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Sue Spargo

Toned Down Circle Sampler Wool Applique Pattern

Toned Down Circle Sampler Wool Applique Pattern

$18.50 CAD
$18.50 CAD
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Toned Down Circle Sampler Wool Applique Pattern by Sue Spargo

Finished Size: Approximately 17-1/2" x 16"

The Toned-Down Circle Sampler is a monochromatic study with a modern pop that explores the application of embroidery to achieve textural depth and dimension utilizing Perle Cottons and other embellishing fibres. Use Razzle, Dazzle, Rayon Shimmer Floss etc.
Pattern includes Needle Reference Guide, Applique layout, Full Color stitch diagrams with numbered stitch and thread reference.

The finishing of the piece is up to you! 

There are many ways that you can display your piece! Sue Spargo has come up with a few fun ideas, but let your creativity run wild!
Tip: Make sure to clean up any leftover chalk marks on your piece before finishing it. 
Wall Hanging
If you want to display your piece as is, you can effortlessly make it into a wall hanging! Just add a cotton backing and binding, sew a sleeve onto the back and hang on a dowel rod. If you'd like a larger wall hanging that looks more like a mini quilt, add a thick border around the sampler and embellish it as you'd like! 
Another option would be to take your project to a custom framer to have it framed. We'd opt for museum glass in order to protect the piece from UV rays and to reduce glare. Request the piece be mounted with a gap between the sampler and the glass, this will air circulation and to prevent moisture from building up inside of the frame.  
Turn it into another project!
Another way to use your finished sampler is to incorporate it into another project. This could mean making it into a pillow, using it as the front panel of a bag, or anything else you come up with! If you prefer the look of the sampler without quilting, a pillow topper is a great option, as you wouldn't need to quilt it.
Above: Our employee, Diane's, gorgeous bag that she made out of her Toned-Down Sampler! If you're planning on doing something similar, sandwich canvas or denim, Soft + Stable, and a cotton lining for the construction to give it a similar thickness to the wool. Add handles. Diane's bag utilized our Flax Webbing.
If you're making your piece into a small quilt or wall hanging, you'll want to layer wool + batting + cotton binding and backing. We love Quilter's Dream Cotton or Wool Batting. Either works, but the wool batting gives the piece a fluffier, loftier appearance. For the binding, a cotton fabric with a fun, small print in a coordinating color always looks great! We like to use a 2-1/2" double cut binding that compliments the cotton backing that you choose!

Another great way to personalize your piece... how about a little more embellishing??? Below are some of our favorite stitches to use along the edge of our bindings along with the page number for the stitch instructions which can be found in Creative Stitching, for those applicable, and the thread used in each example:
Italian Knotted Border
Bullion Knots 
French Knots 
Cast-On Bullion Knots 
Couching using Tentakulum Painters Thread's GIMP
We think of quilting as the final layer.
Quilting really adds to the finished look of a piece, especially when working with a material as dimensional as wool because the quilting really pops against the background. There are a lot of options when it comes to how you can quilt your piece, so here are some examples:
First is machine quilting! The pattern you choose is really up to your preference, you can do a more random swirly pattern, circles echoing your stitched circles, or "bubbles" which look so sweet on neutral backgrounds, giving the appearance of pebbles. Play around with different kinds of threads on sample pieces to see what your preference is. You can machine stitch with Ellana wool thread for a fuzzy texture, by using Ellana in the top of your machine and a 50wt cotton thread in the bobbin, with a #16 topstitching needle. Using a cotton thread for machine quilting, like Efina or Konfetti, will give you more of a sheen.
Tip: There's not much difference between machine quilting cotton and wool, but be mindful of the fact that wool can be anywhere from a little to a lot stretchier than cotton, which could cause problems when quilting if you're not careful.
Next up is hand, or big stitch quilting! We like to use 8wt Eleganza, to hand quilt, using Running Stitches, French Knots, and Cross Stitches. A great thing about hand quilting is that you can use a variegated thread, or multiple different threads, to add some extra color to your piece. Just make sure to pop your knot into the piece, between the front or back layer and the batting, to hide them. You'll also want to be mindful of where you place your stitches, as you'll be able to see them on the back, so do your best to keep it tidy!
Can't decide which option you like best? Try a combination of both! Machine quilt a pattern you like, then addd some pops of hand stitching throughout!
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