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Blanket stitch - great for applique and decorative impact

The Old Button Play On The Go © Play Scenes - Safai Zoo What is blanket stitch Blanket stitch is an edging stitch, traditionally used to finish the edges of woollen blankets (or other woven items) to stop them unravelling.  Sewn in a connected row, the stitch forms neat 3 sides boxes, with the effect of "down" side stitches connected by "top" stitches, but they are formed by looping the thread in a continuous stitch.      When used as an edging stitch, it wraps itself around the edge, with down stitches showing at the front and the back, and the top showing across the outside edge.      The Old Button felt flower brooch Securing applique As it can be eased around curves and used on angles of any shape, including internal ones, blanket stitch is also great for securing applique patches.  I use it a lot with felt, but it also works well on cotton or wool fabrics too as where it has the added benefit of catching in any fraying threads.  The Old Button heart an
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Scrap busting challenge - Welsh Wool patchwork mini picture

I love Welsh wool blankets. I have a few that have been passed down the family (yes, really lucky), and have bought some locally too - both modern and vintage. I don't mind the odd mark or hole - I'm not buying really valuable ones so am happy to wash and darn them myself. 

Sometimes blankets are just too worn or damaged to use as they are, but they are perfect for upcycling into smaller rugs or cushions. 

And small pieces are perfect for little craft projects such as my Welsh Wool Hearts, which I sell as ready made decorations or as craft kits. 

But no matter how frugally I try and cut these out, the heart shape means there will always be some tiny scraps left over. 

 

 

These are the scraps from just one cutting out session!

I just can't bring myself to throw these away, so I carefully put them to one side. 

But the pile is getting bigger.... I know we love our mountains in Wales but I didn't want one in my sewing room.


I was inspired by some beautiful wool patchwork cushions I saw online but the scraps are too tiny. So I needed a smaller project. 


When I started I wasn't too sure what I was going to do, but I just wanted to make something with them.  So I set out to make a "scrap fabric", using calico as a foundation (or backing) fabric. 

I think of it as foundation piecing, but I'm not using the stitch and flip method as the pieces are just too small to have seams. So I just butted the scraps up close to each other to create a collage, and used fusible web to hold them in place. 

I tried very hard to go with the shape of the scraps but I did have to cut the odd one (and yes I have kept the offcuts 😏). 

 

The finished block was about 12 by 18 inches - I thought about keeping it as a single piece but as the scraps were very small I decided it would work very well cut into squares for mini-pictures or card gifts, with brightly coloured hand embroidered stitches.

I wondered if I should machine stitching it for security before I cut out the squares, but wanted this to be purely done by hand. I hoped the fusible web would hold the little pieces in place long enough while I sewed, and luckily I was right. 

 After cutting the block into squares, I used a blanket stitch to secure it to a backing of a lovely 100% wool fabric, then added lots of decorative stitches around each individual scrap.

 

In the ethos of zero waste, the backing wool fabric is was originally bought for my eldest daughter to make a medieval gown, but her re-enactment group felt wasn't the right era so we carefully stored it away for future projects.  

I think the color perfectly sets off these Welsh wool blanket scraps. 


 



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