Mary A Blythe - Wool Appliqu� Heirlooms: 15 Antique-Inspired Projects & Techniques

Publisher: Amy Marson Creative Director: Gailen Runge Acquisitions Editor: Roxane Cerda Managing Editor: Liz Aneloski Editor: Kathryn Patterson Technical Editor: Linda Johnson Cover/Book Designer: April Mostek Production Coordinator: Zinnia Heinzmann Production Editor: Alice Mace Nakanishi Illustrator: Mary E. Flynn Photo Assistant: Rachel Holmes Photography by Kelly Burgoyne of C&T Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted Published by C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549 Dedication To my husband, sons, daughters-in-law, and all my wonderful grandchildren I designed these heirlooms for you! Acknowledgments Each and every day is a gift and I thank God for my life, the gifts he has given me, and the ability to use them. I am truly blessed to have a husband that supports this dream. I cant thank him enough for his encouragement and understanding throughout this project. Throughout their lives, the boys have put up with my creative messes and supported me wholeheartedly.

Because they know the time that I have put into all my work, I feel my heirlooms will be safe in all their hands. To my daughters-in-law, thank you for your encouragement, support and opinions that I really do take seriously. Thank God for my ever-expanding number of grandchildren; I can only hope they will soon be arguing over hanging the next ornament. I love you all so very much. Thanks to my parents, we are all able to do whatever we are passionate about. To my sister, Kathy, I have tried to live the best life for both of us.

Sandy, my friend and partner in crime, I thank you for always being there for me and listening. The lake girls, I couldnt have done it without your input, encouragement, and the countless texts for your valued opinions. To all my friends and extended family, thank you for believing in me and what this project has meant. I truly appreciate all of you. I have always loved doing needlework and working with wool but didnt truly believe anyone would like my designs until I opened The Woolen Needle. Thank you to Annette, Carla, and Julie for helping me to bring my designs to the needlework world and eventually to write this book.

You taught me a lot about construction and rescued me from my many design disasters. As I began the journey of writing this book, I was uncertain that anyone would be interested. With the help of the entire staff at C&T Publishing, I was able to get this off the ground and was assured that I had something valuable to share. I cant thank them enough for helping make this project something we can all be proud of. Introduction Heirlooms dont have to be valuable, just priceless in the hearts and minds of those who are lucky enough to own them. The greatest compliment someone can give your work is to say they will treasure and keep it forever.

Every day of every year gives us the opportunity to leave our mark and impression, and to create those special heirlooms. I have been blessed with those treasures from past generations and am determined to instill the love for these items in the future ones. This book has been inspired by my love for antiques, family heirlooms, and traditions which I hope will live on for generations. The holidays and seasons are special times spent together where family traditions can be celebrated. From the Advent calendar hanging in the kitchen at Christmas to a spirited summer Fourth of July mat, we can celebrate those holidays and all those in between. Photo by Mary A. Photo by Mary A.

Blythe Wool, Wonderful Wool! If you have never worked with wool before, welcome to this wonderful world. It is not the itchy fabric we were forced to wear as kids, but a wonderful fabric that comes in many different textures, colors, and weights. You can dye it, shrink it, and create amazing heirlooms with it. Over the years, I have learned many tricks about working with wool that I hope will help you to fall in love with it too. Photo by Mary A. Blythe Selecting That Perfect Piece Collecting wool can be one of the best parts of working with it.

Dont let anyone ever tell you that you can have too much. Having several options to choose from is always better when planning a project. There is the thrill of the hunt with the excitement that comes when you find that treasured piece. Selecting the right kind of wool is very important. If you fail to choose the right one it can completely throw off your entire project. You put too much time, effort, and money into your projects to not take the time and do it right.

Good wool is not always the easiest thing to find. There are a few things to keep in mind to help make your project special and to last forever. Make sure you are selecting pieces that are not worsted weight and contain no less than 85% real wool. In such cases, you will have trouble felting your wool, and it can also be difficult to dye if it contains a large amount of acrylic. When you do not have the luxury of having a label to check, and you already own the piece of wool, there are a few ways to test what you are working with. As we all know, if you put a match to something made with acrylic or plastic, it will melt.

Same goes for fabric. If you burn a piece with a high content of wool it will turn to ash. Tearing wool will also tell you a lot about its content. You will get really good at hearing the difference between the sounds made by natural fibers versus plastic fibers as they tear, the more you work with them. Your piece of wool needs to be sturdy. In other words, felted and without a lot of fraying.

We dont want the wool to be felted to the point of not being able to stitch through, but it has to be tight. Felting for wool appliqu is done through the washing process and helps to tighten the fibers. If you have a lot of loose fibers, they will cause your appliqu project to look stringy, and it will eventually fray along the edges. Save it for a different project if you can see a lot of light through it. If your wool is too thick, such as blanket weight, it will be way too thick to stitch through, can make your project look uneven, and can also make it difficult for you to sit anything on it. There can be an exception to all these suggestions when the wool looks amazing with the project you are making.

Just be smart and only take chances when it is really worth the look. Lastly, make sure your wool has been washed and dried to felt it properly. Many shops do not have the ability, in house, to felt their wool. Ask before purchasing kits or yardage so you can do it yourself at home. Be aware that there will be significant shrinkage when you do this and plan accordingly when purchasing yardage. Finding the Right Look for Your Project Its always good to have a mixture of hand-dyed and as-is wool in your projects. Finding the Right Look for Your Project Its always good to have a mixture of hand-dyed and as-is wool in your projects.

Sometimes you want the pizazz of a plaid or texture, but sometimes it can be too much. Balance your project with a little of both. Like with any outfit you decide to wear, two large plaids are not something you want to put right next to each other. When in doubt, less is more, but dont give up the look entirely because the effects can be really amazing. I put together this sample design of a banner, sunflower, and star to show what I am talking about when it comes to wool textures.