Continuing with my “blue” theme, I’m featuring this beautiful baby blue wool applique circle. It’s soft, spring-inspired and really emphasizes the use of stitching to enhance the look of the design.
I always find there’s a bit of hesitation when it comes to incorporating more detailed stitching in applique. There’s only so much you can incorporate into such a small space! However, I hope today’s design will inspire you to really push the boundaries of what can be done!
Stitching Details around this Baby Blue Wool Applique
For this particular design, only one colour of wool used – this blue wool circle is sized 2.5 inches in diameter and bordered with interlaced chain stitching. Size 5 Perle cotton was used in both Colours #175 and Colour #182. Colour #182 has been discontinued but you could substitute Colour #60.
As you can see, Kathleen used very subtle stitching ensuring it blended closely with the edge as much as possible. This was purposely done to highlight the beautiful stitching on each of the petals. The size of the applique was small enough to make the design nice and dainty, but large enough that there was plenty of room to experiment with different stitching techniques. This is something you want to consider if you’re ever interested in creating your own wool applique!
Now for the stitching…
Kathleen alternated different stitch elements on each of the petals to highlight some variety around the patterns while keeping things relatively “symmetrical” in its own way. Some of the petals have a fly stitch in Colour #175 in size 5 Perle cotton. These were accented using French knots created with Size 5 Perle cotton in Colour #182. The result is a harmonious balance between cool colours and bright pastels.
The alternate petals incorporated an interlaced chain pattern using Colours #175 and #182 in size 5 Perle cotton. Lastly, a beautiful Bullion rose was used for the centre to create a focal point. This was stitched with Colour #182 in size 5 Perle cotton.
Again, our hope is that this design inspires you to be more daring with your applique creations! Are you enjoying Kathleen’s circle sampler?!
