Wool Talk – Part Two

Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed last week’s Wool Talk. This week I am covering tips and hacks to make your wool appliqué experience an enjoyable one. This will also include my favorite wool appliqué notions. By now those of you who are subscribed to my newsletter have received block 1 of my 2025 Block of the Month. You can use some of the tips and hacks here to get started. 

My Favorite Notions & Tools

Threads: 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. I use Valdani brand:

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. But, these threads, like other embroidery threads, also come in a large variety of colors so you can match the thread color to your wool piece if you prefer.

Needles: 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.

Other Tools: Here’s some other essential notions I always have on hand. First up is fusible web.  My favorite brand is Heat n’ Bond Featherlight. I find that it is the right weight and does not add any stiffness to my wool appliqués.

Next up, I keep fabric glue by my side, whether I am stitching at home or traveling. 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.

Finally, good lighting is a must and one of my highly recommended tools. Good lighting will help you see your stitching to make sure it’s to your liking and you won’t have to tear it out. Here’s both the lights I depend on:

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.

My Favorite Tips & Hacks

Templates: 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.

Project Background: I like to reinforce the edges of the block with Fray Check.

Doing this prevents fraying while handling the block as you stitch. If your fabric frays a lot, you could lose seam allowance and your block will no longer measure the size it should. Now this is an optional step, but I recommend it highly.

I also like to draw a line about 3/4″ in on all four sides of my background fabric to define the area for my motif:

By defining this space ahead of time, you won’t accidently stitch some of your design into the seam allowance where it will be cut off when you sew the blocks together.

Threads: I store the threads in a small box like the one below. The fun thing about this is I can pull a thread I need, close the box and keep feeding the thread. This is a good thing for those of us who have cats that like to play with our threads! 

Stitching: You can “eyeball” the space between your stitches to make sure they are the distance apart you want, or you can mark lines on your thumb and use them as a guide for spacing.

Simply place your thumb so the first line lines up with the last stitch you made and use the second line as the marking point to start your next stitch.

If you do not want to end the stitching by tying a knot, you can turn your project over and feed your needle through a few of the stitches on the back and then clip the end as shown in the photos below:

So that’s it for the second part of my Wool Talk. Perhaps you found a new notion to use and I hope you enjoyed my tips and hacks. 

Happy Quilting & Stitching!
Deanne