Time to finish our wool stitch along project. I hope you had time to get your bases done with the apple appliques and buttons. Today we finish it off with a bit of embroidery and some seed beads. When we left off, we were here.
Get out your floss and beads, finding some green to match your leaves, along with red and gold seed beads. If you don’t have seed beads, you can do french knots with the appropriate color floss for a similar look.
Place the piece on a countertop. Center a Mason jar ring on the wool, then press down hard.
This will leave a round indentation on the wool. This doesn’t last long, so quickly, using a contrasting color thread, baste in the ring shape to give you a guide. We’ll remove these stitches later.
With either wool thread or two strands of floss in a matching green color to your leaves, chain stitch a row of leaves about a half inch outside your basted ring shape. At roughly the level of the buttons, do one or three chain stitches coming off the main ring. I alternated one with three, creating either one or two end points. These are supposed to give the feeling of a branch of leaves on a tree.
When you get to the end of a segment of three, just travel on the backside to bring the needle up at the right spot to continue the chain on the top.
Note that my ring of chain stitching is not perfectly placed at the same distance all the way around the basted guide. It doesn’t matter.
Remove the basting.
Add a red seed bead to the end of each downward ‘leaf’. Or using 2 strands of floss, work some French knots in the same positions.
On the apples, place one gold seed bead to reflect light. I use matching color rayon thread to do the seed beads. You could do a knot with a metallic gold thread if you do not have gold or silver seed beads.
Next, finish with adding a base that will cover the backside of the stitched piece. I use Sulky’s Perfect Applique lightweight fusible web for mine.
You can use several pieces if you have bits left over, just overlap and press. Using a teflon pressing sheet is helpful here to keep the fusible glue off your iron.
Remove the paper, and trim any excess web that is outside the edge.
Fuse to a base. I’ve used a medium green wool felt because that is what I had on hand. I had wanted to use a dark burgundy, but I didn’t have a large enough piece. Use whatever color you wish. I will sometimes use cotton felt for the backing as it is less expensive, and works just fine.
Next, mark a chalk line at 1/2-inch from the cream section for the backing, which will also act as a frame.
Carefully cut on the lines, and brush away any remaining chalk. If you like, you can add applique stitches around the cream top to secure it to the base a bit better. I’ll do this later, when I have more time. But for now, it is done.
The Mason jar candle fits inside the ring of embroidery.
Looks nice with a battery operated candle in a clear jar too. It’s a nice addition to the coffee table for the fall season.
Today’s giveaway is sponsored by Hobbs Batting and Aurifil Threads. One lucky winner will receive a queen size Hobbs Fusible Batting and two spools of Aurifil thread! Did you know that Aurifil makes lovely wool threads for embroidery and applique? They also make floss! See the Hobbs Tuscany line of battings, premium quality battings. Find these threads and Hobbs batting on Amazon with my affiliate links – Aurifil on Amazon, and Hobbs on Amazon. Click on the Aurifil Color Builder Collection to see the choices for today’s question. Which color builder collection do you need most?
From My Carolina Home 
I could use the Milan Gray, it goes with everything, from piecing to quilting. Thanks for the giveaway. I love Hobbs fusible batting.
The beautiful blues of the Aurifil whale shark collection are my favorites.
I could use the “Frangipani” collection. The solid gray would be perfect foe piecing. The two variegated spools would be awesome for quilting!
Oh wow batting and Aurifil thread. I love their thread and only use that when doing all my piecing. You just can’t have enough. How generous!
I’ve been eager to get the finishing details on this project. What a brilliant idea to use the jar ring imprint to guide the center circle detail! I would love to have the Figtree and Co Farmhouse wools collection from Aurifil 12 weight. Have never used wool thread before. This might sneak onto my Christmas wish list! Thanks for the lovely finishing details.
All the collections are beautiful! I like the neutral pangolin in the Endangered Species collection.
Whale Shark collection would be my choice. Love how you finished the wool project.
Love Kaffe collection . Have lots of Kaffe fabric and quilts are always so beautiful
Kaffe collection would be perfect for some thread painting
All the colors are stunning, but I am pretty neutral with my thread choices so I would pick Verona
I chose the Como blue collection. Each collection is beautiful- you can’t go wrong with any!
I love the Capri colors.
I love the finished candle mat! I could get every one of Aurifil Color Builder Collections, but since we just picked up pumpkins I’ll go with TUSCANY/Orange.
That’s really cute, Carole — and you make it look so easy!
I love this candle mat …I’ve always wanted to do a penny rug ….
