Most little children become attached to an object that comforts them. Mine was a "silky". This could be almost any piece of soft, satiny ribbon. I used to stroke it gently above my top lip. I had a little collection of "silkies" and was rarely seen without one for many years of my childhood!
If my mum took my brother and I to a department store, I would try to seize the chance to try out all the silkies in the ribbon department. If I ever got lost, my mum would always know where to find me!
Now I'm all grown-up I still love ribbons - of all textures, not just silky ones (though if I am given a piece of especially smooth ribbon I will still sometimes bring it up to my lip, instinctively). I still love the department store rows of ribbons, but I also like to re-use ribbons that wrap gifts and I also like to source vintage ribbon, like the spool of pretty green, above.
I love the way ribbon can transform very basic materials into something special, the way this floppy bow makes an old piece of fraying burlap and recycled tissue paper look decorative. Etsy has some great sources of vintage ribbon.
This last one - delicate eggshell pink - is so pretty and silky-looking. Just looking at it is comforting - I can imagine the familiar gesture of my childhood and that reassuring soft touch.
