At first glance, you might think that this is just another flower-shaped applique – but through clever stitching techniques, this was transformed into a beautiful starburst wool applique!
I’ve been featuring different wool applique circles in our ongoing circle sampler series to highlight just how creative the designs can get when you utilize various colours and stitching techniques. The design that I am highlighting in today’s blog post is no different. This is an excellent example of how any “simple” shape or design can evolve into something stunning and intricate.
For this particular applique, Kathleen utilized different stitching techniques to create the starburst effect. However, you are not limited to this. Play around with different materials and other shapes! Use your imagination!
Here’s how this starburst wool applique was made
It starts with a simple purple wool flower that is 2.5 inches in diameter. The border on the outer edge of the applique was stitched with a chain stitch technique using size 8 Perle cotton. The flower “petals” were wide enough allowing room to play around with more stitching. This is something to keep in mind if you are looking to create a similar design.
The “starburst” effect that you see on each petal was created using a woven picot stitch in a size 5 perle cotton. Each starburst tip was accented with French knots using size 5 Perle cotton in a beautiful muted yellow (Colour #61).
It’s hard to see this (if you look closely, it peeks out just a bit), but a smaller light purple circle is added to the centre of the flower. More depth in the design was added by overlaying the background circle with a whipped woven stitch using Colour #62 in size 5 Perle cotton.
The beautiful stitching on each petal almost makes you forget that this started as just a simple wool flower. But this is the beauty of needlework and wool applique. It allows you to play and be creative with your designs!
If you are joining us for the first time, make sure you check out all the circles in our circle sampler. Check under categories for more inspiration.
