Does anyone else love working with wool as much as I do. I have made several items with wool including wallhangings. I really want to make a quilt with wool applique. I think if everything is from wool it is called a bed rug as it is so heavy . I love the feel of working with wool. especially for applique. The thread just slides through it. here are some of my many wool works

I love the looks of the wool works, but haven't made any yet. What do you find is your best source for the wool?
These are beautiful...thanks for posting pics!

Those are really beautiful! I have just started working on my first wool item. It is a small mat for either a coffee cup or votive candle holder. I am really enjoying working on it.

Janet, I love your projects. I to would love to do some wool items. So colorful.

Love this look...the colors are so bright or maybe deep. We don't see many of those here in the South. Maybe because we don't use much wool fabric here any more. Maybe since we don't have such cold weather or that it doesn't last long when it is cold.
I've collected some wool jackets, etc. to use for either the applique or maybe a hooked rug but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I get a lot of my wool at the local thrift shop. I wait until they have their 5.00 a bucket sale and then I buy 2-3 buckets. I can usually get 10-12 pairs of pants or 15 or so skirts made of 100% wool into them. Then I take them home and run them through the washer with hot water and then dry them in the dryer. After that I start disassembling them. You can get some great yardage this way. My whole family knows that when they are yardsaling they check fiber content on clothing. Word of wisdom though. unless you are getting it dirt cheap blazers are not woth the effort. you only get the back of the jcket for usable fabric as the entire front usually has interfacing fused to it.

beleive it or not the wallhanging was my first project. Talk about jumping in with both feet. I saw the pattern in a magazine and fell in love with it. I bought a scrap bag of wool to get me started and my background. Right after I started my DH had a heart problem and we spend many a day in the hospital. This project saved my sanity. I took it everywhere. I don't use pins to hold my appliques. I just staple the wool peices to the background and then remove the staples after it is attached. This makes it very easy to take along with you as you don't have to worry about pins falling out.Wool is very portable.

Oh those look great! I have not quilted with wool, but I'm a knitter so I'm well acquainted with its magic. ;) A wool bedquilt would certainly warm up a winter night, that's for sure...

Do you only use your felted wool in decorative pieces, or could it be used in a bed quilt that would need to be washed once and a while?

beautiful!

I just finished my first project. I really enjoyed it.

I've been looking for wool garments at thrift shops and plan on felting and dyeing pieces. I haven't found a source with reasonal wool yardage prices yet.

I just ordered a scrap bag from www.woolylady.com/ to incorporate some interesting colors.

I love it, and your projects are absolutely gorgeous!

Haven't used wool,, but want to say...those are beautiful!

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As a child my Grandma made quilts from my Grandpa's old clothes and the used suits his brothers gave him. I'm sure she put them in the boiling water to cleanse them because she was a washing nut about clothes. Everyone then was afraid of bedbugs so boiled every piece of clothing they could to avoid them. They would be washed every year or so when summer came and they had to be put away in cedar chests.
The quilts were tight and warm, I slept under them and sure wish I had one now for camping. Might start hunting for some wool in yard sales, with summer here folks are cleaning out winter closets.

I too love working with wool, but I was having a hard time finding a source to buy it. An associate at JoAnn's suggested using the craft felt-----the 8x12 squares. I was very skeptical, but willing to try. I immediately fell in love with it. I'm not sure how it would work when washed, but it is in a wall hanging and I will probably never wash it. It does a beautiful job on the candle mats.

I have been wanting to do a bed quilt. Since all of my wool is felted first I don't think washing it would be a problem. Mostly though I think I would just air it out every 6 months or so.It wouldn't really come in contact with you.

I use a lot of craft felt for my candle mats. or if I just need a small amount of a certian color.

Your projects are gorgeous! I haven't tried it, but its sure on my bucket list. Sounds like I should start paying more attention at the thrift store!

Thanks chickadee, I really like your avatar. did you felt that yourself. I just started needle felting and am sooooo hooked on it

Here are a few of my favorite siteds for wool felt





http://www.colonialcrafts.com/category/Wool_Felt/c1

http://www.prairiepointjunction.com/...ltcentral.html

http://www.magiccabin.com/Wool-Felt_p185.html

Thanks for the sites. :)

I've never worked with wool like you have, but they are beautiful! I especially love that little cottage!

I use a lot of craft felt for my candle mats. or if I just need a small amount of a certian color.[/quote]

I have used craft felt for pincushions that should have been wool and did not like the end result. They look great to start with and as time goes on, they become pilled and don't look so good. Will only use 100% wool from now on...

diane

Your projects are beautiful! I have trouble finding 100% wool at my thrift store these days- I used to buy nice sweaters for my daughter that she used for projects. So I think you are lucky if you can find it lately.

Beautiful workmanship and lovely pieces. You have a lot of patience, but great take along projects too.
Take care.
Linda

I haven't used wool in quilting, but was always a favorite for clothing construction. The wool eased in so well and was great for hand work.

I also love working with wool. I have made several wall hangings, pillows and penny rugs.

Your 'creations' are wonderful. I will nevr be able to wool work beacuse I am very allergic to wool.

Beautiful work/designs. I, too, have appliqued in wool. It is a great exchange from quiltmaking. Would really like to do more of it.

Your wallhanging is amazing. You have such even blanket stitching, something I struggle with. I also love to work with wool. My cotton fabric and sewing supplies have been moved into a studio built for quilting and a guesthouse but I have kept all of my wool supplies in the house. I have my china cabinet full of felted wool instead of dishes! It is great to work with in front of the TV and is so portable as you know.

One of San Antoniio's LQS has a block-on-the-month that is a cotton and wool quilt from the book "Cotton & Ewe" by Betsy Chutchian and Betty Edgell. The book contains some great projects. Another good source of ideas and patterns/projects is Sue Spargo (website: suespargo.com or blog: suespargo.blogspot.com). Her designs are so bright and cheerful.

Luckily, we have two LQS in San Antonio that carry felted and unfelted wool. I have also felted some of my own from thrift store finds.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful projects.

I really want to get that book - cotton and ewe. It looked like it had some really great projects in it.

I too love wrking with wool & have quite a stash. I love resale shops too but I really like the dyed ones.
I am making a penny bed spread with prairie cloth(black) for nmy bed. I have a very primitive log home & all of the wool works so well.
I am trying something new with alpaca wool. I have 12 alpacas & we sheared them & I am having the wool made into batting. I can hardly wait to get it back.
I also have a pattern for wool slippers that i want to make for winter. When I get projects done I will post.
Love wool

Interesting

Check out Sue Spargo's website and Primitive Gatherings....they have lots of wool, patterns, etc. Great sites.

WOW it must be great to have your own supply of wool. I keep trying to convince my parents that they could keep a couple alpacas on the back feild. So far no luck. Please post pics of some of the stuff you already made. I would love to see everyone elses projects.

beautiful workwomanship.

I have several boxes of deconstructed wool clothing that I will be using in a future project(s). I just happened upon some great sales in a few thrift stores lately. They knew I was coming. Love your appliques, but do not have the patience to try that at this time.