The Rainforest variegated thread is stunning …I tend to make things that reflect nature colors …I would definitely want to try this collection …
I haven’t done any wool stitching in awhile – I still have a box of various size pieces to use – that is a pretty piece
Love the Capri colors as I am such a fan of ocean waters. The embellishments to the Apple Penny Rug are the perfect touch for the finish. Thanks for this project and all the others this month.
Oh my! What beautiful colors to choose from! I would be happy with any of them. Especially the tropical colors.
I use a lot of green, so I’d make great use of Walking Palm.
I’m excited to learn a new embroidery stitch to make the branches for the penny rug. I love the Aurifill 50 wt Jade Vine collection. Especially the variegated spool, would be great for quilting.
It’s hard to choose just one Color Builder grouping, but the variegated threads in 2022 Flora would be fun to work with.
This is so fun, Carole! I’m excited to finish it up. A friend gave me a candle that will be perfect for the center. I love those Color Builders at Aurifil, and could use any of them. The Verona collection would be the most useful though!
I would love the BLUE-THROATED MACAW ColorBuilder set! All have such lovely colors.
Carla from Arizona
Oh, I love the variegated browns in Rubber Tree! Thanks for Aurifil and Hobbs for a wonderful giveaway!
Oh…Milan…those icy greys are just what I need! Your candle mat turned out lovely! Thank you for the inspiration and information you so freely give. I hope you know how much you are appreciated.
Thank you so much, you are very kind.
I’m always looking for greens, so I would have to say Endangered Species SEA TURTLE.
I need Endangered Species… definitely!
I love this wool project and it looks beautiful with a mason jar and candle!
So many wonderful collections to choose from. If I have to choose one, it would be Iberian Lynx from the Endangered Species collection.
I like Hobbs Fusible batting; I am still learning. I clicked on the Aurifil collection: Probably safe would be Carrara white gray black collection.
I still haven’t finished the wool one I started “a while ago” – things just seem to get in line ahead of it – but love the look and feel of this. Thanks
What a cute finish. I used leftover pieces of Hobbs double sided fusible in my Mason jar wraps. I especially like it for craft items, but compared to pin basting, it sure made quick work for a baby quilt I needed in a hurry!
What a fun table topper! I like the colors of the Capri color builders. I sew with a lot of blue!
I would choose the Sumatran Elephant thread collection- great colors for piecing- the best thread ever for piecing. I would like to try the Tuscany cotton /wool blend batting- I know their wool is a lovely batting to quilt on- such great looking stitches when I use it.
The wool topper turned out very cute. The embroidery adds so much to the piece. Aurifil has such fun names for their colors! I’d choose some greens – Socratea Exorrhiza!
What a great way to finish the wool project!! Thead…I love them all. What do I need in my collection? RUBBER TREE by Aurifil Colors included: 2000 – 4666– 4667 from the 2022 Flora collection. Gosh those were fun to look through!
Hard to choose, but I would pick Carrera!
I need the Capri collection because it appears to work with the new decor scheme in our repaired house. New quilts for beds and couches, new table toppers and runners and new appliqued towels are needed now that we are back.
The wool stitching project looks great.
Connie W.
So many beautiful choices of Aurifil threads! I really would love the Sumatran Elephant set! When I retire I am making my husband an elephant quilt! Excited to finish my apples and then complete the wool project! I will be doing French Knots as I do not have any beads. Yours is very nice!
I would go for the Sumatran Tiger collection. It would be great for a Halloween quilt I’m planning. To make next year.
Oh I love the aurifil thread collections. I “need” the blue whale collection. I have the Sumatran Tiger collection and it’s great. I used it on a southwest themed quilt and my most recent quilt for my son. The warm colors were just right for the light around a cabin in the panel I used.
I would pick Verona. Though all selections are quite lovely. Thanks!
The project I am currently working on really needs the Rubber Tree collection. The apple candle mat is truly lovely!
I think I would need the Verona. I’m working on a couple quilts for Christmas and the grayish color would work perfectly. For some reason si’m drawn towards neutrals.
The Corpse Lily colors caught my eye. So bright!
Very pretty wool mat. I am so far behind on all sewing and quilting. Hoping to get caught-up this week.
Hand stitching and embroidery is one skill I need to brush up on and I appreciate your notes and close up photos to show how it’s done! This sweet candle mat could be used so many places and is just perfect! I love both Aurifil and Hobbs Batting and the two work together beautifully! I would use the Aurifil set called GOLDEN SHRIMP PLANT in my sewing projects.
The endangered species 40 wt would be my choice, such lovely rich colours to quilt with.
I like the PASSIONFLOWER set from the 2022 Color Builders collections.
Can’t go wrong with neutrals, so Summatran Elephant is calling my name.