Bamboo Felt - A Wool Alternative For Applique

Have you always loved the look of wool applique but you are allergic to wool, or your budget just can’t fund your passion? It is time to give bamboo felt a try!

Bamboo felt can give you the look of wool for your applique projects without the allergic factor or the price tag, and it is so silky feeling that it is a real pleasure to work with. The bamboo is also thinner than wool, so it makes appliques with smaller pieces and tighter curves easier to achieve than it’s thicker wool alternative. Another of bamboo felt’s virtues is that it does not ravel and the fibers do not separate even when stitched at very sharp angles. If you have a pattern that is designed for either fusible applique or wool applique, you can easily use bamboo felt to complete it, as it is so easy and versatile to work with. I especially enjoyed using it with a flannel background to stitch this Jacobean flower called “Jacobean Joy”. No fusible is needed as it stays in place with a minimum of pins while you stitch and it feels so good that you hate to put your project down to go do anything else!

Since the edges of the bamboo felt do not ravel, you can make free form objects like this “Majestic Magnolia” table topper by simply cutting a backing the same shape as the top and buttonhole stitching around the outer edges to finish it off. If you care to add a bit of quilting to your project the quilting needle glides through the bamboo felt as though you were stitching through warm butter – truly a joy to work with.

TaDaaStudio.com was the source I used to purchase the bamboo felt and I was very pleased with the nice array of colors (28 in all), the availability of a color chart, and the many options for sizes that ranged from a 5” x 5.5” piece all the way up to yardage that is 40” wide. This makes for a nice way to try out just a little bit for a small project without needing to store too much excess. At only 1 mm thick, it can easily be used for hand or machine applique and it doesn’t stretch! Now I said it was more affordable than wool, but I also wanted to let you know how affordable. The smallest piece which is 5” x 5.5” is currently selling for 50 cents and a 36” x 40” yard is currently selling for $15.50 and there are many sizes in between. So, treat yourself to some of this wonderful feeling bamboo felt for your next project.