Welcome back to my mini class for wool appliqué! If you missed the first part, find that here: Part 1. This week I will show you how to create the wool pieces that make up the appliqué motif using the fusible shapes from last week. I will also show you how to lay out the motif on the background prepared last week. There will be another mini video tutorial as well. So, let’s get started!
Creating Your Wool Shapes
Now it’s time to use those fusible web template shapes created in part 1 to make your appliqués from the pieces of wool designated in the pattern.
Place the fusible shapes in a corner on the piece of wool you have chosen so there will be as little waste of wool as possible when they are cut out (left photo, above). Wool tends to be expensive, so preserving as much as you can for other projects is a good tip. Once you have the shapes in place, follow the manufacturer’s directions for the fusible web and use your iron to fuse it to the wool.
Tip! Wool can be used on either side, however one side of your piece of wool may be prettier than the other, especially if you have a piece of hand dyed wool. Once you decide on the side you like, iron the fusible web shape to the reverse side.
Once you are sure the fusible web is fused securely to the wool, cut away the leftover wool and put it back in your stash. I like to use scissors like those shown below (left photo). They have a sharp, serrated edge and cut the wool cleanly.
The next step is to use the drawn lines to cut out the shapes. This is why I advised you to cut out the fusible shapes outside the lines last week. Following the drawn line now insures that these wool appliqué pieces look like actual flowers. It’s easier to cut along lines now than trying to follow the outside edge of the fusible web.
Once the shape is completely cut out, you can peel off and discard the fusible paper (right photo, above). Notice how the back of the shape is now shiny (photo below). That is the adhesive transferred from the fusible web during the ironing process and it’s the side that will be placed face down on the background when fusing down the motif.
Design Layout
Now that all the appliqué shapes cut out from the various pieces of wool, it’s time to layout the design. This is when those drawn lines or creases you made in your background become useful to guide placement.
Stems: If your appliqué motif has stems, those are usually laid out first and glued in place. Stems for these projects are commonly as thin as 1/4″ so I do not use templates and fusible web to create them. That is my choice. If you would like to make a fusible template for stems and fuse them with the rest of the design, feel free! But for mine, I simply cut thin strips for the stems from a piece of wool and lay them out using a small amount of Roxanne’s glue to secure in place.
Tip! Use the other appliqué motif pieces as a guide for getting your stems in the correct position before gluing.
As the above photos show, I am using the folds in the background, the flower pot and one of the flowers as guides to laying out my stems. Once I have them in the right place, I glue the stems so they do not move as I lay out and fuse the rest of the design in place.
Fusing the Design
This is a step I do with all my projects. I fuse the entire motif in place before I begin stitching. This may not be the method other stitchers use, but I prefer having the whole motif in place at once instead of in stages. So at this point with the stems glued in place, it’s time to layout the rest of the design and fuse it. Here’s the design all laid out:
Now it’s time to fuse the entire motif. I use a steam method to do this. Since I do not put water in my iron, I use a spray bottle of water to dampen a towel that is laying over the wool motif. Be careful not to move any of the pieces as you are covering the project with the towel. And also be sure to use a white towel so there is no chance of a dye transfer to your project.
Once the project is covered with the towel, spray it with enough water to dampen it very well. Next, carefully press the project through the towel, holding the iron down for about 5 to 10 seconds. “Press” being the important word here. Do not to move the iron back and forth during this step. Once you press one section, lift the iron up to move to the next section.
You can carefully peel back a small section of the towel after pressing to check if the pieces there are fused. When the whole block is pressed, peel back the towel for a motif is fused and ready for stitching.
Here’s a mini video tutorial demonstrating the steps I’ve covered this week.
So that’s it for week 2. Come back and finish up this mini class next week. Leave a comment or ask a question below and you will be entered into a drawing for my kit, Sew with Friends. This kit includes the pattern and the wool, you provide your own fabric.
The drawing will be on Monday, May 6th so you have this week and the week of 4/29/24, when part 3 is posted, to enter.We have a winner! Congrats, Karen H.!
Happy Stitching!
