I just got an email that my order of Scottish tartan has been shipped. I'm really excited to receive it! My future SIL is very much into his Scottish heritage so I'm going to make him a quilt using the tartan of his ancestors' clan. I've also ordered a couple yards of the tartan from my ancestors' clan to combine SIL's with daughter's in the quilt. Anyway... I've never quilted wool. Does anyone have an advice? Is there anything special I should know? I use a Gammill with Statler Stitcher.
Thanks!
Kinsey, Please be sure to post a photo of your clan quilt when it's done. I'd love to see it.
Definitely. :D I've been really excited about it. My clan has been traced way way back. I'm just having issues getting the pattern as I want it. I keep changing my mind. I had thought about placing the clan name down one side...but I'm not sure I'd like the end result. So, it's still very much a work in progress. I'm looking forward to seeing yours as well :D
Carol from Pittsburgh: Here's one of the tartans. It's Gunn Ancient.
Here's one of the tartans. It's Gunn Ancient.
Carol, it is very pretty. I cannot wait to see your finished product. Thanks for sharing.
Life is like a quilt...bits & pieces, joy & sorrow, stitched with love
gini:once it is felted it has shrunk all it is going to shrink.
gini, I thought when wool was felted it made it stiff, so I guess I'm am confused - not a new state for me lol
spud, felting kinks up the threads and makes it thicker, so yes it is stiffer than what you started with. if you felt a very thick wool to begin with, then it will be stiffer, but this is a relative term. the fibers are still the same thickness and because of the way they shrink up, there is a lot of "air space" between the threads. the wools we work with as quilters are mostly clothing weight or a little thicker. the boiled wool you are thinking about is made from a much heavier wool. i have a boiled wool sweater and the cloth is aver a 1/4 inch thick. it kinda like wearing a really thick densely knitted sweater. i use it for a winter coat a lot of the season. the wool pants that hunters wear are even thicker. the thicker the wool, the stiffer it gets after felting, but this stiffness is from the cloth being thicker, it still feels like wool. a felted lambswool will be very soft, but could be "stiff" if it is knitted or woven heavily before felting. am i being clear enough? stiffness and the hand feel are two different things. you can felt a scratchy wool and it will be just as scratchy after felting as it was before, but it's stiffness depends on how thick it was to begin with.
gini in north idaho
some of the clothing weight felted wool is still very pliable, it is obviously thicker than cotton, but is "limp" and has great drape.
Thanks gini, cleared that up as much as can be when dealing with me LOL
Gini,
Thank you lots for all your information-- I've learned so much from you about wool!