Wishes Wool Applique Project - SHOW YOUR PROGRESS!

[Connie H.]

This is not sewn at all. I did place some scant dots of Roxanne's to hold it until I can baste/applique. Hopefully I don't later regret that.

[Connie H.]

Also a note.....i'm kind of afraid of the frog. This is my first ever embroidery piece, so I don't think my skills are ready for a frog. Maybe i'll put another leaf or something there.

[Helen W.]

Alex said you can put the frog on at the end, so I bet your confidence will grow quickly as you start
doing the stitching. If you don't have the tiny applique pins to hold your stuff in place you might
want to get some. The tiny dots of glue, won't hurt, I have seen a lot of quilters use that on their
wool applique. I don't know of any way to leave all the pieces on the background while basting them
down with the whip stitch. You can take a picture so after you disassemble, you can see the place
by looking at the picture and judging the placement according to your background sewing lines.
I have done a ton of applique, just not wool. I usually make an overlay out of vellum, lay my background fabric on a wool pressing mat, then pin the left side of the vellum into the mat and
background, so I can lift the vellum up place a piece in the right spot, pin or in the past I have
used glue dots and then stitch than piece down. I will post a picture in post, because you can't
add pictures to comments on this forum. HelenW

[Helen W.]

Connie H. This is how I use the vellum for placement. The block I was working on was flannel. I had heat and bond
light on the back of the pieces to hold them in place. HelenW

If you want to see a lot of demos on how to do stitches on wool. The lady on West Coast Wool you tube channel is doing a series on wool leaves and I often watch how to do a stitch there. If nothing else you will get lots of tips on stuff. When you are new to something you need to be a sponge and just soak
up all the info you can get. It will quickly turn from scary to fun, fun, fun.

[Connie H.]

Thanks Helen. Lots of good info.

[Helen W.]

About ready to disassemble, took this picture so I can hopefully whip stitch it down so it still looks like this.
HelenW

It is all stitched down!

[Helen W.]

Beautiful background stitching. HelenW

[Sandy F.]

I ordered the kit because I want to finally work with wool. I have basted the “bones” down and may be a little off center but I think it will be ok.

[Helen W.]

Sandra F. I like how you just basted with large stitches. Wish I had basted as I laid things down.
Wasn't sure if I would like what I was auditioning, but big stitches like that would be easy to take
out if I wanted to move something. HelenW

[Helen W.]

Experimenting with threads for the wool whip stitch. One on right uses the Sue Spargo yellow wool ellana thread on the yellow wool.
The other uses Wonderful Invisifil thread. Both are whip stitch of about 1/8 inch into the wool, and 1/8 inch apart. HelenW

If you click on photo it enlarges.

[Sandy F.]

I don’t have thread that matches all the different wools so I am using invisible thread for most of the appliqué pieces. I hate sewing with it but it doesn’t show.

[Alice F.]

I'm allergic to wool, so I'm using cotton and some silk. I have more pieces to add yet, and the applique pieces are not stitched down yet. I'm considering adding a snail or other creature. I like your bird Helen W. Thanks for the inspiration!

This was my first time using the freezer paper and starch method to turn the applique edges. I really like it!! Though it did stain the silk pieces; so I won't use it for silk going forward. The silk circles are behind the yellow lace doilies so they look fine there I think. The staining adds a bit of texture.

[Sandy F.]

I love your interpretation of the pattern. Beautiful!

[Helen W.]

Love at first sight!!! It is fabulous. I was thinking white lace on my circle, but did
not have any. Went with light tone small circles to give texture. Your background just flows like a
landscape. the same background on both sides of the dark brown gives a feel of continuation, but with interest. Love the gentle curves, looks great with the circles. The tiny fussy cut lace star with the pin in it. means to me that you might use a lot of them around the white circle. Only thing I might
have done different would be to make the green stems that are almost the same as the green grass a different shade of green,
I might have done a lime green, or some green that shows better against the grass. Love, love
love your version of Alex's pattern. HelenW

[Helen W.]

I was just thinking about your creature. How about a grass hopper on the bottom and a butterfly or dragonfly
on one of the flowers. HelenW

[Alice F.]

Thanks so much for the compliments and suggestions!!
I've replaced 2 stems and leaves with a different green so they now stand out from the background green.

I like your idea of added a butterfly and another insect Helen!

I used Shir-Tailor interfacing to stabilize my cotton background. I learned this from taking Jane Sassaman art quilt classes and really like the results. I find it easy to hand and machine embroider through.

Alice Frenz

[Helen W.]

Hi Alice F, I like your replacement green. I have never heard of Shir-Tailor interfacing but I will check
it out. I have always used Pellon 906 Sheer lightweight fusible. Did you put the interfacing on all
the pieces before you make the background, or just on the whole background? Just this morning
I put a black fusible on the back of mine. I started to fuse from the back but checked after a few
inches and it was rippling on the front cotton. So I carefully pulled it apart and ironed from the
front with a cotton pressing cloth over it. Probably should have done it before I started the appliquéing stuff down. I am sure it will be needed when we start all the fun decorative stitching.
HelenW
PS I just got my newsletter email from Sue Spargo and it was about By Annies Basting Tape.
It looks like a game changer for tons of stuff. Sue shows pics of using with rick rack, small hard
to pin pieces like yo yo's etc. Can't wait to get some to try out. There is an 8 min. video on
By Annies you tube channel.

[Alice F.]

I added the ShirTailor (Pellon 950F) to the background pieces before stitching together. I drew my shapes on the interfacing first, then cut out and ironed onto my cotton. Then I added the 1/4” seam allowance when cutting out the cotton shape.

I know what you mean about interfacing shrinking when ironing on and causing the fabric to ripple. Have had that happen many times with other fusible. I don’t recall having that problem with ShirTailor. It might be that it is more stable because it’s meant for collars and cuffs of men’s Oxford type shirts without being stiff, or it might be that I usually iron it onto the fabric before cutting the fabric shape out.

[Helen W.]

Making up the stitch pattern as I go.... Here is what I have so far. HelenW

[Sandy F.]

I love your patterns and the wispy stitches around circle. Amazing how many different patterns you can create within a circle.

[Sandy F.]

This is addictive and there are other things I should be working on. So far I have used stitches I am familiar with but now starts the learning process.

[Helen W.]

Sandy F. Your stitching is beautiful. And you have done so much. Love how even your stitches are and your
tension look perfect. Makes me think I should put down my other projects and just sit and stitch.
Other people on the forum. remember to click on her picture and then click one more time to
get the zoom feature. HelenW

[Sandy F.]

Thanks Helen. We won’t talk about the un-sewing I have done. I’m currently practicing the bullion stitch and it’s not as easy as it looks. I retired at the beginning of the year and I’m afraid I’m spending too much time catching up on unfinished projects and then I started this one.

[Toni J.]

Here is my adaption of Wishes with a Dragon fly instead of a frog

[Helen W.]

Hi Toni J. Your dragon fly is super cute. I like the contrast in color so it show up well. This sure is a fun project.
HelenW

[sewskeel]

Fly stitch is done

[Sandy F.]

Your stitches are beautiful.

[Sandy F.]

Toni, I like your Dragon Fly. I have the frog cut out but I may do a cat instead. I have learned (not mastered) three new stitches; couch, loop and bullion. I think I had more problems with the loop stitch than the other two. I had trouble making the stitch as small as the pattern showed. I still have a lot of bullion stitches to go.