Wool applique tutorial

I've been thinking about this tutorial and discussing techniques with some of my friends and what I've discovered is that everyone seems to have a different method of working with wool.

I thought I would show you some of these methods because, what works for me, might not be what works for you and vice-versa. By no means am I an expert on this subject but I thought I'd share what I know because I really enjoy it. I have to say that the hardest part of the whole process is cutting into a new piece of wool.

Since some of you have emailed me asking where to start building a stash of wool, I talked to Karen at Farmhouse Woolens about putting together a "sampler pack". (probably about 10 different colors measuring about 10" x 10"). She should have something up on her blog or her webstore in the next few days.

So, here we go...



You will be using one of these products to trace your shapes. I'm going to be using freezer paper, but you can also use fusible webbings like the ones pictured. (Remember, if you use a fusible, you will have to reverse your pattern pieces.)



Freezer paper has a dull side and a shiny side. Trace your pieces on the dull side. I use a permanent market (like a Sharpie) so that I don't have to worry about my ink bleeding on my wool.


The pattern is on the left, traced pieces on the right. Cut out the pieces 1/4" from the traced line.

Position them on the wool.

Iron pieces (shiny side down). Use the "wool" setting on your iron. The pieces will adhere but won't be permanent. You can reposition them if you need to. You can also re-use them a couple more times.

Cut out on drawn line. I use whatever sharp scissors I have around. I sometimes use smaller scissors on the little pieces.

Depending on your background color, you might want to put your pattern under a light box to position your pieces.

There are many ways to "glue" your pieces onto the background. I use the Roxann's Glue Baste-it, pictured on the far right.

Start with the pieces that will be under other pieces. I run a small line of glue on the background using the pattern and light box as a guide.

Position your cut piece on the glue line. Continue with the remaining pieces.

Sometimes I leave the freezer paper on the piece when I'm positioning it because it provides a bit of stability. Just peel it off when you're finished.

When it's all glued down,

I do this... Now don't laugh! I lay it flat on my table and put something heavy on it and leave it all night. This allows time for the glue to dry and the pressure makes it nice and flat when I'm ready to start stitching it down. I know....I'm weird. LOL

Time to start stitching. Here are some of the threads I use. The number of strands I use or the thickness of the thread just depends on the look I'm after.

I blanket stitched the vase and used a whip stitch on the rest of the design. You could also do a small running stitch close to the edge of the wool. Actually, whatever stitch you use is just fine. Just do whatever is easiest for you. There aren't any rules and the Wool Police won't arrest you...I promise.

I had a question about what to use to mark on the wool. You might be doing this if you wanted to do some embroidery on your design. These are my favorites. Sometimes one marker works better than another.

So, there you go.. Wasn't that easy? If you have other methods that work for you, please be sure and leave a comment for others to see. You might make me change a technique or two myself.