Wool Applique: I am in love!

Two weeks ago, at our bee, Jane led us in making a scissor holder with simple wool applique. I fell in love immediately.

Once the wool is felted, it doesn't fray and can be stitched onto the background with a simple blanket stitch. The patterns are endless and quite colorful.

And yes, there are people who machine stitch their wool applique. But that defeats the purpose for me. Hand sewing is a bonus for those of us who like to work while watching TV or at a place where the sewing machine can't go.

Being a beginner, I had questions. How do you know if it's real wool? Basic answers are easy to find on the Web, such as lighting a small sample with a match, but the one I liked best was getting it wet. If it smells like a sheep, its wool. I also learned about "new wool", which isn't wool at all and will fray when felted. One great hint was to put the wool in a pillowcase when felting. It keeps most of the lint out of your washer and dryer.

The selection of stitches used for applique is based on simple embroidery and doesn't take long to learn. Although videos are available online, I recommend asking a friend. I never could get the French knot by myself, but one lesson from Jane, and I was on my way!

The project I am now doing has a cotton background. I asked about other backgrounds and found flannel to be popular. Jane sometimes turns her flannel over for a less fuzzy exterior that doesn't ball up as much. I asked about commercial felt, which is often polyester and not wool, and was told that it was OK for small projects such as tree ornaments, such too bulky for larger items. Someone asked about working in a hoop and learned that it might distort the project.

Wool projects can get heavy and bulky, but the folks I asked don't cut away the lower layers of their projects. The layering adds a 3-dimensional appearance which is well liked by most quilters. Sew the bottom layers first and then work up. And yes, they do use fabric markers for shading.

Of course, I asked about needles and threads and received recommendations for favorites. For now, I'm using two ply of embroidery floss because my mother left me a box with at least one of each color on the planet.

One of the reasons I love quilting is that the body of knowledge will last me the rest of my life. Am I starting a Baltimore Album next? That might have to wait for the next lifetime.