Felted wool for applique
#1
Senior Member
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 965
Felted wool for applique
I've been wanting to try some kind of an applique project using wool. I just found a brand new Merino wool blanket made in England at the thrift store for $2.
My question is, for those of you who have felted your own wool, will this blanket be wavy once I shrink it? I wanted to use it as my background and wouldn't want it to be wavy once I put the applique on. Also I wanted to order a little bundle of felted wool in different colors. Do I need to be concerned about what "kind" of wool these are?
Thanks so much for any input, this new medium is something that I know little about.
My question is, for those of you who have felted your own wool, will this blanket be wavy once I shrink it? I wanted to use it as my background and wouldn't want it to be wavy once I put the applique on. Also I wanted to order a little bundle of felted wool in different colors. Do I need to be concerned about what "kind" of wool these are?
Thanks so much for any input, this new medium is something that I know little about.
#2
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 11,276
What is the care info on the blanket label? Many wool blankets are washable and won't felt, though they may shrink a small amount. If it says dry clean or cold wash dry flat then it may felt, but I've had stuff that also said dry clean and washed in the washer just fine. As far as your other comment about a felted bundle, not sure what 'kind' of wool you think you might get. All felted wool is wool, some heavier/thicker than others, but you can buy felt fabric that's not wool. Like craft felt. You don't want to use that. When I was doing a lot of work with wool felt, I went to the thrift store and got some wool ladies blazers. Just look for the 100% wool & dry clean label. I just tossed them into a hot wash. Most will felt, but amazingly, some won't. One thing to be aware of, jacket fronts and lapels often have fusible interfacing. Sometimes it peels off after felting, sometimes you can use it with it left on and sometimes you have to discard this portion of the garment.
It's also a good idea to wash the garments in zippered pillow cases as sometimes the process throws off a lot of lint.
It's also a good idea to wash the garments in zippered pillow cases as sometimes the process throws off a lot of lint.
Last edited by PaperPrincess; 12-21-2014 at 03:47 PM.
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