Wool Appliqué with Free Motion Quilting
I tried something new! There seems to be very little time to actually sew, so I decided to broaden my horizons and try some projects that would give me something to do with my hands in the evening or while riding in the car. I really like the look of wool and decided to give wool appliqué a try.
It didn't turn out great as I know nothing about threads to use or embellishing techniques. In fact, I used sewing thread. It's not bad, just not what would be expected.
The design was appliquéd onto a gorgeous fat-quarter piece of hand-dyed Cherrywood fabric that looks like suede. I added some stabilizer to the fabric prior to adding the appliqué. When I realized I was off base with the appliqué, I decided to see if I could salvage it with some free motion quilting.
So I sandwiched the fabric with two layers of Hobbs 80/20 cotton wool, planned a lovely feather spine, grabbed some So Fine 50 weight thread, and started quilting feathers. Then I took a 60 weight Mettler embroidery thread and micro-stippled on the inside of the feathers around the appliqué and outside of the feathers by the border.
It doesn't fix it completely, but I like it! I think I'll get a kit next time and try to follow some directions! Have a super quilty week!
I think it is good to try new things on small projects. Your feathers are beautiful. It looks like a great first experiment with wool appliqué.
ReplyDeletePenny, I think it looks wonderful for your very first piece. You did beautifully, and it looks absolutely amazing with all the beautiful quilting and feathers around it. I use a mixture of threads to stitch my wool down, and to embellish, so don't feel bad about that. You are learning something fun and new. A kit would be a great idea but it's most fun when you make it your own, just like you did here. :)
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