Deanne
Thank you for part 1 and part 2 of wool appliqué! Your detailed directions are excellent and easy to follow. Much appreciated blog posts. Looking forward to part 3!
I’m enjoying this series and looking forward to part 3. I always learn something new. Thank you .
Great tips! (As usual)….I think I, too, would prefer to lay out the entire block to fuse before I started stitching. The pressing tips are extremely helpful. Is there a reason you don’t put water in your iron? I like the spray bottle tip but just wondered why you did this. You always have the best tutorials….clear, concise and you pretty much think of everything. Thank you!
Hi!
I don’t like putting water in my iron because even if I emptied it after every use, it never seemed to be completely empty. Then the next time I used it, I’d get discharge out of it that stained my fabric. So, I just decided not to ever put water in my irons.
Your tips are right on. No wasting of the wool is a very good start. Thanks for sharing your time and talent for the quilting gals.
I also fuse all of my shapes before I stitch. It makes my project very portable. I can take it to my stitching group and easily work on it. I only need a needle, thread and scissors.
Thanks for the excellent instructions. You’re the best ❤️
Last week my iron suddenly quit working. To keep going on my current projects I pulled out an old iron that I quit using because the steam didn’t work well. My husband occasionally uses it to iron his shirts and had put it away with water inside. First time the steam was turned on great globs of black stuff came out and spotted the fabric. Fortunately it washed out but it also made me think about never putting water in an iron again and just using a spray bottle. I like the damp towel idea for the fusing!
I haven’t tried using a wet cloth. But a tip, if you use water in your iron, empty it when you’re done each day to avoid it creating stains when water sits too long in an iron. Your demos are great!
Thanks for your great tips. I’ve had my small pieces that were fused come off. Maybe using steam as you do would help.
I have found that creating that steam while fusing seems to create a stronger bond and I have fewer small pieces that come loose.
Thank you for your great blog post. I too never put water in my iron I use a spray bottle, one for plain water and another with a mixture of
Water and liquid starch which I use when I am
ironing fabrics for quilting or working on a quilt project.
Thank you!
I have sewn wool applique before but it has been a while.
It is good to have a refresher of the steps and the process that you use.
Looking forward to Part 3!
I have been doing wool appliqué for several years but I think you can always learn something new. I like the steaming with a cloth and not putting water in the iron. Also, haven’t tried stitching on fabric instead of wool backgrounds. That will save a t of money on using a large piece of wool. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your easy to follow and thorough instructions.
I also enjoyed watching your video as well. Always learn something new. I love to sew wool applique. Looking forward to Part 3.
Appreciate your suggestions & tips. It always seems to take me longer to cut, prepare & fuse wool applique than it does to actually do the stitching! But I love it! I like to use large pieces of cheese cloth instead of a towel when fusing on wool. You can see through if easily, it dries quickly & is inexpensive. I’ve also found when done fusing, it’s best to let the whole piece sit and cool for a few minutes before moving it. You usually won’t have small pieces come off by letting them cool.
Hi,
Cheese cloth sounds like a great idea. I’ll have to try it.
Thank you for the detailed instruction. What should I look for to find the type of scissors you describe?
The scissors I use are Havel Serrated Embroidery Scissors:
https://amzn.to/44fgvxS
I may have missed it, but what kind of glue are you using in your little squeeze squirter? Looks like a handy little tool.
Hi,
That is Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it. I love it!
https://shop.snugglesquilts.com/products/roxannes-glue-baste-it-large
What type of wool fabric is best to use? I have some old wool clothing that I was thinking of using. Is this okay to use. Or should I look for felted wool?
Actually if the wool clothing you have is 100% wool, that can be felted in your washing machine. There are many YouTube videos out there on how to felt wool clothing. I personally haven’t done it, but I have friends who have and the wool is great to use for a project. The felted wool you buy from a quilt shop is also 100% wool and is something you can use along with the wool you felt yourself.
Thank you for the great tips, I will be trying the dry iron and spray bottle right away.
Love all your tips and tricks for making an easy to stitch project