Hi everyone! Since I am working on some new Snugg-lets (my mini wool wall hangings) and another pattern with wool appliqué, I decided I will cover some of my favorite wool appliqué tips this week. Wool appliqué is a really fun way to add a unique flair to a quilt, whether small or large. I’ll cover these tips this week and then I will dive into my wool appliqué mini tutorial starting on Monday, April 15th. So let’s get started!
Thread Tips
I am often asked what threads I use for wool appliqué. My favorite type of thread is perle cotton, which is a high sheen, twisted cotton thread. It is used in this kind of stitchery and also as embroidery thread. Perle cotton comes in sizes #3, #5, #8 and #12. #3 is the thickest while #12 is the thinnest. My favorite size to use is #8, but you can try the different sizes and decide which is best for you.
DMC is a brand of perle cotton floss people are most familiar with that comes in all those sizes. My favorite brand is Valdani perle cotton:
As you can see above, the colors I use are all in a neutral color scheme. I match my neutral shade with the lightness or darkness of my appliqué piece. However Valdani, like DMC, comes in a large variety of colors if you want to match the thread to the actual color of your appliqué.
For travel sewing, I like to keep my threads in a small plastic box I found in the craft store. This keeps them in order and I can also pull the thread from the side with the cover closed so the thread ball doesn’t roll across the floor.
Needle Tips
I recommend either size 22 or size 24 chenille needles for my type of wool appliqué, which is wool appliqué on fabric. These needles are sharp and have larger eyes for threading perle cotton.
The size 22 needles are longer than the size 24, so use whichever size fits you best. You may want to investigate other needles if you are doing wool appliqué onto different or more delicate fabrics.
Template Tips
For pattern templates that need to be used several times over for tracing, I reinforce them. I do this by either copying them directly onto card stock from the pattern or by gluing the template page to a piece of card stock and then cutting them out.
Once you have them cut out, you can write the number of shapes needed for the design and the color of wool required on the template. Save them in a plastic bag attached to the pattern for future use.
These templates will be used to trace the appliqué shapes onto fusible web, which you will then cut out and fuse to the designated color wool.
Time to Stitch Tips
Since you will be handling the fabric background quite a bit while stitching the appliqué motif, a good tip is to reinforce the edges of the fabric with Fray Check. This will keep your fabric background from fraying into the seam allowance. You’d be surprised how much you can fray away with a lot of handling!
Even if you use fusible web to secure your appliqué motif, it’s always a good idea to keep some fabric glue by your side in case a piece loosens while you are stitching. I use both the large size and a smaller size that I keep in my thread box.
Both of these are Roxanne Glue products that I have used for years and love. I love the small Dip & Dab because it fits anywhere.
Always stitch where there is good lighting. Of course we all don’t have a bright, sunshiny window to sit by, so task lamps are the second best thing. Good lighting will help you see your stitching so it’s too your liking and you don’t have to tear it out. No one wants to do that!
I have a desk top light and a floor lamp I use depending on where I decide to stitch. A bonus feature is both these lights have magnifiers on them to help me see my stitching better.
So now that you have my basic tips, come back and learn wool appliqué (or refresh your skills) with my wool appliqué mini tutorial series. It will be a 3 part series and when done, I will enter all the commenters into a drawing for my Sew with Friends wool kit that includes the pattern and wool, you supply the fabric.
The drawing will be on Monday, May 6th after part 3 of the wool appliqué tutorial series. We have a winner! Congrats, Karen H.!
Happy Stitching!
Deanne
Great tips, like your travel box for threads! Thanks so much.
Thanks for the tips!
You have given such great tips. I’m glad you mentioned what type of needles you use. It gives me a place to begin in finding the needle that will work best for my applique.
Love the idea of pulling the thread tail thru the closed lid on your storage box to contain the roll. Looking up the needles you suggested. Thanks!
Love your concise, clear instructions in everything!
Thank you for sharing your tips. Such a great help!
I like your tip of using Fray Check on the wool.
I have done a lot of travel stitching and never thought to close the lid on the thread box to hold the spool in place while stitching. That is a great tip! Thanks.
Thanks for all the tips. I love doing wool applique .
Love the Fray Check idea. As always, some really great tips!
I’ve just started doing wool appliqué so I’m very interested in your posts. Your tips are always so helpful.
