Wild Blooms & Colorful Creatures: 15 Applique Projects

- 15 projects for all skill levels: quilts, pillows, bags, sewing kit, needle case, and more.

- Give your applique a fresh new look by mixing wool with cotton and linen fabrics.

- Includes instructions for 13 embroidery stitches.

Introduction

The projects in this book combine a variety of fabrics, including cotton solids and prints, linen, and wool. By combining different patterns and textures, and with a touch of fun and imagination added in, you can achieve stunning, contemporary projects. You can’t help but have fun, because the techniques are simple and easy to achieve for all lovers of stitching. Working with color is always cheery and good for the soul. You can even add extra embellishment to the designs with buttons and beads?the only limit is your imagination.

The projects include flowers, birds, houses, and animals. You can mix up the designs from project to project and make some unique items of your own. Wool felt is a great way to gain confidence with color, because you can make up all of the design elements and then audition them onto different backgrounds. Keep playing until you find the one that makes your heart sing.

Wool

Wool is available in a great range of textures and blends. I like pure wool, but wool blends can be used as well. Try to choose wools that are either felted or have a tight weave. Wool fabrics with a looser texture can be backed with fusible (iron-on) interfacing to give them more stability and to reduce the fraying on the edges. I use wool on projects that do not require a lot of durability, such as a wallhanging. Wool also comes in a variety of colors and textures. Heavily textured wool that has a fuzzy or furry texture is great to use for animals.

Before you begin, there are a few things to consider in order to get the best outcome from wool:

- Before using wool fabric, check for colorfastness by wetting the wool and steam pressing it on top of a piece of white cotton fabric. If there is no color bleed, then it is fine to use. If the color bleeds, you need to prewash the wool separately using a color catcher to catch any excess dye and to see whether the color has run.

- Wool should also be preshrunk prior to cutting. You can do this by washing it or by giving it a good steam press.

- Wool that is not machine washable can often be felted. To do this, prepare the wool in a washing machine with hot water and detergent. Dry it in the clothes dryer on hot to complete the felting process. Then give the wool a good steam press. Wool that is machine washable cannot be felted.

- Thrift shops are often a good source of wool. You can buy used wool clothes and blankets and cut them into usable pieces.

- You can also experiment with dyeing wool. If you throw fabrics with different colors and textures into the same dye bath, you will get an array of different shades of one color.

Tip:

As you go, you might like to make up some stitches and patterns of your own. The more variety you have, the more interesting it will look. On the smaller center circles, cut away a tiny circle in the center. This works like reverse applique, revealing the color of the background.

Two’s Company, Finished size: 42˝ × 48˝ (107cm × 122cm)

This is a great little quilt for children. It has all of the creatures of an African safari, and the quirky birds and fish complete the scene. It is fun making all the creatures and bringing them to life with their eyes and simple expressions. Play around with the background fabrics and simplify the borders if you wish. The colors you choose will transform the overall feel, from daylight to dusk, from summer to winter. The choice is up to you.