Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

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My Great Sewing Adventures Part Two

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Ah, wool applique…I love the look of sewing with wool and don't do it nearly enough.  I was fortunate to be able to sign up for a class with Stacy West of Buttermilk Basin on my recent travels.  Stacy is a person who holds the simple pleasures of hand stitching very dear to heart.  Her appreciation of the past and those simpler times and simpler cares was very evident in her designs and methods.  

Our class project was this adorable little sunflower mat.  Stacy has a technique for doing wool applique that is innovative and very effective.  Instead of pinning all those little pieces down, she had us fuse them to the background with fusible web.  This method makes certain that those little pieces stay put, don't shift about and are easy to sew down.  Her method also makes your project extremely portable, and who doesn't like that?  I can take this little mat with me just about anywhere and be able to stitch away without worrying that I am going to lose any of my pieces or stick myself with a pin.

The Buttermilk Basin website has all of Stacy's patterns for sale, many of which could be Block of the Months.  Her holiday themed patterns are especially fun.  There is plenty of time to whip out a harvest or Halloween project! 

In this class, I learned things not only from Stacy, but from some of the other attendees of the class as well.  One woman had the neatest pressing board called Steady Betty, that she shared with some of us.  The surface of this little portable pressing board is very firm, and just perfect for any sort of applique.  I ordered one online and can't wait to show it to you when it arrives.

30 responses to “My Great Sewing Adventures Part Two”

  1. What a charming sunflower! I, too, love the look and feel of wool applique and Stacy’s fusible method seems to be the cat’s meow. Love your fabric choices, too. Oh, dear! Now you need to add bookoodles of wool fabrics to your stash …!
    I wait with interest to see your new Steady Betty. Isn’t learning from fellow students just the cherry on top?
    Hugs!

  2. What a charming sunflower! I, too, love the look and feel of wool applique and Stacy’s fusible method seems to be the cat’s meow. Love your fabric choices, too. Oh, dear! Now you need to add bookoodles of wool fabrics to your stash …!
    I wait with interest to see your new Steady Betty. Isn’t learning from fellow students just the cherry on top?
    Hugs!

  3. What a charming sunflower! I, too, love the look and feel of wool applique and Stacy’s fusible method seems to be the cat’s meow. Love your fabric choices, too. Oh, dear! Now you need to add bookoodles of wool fabrics to your stash …!
    I wait with interest to see your new Steady Betty. Isn’t learning from fellow students just the cherry on top?
    Hugs!

  4. That is adorable. Stacey really has cute patterns. Can’t wait to see Steady Betty. I do love to appliqué.
    Mary

  5. That is adorable. Stacey really has cute patterns. Can’t wait to see Steady Betty. I do love to appliqué.
    Mary

  6. That is adorable. Stacey really has cute patterns. Can’t wait to see Steady Betty. I do love to appliqué.
    Mary

  7. What a adorable Sunflower !
    I have just started wool appliqué myself and really enjoy it.
    Looking forward to hearing more about your steady Betty
    I use the June Tailor Quilter’s cut n press boards for everything. I like the hard surface when working on these boards when piecing quilt blocks 😀

  8. What a adorable Sunflower !
    I have just started wool appliqué myself and really enjoy it.
    Looking forward to hearing more about your steady Betty
    I use the June Tailor Quilter’s cut n press boards for everything. I like the hard surface when working on these boards when piecing quilt blocks 😀

  9. What a adorable Sunflower !
    I have just started wool appliqué myself and really enjoy it.
    Looking forward to hearing more about your steady Betty
    I use the June Tailor Quilter’s cut n press boards for everything. I like the hard surface when working on these boards when piecing quilt blocks 😀

  10. My goodness! For once I have a sewing tool before you have it. I love my Steady Betty! I bought mine to have in SoCal for my commuting Granny Nanny gig.

  11. My goodness! For once I have a sewing tool before you have it. I love my Steady Betty! I bought mine to have in SoCal for my commuting Granny Nanny gig.

  12. My goodness! For once I have a sewing tool before you have it. I love my Steady Betty! I bought mine to have in SoCal for my commuting Granny Nanny gig.

  13. I’ve been wanting to learn wool applique. A gal recently moved to our area and is teaching a class next month at our guild. I can’t wait! She uses glue to hold down her pieces so we’ll have to see how that works compared to fusing.

  14. I’ve been wanting to learn wool applique. A gal recently moved to our area and is teaching a class next month at our guild. I can’t wait! She uses glue to hold down her pieces so we’ll have to see how that works compared to fusing.

  15. I’ve been wanting to learn wool applique. A gal recently moved to our area and is teaching a class next month at our guild. I can’t wait! She uses glue to hold down her pieces so we’ll have to see how that works compared to fusing.

  16. I love the look of Buttermilk Basin patterns. I’m fairly new to wool and have only made a firecracker candle mat (from a different designer) but I learned from other applique projects that fusing is best!
    I first saw a Steady Betty at our LQS before it closed. I never purchased one but saw how handy they can be.

  17. I love the look of Buttermilk Basin patterns. I’m fairly new to wool and have only made a firecracker candle mat (from a different designer) but I learned from other applique projects that fusing is best!
    I first saw a Steady Betty at our LQS before it closed. I never purchased one but saw how handy they can be.

  18. I love the look of Buttermilk Basin patterns. I’m fairly new to wool and have only made a firecracker candle mat (from a different designer) but I learned from other applique projects that fusing is best!
    I first saw a Steady Betty at our LQS before it closed. I never purchased one but saw how handy they can be.

  19. I have wanted to do one of these wool projects as a candle mat for a friend … one of these days! I was fortunate enough to buy a large Steady Beaty board at my LQS when they were liquidating a couple of years ago. I use it all the time on top of my ironing board to press out my pieced sections. The fabric won’t move at all underneath your iron, but you can burn that foam cushion stuff if you aren’t careful with where you set your iron down afterwards (yeah, I know this)…

  20. I have wanted to do one of these wool projects as a candle mat for a friend … one of these days! I was fortunate enough to buy a large Steady Beaty board at my LQS when they were liquidating a couple of years ago. I use it all the time on top of my ironing board to press out my pieced sections. The fabric won’t move at all underneath your iron, but you can burn that foam cushion stuff if you aren’t careful with where you set your iron down afterwards (yeah, I know this)…

  21. I have wanted to do one of these wool projects as a candle mat for a friend … one of these days! I was fortunate enough to buy a large Steady Beaty board at my LQS when they were liquidating a couple of years ago. I use it all the time on top of my ironing board to press out my pieced sections. The fabric won’t move at all underneath your iron, but you can burn that foam cushion stuff if you aren’t careful with where you set your iron down afterwards (yeah, I know this)…