Wool Questions Answered

What makes a wool good for applique?

 

One that is 100% wool, as it felts up tightly. This prevents the edges from fraying, so you can use a short whipstitch. If the edges fray, you have to stitch deeper, which will make the stitches visible.

 

What is the difference between 100% wool & felt?

 

Wool is a natural fiber that goes through a vigorous process before it's transformed into a woven, ready to dye textile. (See tutorial, Sue Spargo Hand Dyed Wool, for more information.) With the exception of some textures, all of our hand and mill dyes are 100% wool. Felt is a dense, non-woven textile generally composed of synthetic materials that are pressed together by moisture, heat, and pressure.   What’s the 4-11 on wool thread?   Ellana is the only thread we use for wool appliqué, with a whipstitch. It is a 12wt, 50/50 blend of wool and acrylic. The acrylic has to be incorporated into the make-up of the thread in order to give it strength, while wool is the property that makes it fuzzy & matte. We select the closest matching thread to the piece we are appliquéing down and use a length no longer than 18" with a #24 Chenille needle. As we whipstitch the pieces in place, this thread coats the edges of the appliqué, creating an almost invisible stitch. Our goal is to make the appliqué as invisible as possible so it does not detract or fight with the embroidery. If we were to use a Perle cotton to appliqué the pieces in place, then come back and embroider or embellish, things would become busy and confusing, as there would already be a decorative stitch in place. If we were to use a cotton thread, it's sheen would be visible and it would cut into the edge of the appliqué.   What’s the importance of using the correct size needle?   Using the right tool for any job, project, or craft is critical, so we would answer the above question, simply, "very important"! If we think about the task or job of a needle, it would rank as the most important tool in the execution of handwork. This is the tool used for each and every stitch we create... So why are we struggling using the incorrect size, cheapest, most dull needle, or one that's from grandma's rusted collection? Not only is vital in the execution of stitches but also in the conversation of our hands. You should not be continuously struggling to pull threads through. This is hard on your hands, and you're likely using the wrong needle. Handwork should be enjoyable, and you have to invest in the appropriate needle to get the job done. We have worked hard to make this easy by color coding our needle tubes to match the core of the coordinating size of our Eleganza Perle Cotton Threads (See tutorial: Know Your Needles).   How do you wash wool?   This is a question we get asked a lot! If you complete a highly embroidered quilt, we would never recommend washing it. There are far too many variables at play such as hand dyed threads and embellishments, all that require different care. If a piece needs a little dust-busting, placing a piece of pantyhose on the end of a vacuum hose does the trick. When it comes to washing, one of the first things to ask yourself is, how would you wash a wool sweater? Would you wash a brand new red garment with a white garment? Looking at the piece you've created, only you can answer if it would be safe to consider hand-washing. Our hand dyed wools go through numerous washes, but cannot be guaranteed to be colorfast, as water and temperatures differ all over the world. Reds in particular can be very temperamental. We always recommend doing a water test on a sample of all the wools, prior to making your quilt, if you intend on washing. The best way to care for a wool quilt would be to hand wash in lukewarm water with a mild soap, such as Soak, or a gentle, scentless detergent, then lay flat to dry. You could potentially have it dry cleaned if you have a dry-cleaner you know and trust. If you know your wool is 100% wool from the source, and there is no embroidery, you could potentially wash it in your washing machine on a gentle cycle in cool water. You will likely have some felting/shrinkage initially as the fiber becomes used to your machine and water.   What is the best way to store wool?   Always store wool and wool projects in light, but not direct sunlight. Places you want to avoid are dark areas, like a container under a bed, which are just invitations for moths to lay eggs.   Are there any issues with moths?   We have never had a problem with moths and wool. Here at our studio and warehouse, we store thousands of yards of wool, wool quilts, samples, projects, kits, and wool scrap. Moths vs. wool becomes problematic when you use recycled wool, or the wool becomes soiled with a protein like human or animal excretions (ie. sweat, saliva, pet dander). Moths are actually not the nasty little culprit that eat your wool, it's the larvae from their eggs that much on the protein. Since we use newly milled wool, the risk for cloth moths is virtually nil. If you ever experience a problem with moths, a solution is to wrap your quilt in muslin or acid free tissue paper and place it in a freezer for a week. You then need to unwrap it to check for anymore activity. If you see some, repeat the process. Washing or dry cleaning does not kill the larvae.

Do you use Fusible?

 

Never! Wool is expensive, so you would never want to glue any part of it together. As long as you use a wool that felts well, you should never need it to hold the edges together. Fusible irons the wool flat, so you lose all dimension of layering and stitching. It is also incredibly hard to needle through, especially multiple layers. There is never any reason to use fusible on good quality wool. It is also an added expense that is unneeded.

 

What batting do you use?

 

Dream Cotton or Dream Wool has been our go-to batting for years. For highly embellished wool quilts, we tend to lean towards the Dream Wool batting, as it has a bit more loft and drape than the cotton.

 

 

What weight of thread do you recommend for machine quilting wool?

 

Machine quilting a wool quilt isn't much different than a cotton quilt, besides feel. Some of our favorites are Ellana (12wt) with a 50wt cotton, like Konfetti, in the bobbin. You would use a #16 topstitching needle with this combination and adjust the tension of your machine as needed. The Ellana gives the quilt's final layer a very organic feel, while a 50wt cotton would give it more of a sheen. Invisifil is also a crowd favorite, since you don't have to change thread colors with the quilt. For those that enjoy big stitch quilting, we recommend Eleganza Perle Cotton in size 8, 5, or 3.

 

How do you keep small shapes from fraying on the edges?

 

We use a 1/4" wool punch for our small circles, which provides the cleanest cut we can find. For small shapes, the quality of wool is critical. It has to be a tight, well-felted wool. We never use textural wools (due to possible blends) for small shapes, only solids that we know will not fray. Some people prefer to use a stab stitch, rather than a whipstitch, to stitch small pieces in place.

 

What is the best way for removing freezer paper from wool?

 

When applying freezer paper templates, use a dry (no steam), hot iron, applying just enough pressure to lightly adhere the template. Once your shape is cut out, gently peel off.

 

Is freezer paper used to stabilize wool during cutting?

 

Not necessarily. Since freezer paper is easily adhered and removed from wool, it works as a guide during cutting, rather than a stabilizer.  Freezer paper is a quick, efficient, and inexpensive way to make templates. They are reusable and you can write on them! We found several years ago that the freezer paper available in grocery stores would no longer adhere well to wool, and made a switch to packaged freezer paper. We currently carry regular freezer paper, which is ideal for general wool appliqué, along with heavy duty. Heavy Duty is great for multiple images (such as a repetitive sampler), or if we wanted to keep a particular template for a longer period of time. It's also what we use for velvet appliqué circles (See tutorial: Velvet Appliqué Circles).

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