Wool Applique
 

I have always wanted to try wool applique and now is a good as a time as any! Anyone have any tips or tricks that would help?

I have just started doing wool applique and have found it to be quite relaxing. As a beginner if I were you I would try and find some info on line or take a beginner class. My first project was a block for a quilt and even tho it turned out ok I wish I had had some help to really know how. I am signed up for my third class, I think I am addicted.

Here is a link to one I did awhile back ( actually did several but this one is posted right here)

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...ne-t26564.html

This one is wool on wool. I used Valdani Pearl Cotton for the applique - it was SO much better than embroidery thread. I also used an Iron-on fusible webbing that I would not do again. It was unreliable as far as keeping the pieces in place and made the pieced stiff. If I were to do another one now, I would either use either the tiny applique pins, small dots of Elmers/Eileens or glue stick in that order to hold the pieces in place.

I had a blast doing it and loved it, It was portable and the results were pretty good!!

wow, that's an awesome piece, betty.

Thanks , QuiltnNan, it was really fun and not really hard. And, OBTW, I do not hand sew and even I got something that looked reasonable!! lol

I have only done one small applique with wool. I loved working with it. It seemed to hide my mistakes which I really appreciated.

What fusible did you use? I have done several and always use Steam a seam II Lt. and never had a problem. Made it so much easier.

wool applique
 

Shop at Goodwill for your wool. I bring it home throw it in a HOT washer and cold rinse and dry in a hot dryer. Cut it up in pieces. There are 4 of us ladies that shop at used stores for wool. I use no glue; just pin and sometimes pin from the bottom. Vi

i do lots of wool applique- wool is wonderful to work with- i purchase alot of my wool from thrift stores/yard sales. i (de=construct) garments removing any interfacings, trims, buttons, seams ect...then i wash it in the washer on a regular cycle with HOT water & detergent- then rinse in cold water- dry in hot dryer...steam press if wrinkled- wools are great for dyeing projects- and you can take a number of different textures & over dye them for a (family) that coordinates.
once it is washed & dried it is ready to cut up & use any way you'd like-
i generally use Perle Cotton's (sometimes i use a wool floss) i use freezer paper templates- it presses to the wools easily- peels off without leaving residue & you don't have to reverse patterns like you do for fusables...i do not use fusables- i tried them once years ago & found them unreliable- not a good choice for the wools- i either just hold a piece with my fingers or i pin it. i do lots of wool appliques on flannel quilts, some projects that are wool on wool- i just love working with wool!
garments, purses/totes, rugs, quilts...all are fabulous made from felted wools!
heres a couple little samples-
[ATTACH=CONFIG]391755[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]391756[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]391757[/ATTACH]

I fuse my pieces with Wonder Under (not stiff at all) and use Presencia size 8 Perle cotton. Be sure to let the fusible cool completely before you attempt to tear the paper off. I've been known to pop the pieces into the 'fridge for a few minutes...

Betty, LOVE your piece! I'm wondering if you may have used Heat & Bond? It's not meant for applique, but for crafty things that don't get sewed down. Horrible stuff...almost impossible to hand needle and makes your project feel like cardboard.

ckcowl, you posted while I was typing! You do lovely work!

Thank you CK. I love your samples and your input.

I have just started wool appliqué also and just love it! The hand work is going to be great to do when we are out traveling and camping. I get all of my wool from Goodwill also! I check to be sure the labels say 100% wool. I wish there was a way to check for the wool content in the store. Some garments don't have their labels anymore and I THINK they are probably wool by the feel and look of them, but I am not sure. I don't want to spend the money and then find out it is not all wool.

It was a Steam a seam that I used - but it could have been old. Just seemed like a lot of trouble to me and it came loose after handling it some. I was also using wool that was fairly thick as well.

I guess this is probably a stupid question, but why couldn't I use pieces of fleece to practice on. Doesn't it have similar properties to wool & it comes in lots of colors & is cheap enough. There was recently a presenter at our guild who used a wide variety of fabrics in her amazing projects most found at thrift sales.

Using fleece, you would not have to worry about raveling edges. I use a lot of Fray check when I do the wool applique. My only concern would be fleece is stretchy where wool is not. It might be a great way to master some skills, however. Maybe someone else has done it and will post.

I am going to try it with some scraps & if I am ok with the results, I am planning on doing a larger wall hanging.

I am going to try it with some scraps & if I am ok with the results, I am planning on doing a larger wall hanging.

I took a class and was hooked. It is so much easier than needle turn applique. Go to the resale shops to get skirts, jackets, etc, take them apart, wash in hot water and dry. The edges do not fray and you can find so many wonderful colors out there. I lucked out, went to the resale shop, any clothing you could put in a large bag for $10. it was amazing how many wool items I was able to get in the bag. It was like Christmas.

if you prep your wools correctly you will not have any raveling edges...one of the great things about working with wools is- no turn under edges to deal with, no raveling edges- you can use freezer paper to cut out your pieces- don't have to reverse patterns like with fusable applique.
it doesn't matter if i'm using recycled wools or new yardage- the process is the same (after the de-construction step of recycled wools) i wash in washer with HOT, HOT water and detergent- i check it before it gets to the rinse cycle & sometimes reset the wash cycle to wash a bit longer---then rinse in COLD water--then dry in a regular setting/hot dryer- take it out as soon as it's done to avoid over drying/wrinkling- if i do have wrinkles i dampen (or spray with water bottle/steam & iron- but i seldom need to do that. once the wools have been washed & dried you can cut them up and use them for appliques, for hooking rugs, for patchwork...sky is the limit- with no worries about fraying, raveling - you can dye it- sometimes i like to over dye a group of different textures/colors together to create a (family) of textures that all coordinate to use in a project.

Bunnie, once you start, I'm sure you'll love it. You've gotten great advice here already, so I'll just show you the ones I've made. Mine were done by machine with fancy stitches and using cotton as the background -- I had found a lovely pattern for a pumpkin table runner at a shop in Boxborough, Mass and heard myself telling my SIL "I could make that for you." Yeah, sure. Once I opened the directions and read them, I was saying to myself, "What was I thinking?!". But I just worked slowly and it turned out well nevertheless. In fact, I had enough leftover supplies to make three small wall hangings. That led to a larger Horn of Plenty this past fall.

Help that helps

Wool applique is the best! I also shop at Goodwill and thrift shops for my wool. It is so relaxing and goes so much faster than regular hand applique. And I have never used any interfacing. Just pin and sew. I'm just about finished with a wall hanging that is in the Baltimore Album theme and I will post soon. Happy stitching!