I’m working on another wool appliqué piece right now – the pillow version of my Lorelei pattern. It is a fantastic little project, and I love watching it come together. I decided to use my favorite Essex Linen color for the background and it is so pretty. I think everything is better with some Pickle. I tried something a little different this time, and I’m using Wonderfil Ellana thread, which is wool, too. It’s so cool! If you haven’t tried playing with felted wool yet, here is your special invitation. It feels so lovely in my hands, and I think everyone will enjoy it once they give it a try.
First up, I use Sue Spargo Merino wool when I play. I’ve tried a few other brands, and this one is my favorite. It is felted after being woven, so it isn’t like your craft store felt sheets. (You can find those made of wool, too, but I like the softer hand of the woven wool better. Of course, you get to use whatever you prefer.) It is floppier, but still holds a firm raw edge.
After cutting my wool pieces and laying out my design, I baste my pieces in place. I’ve decided I like thread basting the best. Pins are okay, but unless I use a lot, my pieces can shift around. Thread basting close to the edge of the piece is relatively easy, and means I can take my project with me when I’m on the move. Last week I did some stitches while we were out to dinner. I use a contrasting thread for my basting, so it is easy to see and remove. Knots stay on top, again, so they are easy to find and remove.
I chose Ellana wool thread for this piece. I usually use 50 weight Aurifil because I have lots of colors. 80 weight is even better, because it is so fine it just disappears into the piece, but I only have a couple of colors of it. (I do try to show a little restraint in my hoarding.) My students had asked about wool thread, and I never like saying I haven’t tried something. So, at QuiltCon I picked up a group of threads that match my wool colors. It feels so different from cotton!
The thread is thicker and scratchier, so there is a little resistance going through the fabric. Not bad, but it feels different. Because it is chunky, it shows more than the cotton, but the colors of Wonderfil match the colors of Sue Spargo wools very well. (This is intentional – Wonderfil works with Sue on colors.) The finished edge looks a little more decorative with the larger stitches, which I like.
I do my whip stitch on wool differently than I do with cotton appliqué. With cotton, I bring the needle up in the appliqué, then back down into the background. With wool I do the opposite – the needle comes up in the background, almost behind the appliqué, then goes down into the appliqué. I find this helps keep the raw edge of the wool together, preventing any fraying.
I’m doing diamonds with pointy tips on this piece, and I’ve been working on keeping the tips straight. On my large Lorelei, a lot of the tips wobbled, which I find annoying. My technique is getting better, though. One thing that helps is that when I get to within 1/2″ or so of the tip, I start doing my whip stitch with single motions. Rather than try to do one stitch all at one go, I pull my thread through to the top, then pull it through to the bottom. I love being efficient, but I love having straight tips more.
My plan is to finish this piece off over the weekend, then assemble it into a pillow, or maybe just a mini quilt. It will be delivered to Gotham Quilts and be on display in the shop. I was supposed to let them hang the large quilt up, but it is going to take a trip and hang at QuiltFest in Greenville, SC from April 20-22! If you see it, share a photo with me! I won’t be attending.
Want to check out the Lorelei pattern? The print version is available at Gotham Quilts, along with kits in two colorways. (The one shown here is Jewel). You can get the pdf from Threadsomepatterns.com. Of course, there are tons of wool appliqué patterns out there – just find one you love and give it a go!
I have done a series of short videos while working on this piece and put them on my Instagram account. Check them out if video is more helpful to you.