
~ Please email me at likklegirl@gmail.com.

The Empress Dowager's Prize Ribbons

Over the last year, I've been asked by quite a few people on various occasions to add some brooches to The Empress Dowager's New Jewels' range but I've been hesitant because:

1. If they are to be part of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels, they have to be made from the same fabric "gems" that I use to make the necklaces. It's a rule that I've set for myself right from the beginning.

The "gems" are like my LEGO bricks - only pieces "built" using them are allowed to be included here. For example: sticking a few "gems" on a shirt to make an "embellished shirt" is not what we are about. The whole shirt has be made by joining "gems" together before it can be considered a piece of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels. Not unlike this.

2. I try not to make New Jewels that are similar to what's already available on the market - rosette/prize ribbon-type of brooches. Many of which are mass-produced and badly handmade out of cheap material. Sold at low low prices that I cannot possibly compete with seeing how I love using quality material and hand-stitching all my pieces.

However, after much thought (and due to "popular demand"...haha!), I have decided to add a few Empress Dowager's Prize Ribbons to the range and see how they do.

I've tried many ways to make them different from those that already exist but to show the "gems" off in their best light, no matter what size or configuration, I ultimately have to use the ruched side which makes the brooch look like...a rosette/prize ribbon!

So I'm hoping that my use of choice fabric from my beloved collection of Marimekko textiles and some by local designers will differentiate my brooches from the rest of the pack.

Also, like all Empress Dowager's New Jewels, these Prize Ribbons are 100% hand-stitched, with a lot of love, from start to finish.

And they are all one-offs, of course!

They might cost more than these but I truly hope that you will be able to see why.