Hey everyone. Today you will learn to make a bright wool appliqué wall hanging with a Turquoise centerpiece.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric first
This is the LN08 - Turquoise Merino Wool Fabric, from WonderFil USA.
It is part of Sue Spargo's mill-dyed colors, 60 colors in all. This one is Turquoise.
The fabric is 100% Superior Grade Virgin Australian Merino Wool. It is proficiently woven and richly dyed. It is raised to a perfect hand.
It feels soft and luxuriously felted, designed for ease of stitch penetration.
The color boasts an even and saturated dye. It also possesses unparalleled colorfastness.
Now the real numbers. This size is a Fat 1/8. It measures 18 inches by 14 inches. It is cut from a true 36-inch yard.
The listed usages include wool appliqué, rug hooking, quilts, apparel, crafts, and more. We are using it for wool appliqué today.
A matching Ellana 28wt 50/50 wool/acrylic appliqué thread is available separately. Use it, or use what you have. Completely up to you.
The project: a Turquoise appliqué wall hanging
A wall hanging is a small quilt for the wall. It gives you color and texture every day.
Our hanging finishes about 16 inches wide by 20 inches long. That is a sweet size for an entryway or a sewing room.
The Turquoise wool becomes simple appliqué shapes on a plain cotton background. Think three big circles, a few leaves, and one long wavy stem.
You can cut those shapes from one Fat 1/8 with room to spare.
Why does this fabric suit it? Felted wool edges do not fray. You can blanket stitch the raw edge down and call it done. No turning under. No fuss.
Against a cream or natural background, Turquoise reads bright and happy from across the room.
And here is the permission part. Your circles do not have to be perfect circles. You are your own worst critic. Take your time. This is not a race.
Materials list
- 1 piece of LN08 - Turquoise Merino Wool Fabric — Fat 1/8, 18 inches by 14 inches
- 1 fat quarter of quilting cotton, for the background
- 1 piece of low-loft batting, 18 inches by 22 inches
- 1 fat quarter of quilting cotton, for the backing
- 1/4 yard of quilting cotton, for binding and a hanging sleeve
- Optional matching Ellana 28wt 50/50 wool/acrylic appliqué thread, available separately
- All-purpose sewing thread for construction and quilting
- Freezer paper, a fine marker, and sharp small scissors
- Hand-sewing needles, pins, a ruler, a rotary cutter, and an iron
- A small dowel or stick for hanging, about 15 inches long
Brief steps
1. Cut the background. Cut your background cotton to 16 1/2 inches wide by 20 1/2 inches long. Press it flat and find the center with two light creases.
2. Draw your shapes. Draw three circles on freezer paper, about 4 inches, 3 inches, and 2 inches across. Add simple leaves and one wavy stem.
3. Cut the wool. Iron the freezer paper, shiny side down, onto the wool. Cut on the line. Peel the paper away gently.
4. Arrange the design. Lay the stem down first, then the circles and leaves. Move things until you smile. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
5. Pin and stitch. Pin each shape in place. Blanket stitch around each edge, about 1/8 inch deep and 1/8 inch apart. Or whipstitch. Completely up to you.
6. Layer and quilt. Layer backing, batting, and your appliquéd top. Pin well. Quilt simply — echo around the shapes. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
7. Bind it. Trim to 16 inches by 20 inches. Bind with double-fold binding, using a 1/4-inch seam.
8. Add the sleeve. Sew a fabric sleeve across the back at the top, about 3 inches deep. Slide your dowel through, and hang it up.
Practical tips
Test your stitches on a scrap first. On wool, stitches about 1/8 inch long look tidy and do not pucker the shape.
The wool is made for ease of stitch penetration, so you should not have to push hard. Slow down if you are forcing it — that is how needles snap.
I have stitched half a design, then noticed one leaf was upside down. It happens. Just lift that shape, turn it, and stitch again. Wool forgives, folks.
Press gently, mostly from the back. A hot, heavy iron can flatten that lovely felted hand.
Want a different mood? Swap the background. Turquoise on charcoal is dramatic, and on denim it is super duper fun.
Oh my goodness, that color. Hang it where the light finds it.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the LN08 - Turquoise Merino Wool Fabric at Linda's Electric Quilters.
