I have been doing wool applique for a while (5 quilts, 2 runners and 14 decorative seasonal pillows) and recommend using 100 % wool. I scour goodwill and other resale shops plus garage sales for wool clothing and then wash and dry. My first teacher recommended soft fuse to adhere shapes to background fabrics. This stuff is awesome because it does not gum up your needle and adds no "thickness" to the design. You do have to use steam to bond it tho. Primitive Gatherings has lots of patterns and books, as well as wool on their site. I use sulky 12 weight or valdani 12 weight to stitch with..love them both. If you can..try to find a class or a group to help you initially. Our guild has a group of eight that are wool applique devotees. Many quilt stores are offering classes, so inquire at some of your local shops. Good luck..wool applique is very addicting