Thanks for all the tips. Love the fray check idea
Thanks for all the tips! They will definitely be helpful for my wool appliqué projects!
Thank you for the tips! But does gray check stiffen the wool?
Darn that auto correct… does FRAY check stiffen the fabric?
The fray check is used on the outside edges of the background fabric rather than the wool applique pieces. It does stiffen the background fabric a bit at the edge.
Hi Donna,
There is a tiny stiffening to the edge. If you just apply a thin line, it stays in the seam allowance and doesn’t hurt your background fabric at all.
Thanks you for the tips, looks like a fun project.
I’ve only done a little applique: some traditional, some using fusible web, and one project using glue with wool. Since I’m interested in doing more wool applique, I’ll be following your tutorial with interest!
Wool applique is one of my favorites. Have you ever tried Sew Fine Thread Gloss to aid with stitching? It comes in several scents. I’m trying to decide whether I like it or not.
I haven’t used that for my threads. I have use the product called Thread Magic.
https://shop.snugglesquilts.com/products/thread-magic
These tips are fantastic, thank you. I am new at wool applique and am starting on a project. When I look for “wool” which is what is stated in the pattern, am I to looking for wool felt or wool fabric? They both come up in my search when I search for wool for applique. Sometimes woolie comes up which I found out is flannel.
Hi! Here is an explanation on the differences:
100% wool, also known as felted wool, is a woven textile. It is made when the wool roving is spun into thread and then the threads are woven into the piece of cloth. To turn it into felted wool, it them must be washed in hot water and dried at a high heat. The thickness and weave among these cloths can vary so you get primitive or rustic feel to a project. This wool looks the best when it is hand stitched and is the more expensive of the two.
Wool felt is also 100% wool but it is not a woven textile. It starts with wool roving just like the felted wool but instead of spinning it into thread, the roving is “bonded” by a process that includes heat and moisture and agitation. This causes the roving to matt together tightly to make wool felt. This wool is less expensive than felted wool. It tends to be more “uniform” looking but it’s still 100% wool! It’s less rustic looking when appliqued because there is usually no fraying.
Hope that helps!
wool projects are my go to favorites. Always have a small project or two in the project bag to grab & go. Thank you for all the hints on your blogs
Valdani pearle cotton and John James needles are my favorites, too. Several years ago I found an inexpensive plastic box with dividers in the hardware section of a local store. It is probably intended for screws or small parts. The little divisions are the perfect size for the balls of thread, with a bigger section where little scissors and needle threader fit. Thanks again for all your tips.
I love that box idea! It’s so much fun to re-purpose items made for other things and use them in the sewing room.
Thank you so much for all the tips and all your sharing. I have tried to get into the wool applique, I have all the supplies but either half way through or when I finish a small beginner project, I am not at all happy with my stitches then give it up again until I see your post and it gets me inspired to try again. : )
Thanks for your tips. I use wool appliqué needles by Fons and Porter, they work great but are hard to find. I also use perle cotton
Thread and have used 12wt thread by sulke.
Love your tips, they are so helpful
Love the idea of the Pearl Cotton in the box! Thanks so much for the tips, they are so helpful.
I use the plastic boxes with the individual spaces to place the balls of pearl cotton. You can find these boxes at Craft stores, fishing stores, hardware stores. I have some that are doubled sided, so you can store more. A great help.
Great tips. I never thought to use chenille needles for wool.
Love all of these tips. Just as a reminder, lights with magnifiers are wonderful to use but just remember to cover the magnifier after use. I know several stitchers who have scorched, burned a hole or nearly started the house on fire when the sun came in contact with the magnifier. In my mom’s case it was only a few minutes when she got up to do something.
Excellent tip on the magnifier!
I am going to love your wool applique series, that is my favorite mode of stitching and embellishing. Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us!
I have a tip for you. You can buy small hair clips and use them to keep the thread on the ball of Valdani form unwinding. I wish I could post a picture so you could see what I am talking about. They are inexpensive and keeps my balls of threads neat.
I like that idea. Are those the same hair clips used to secure binding? I’ll have to try it.
Thank you for this tutorial series. I have been accumulating wool and perle cotton for quite a while but haven’t really started anything.
I look forward to learning so much!