Chester the bunny

I've been wanting to try some kind of an applique project using wool. I just found a brand new Merino wool blanket made in England at the thrift store for $2.
My question is, for those of you who have felted your own wool, will this blanket be wavy once I shrink it? I wanted to use it as my background and wouldn't want it to be wavy once I put the applique on. Also I wanted to order a little bundle of felted wool in different colors. Do I need to be concerned about what "kind" of wool these are?
Thanks so much for any input, this new medium is something that I know little about.

PaperPrincess

What is the care info on the blanket label? Many wool blankets are washable and won't felt, though they may shrink a small amount. If it says dry clean or cold wash dry flat then it may felt, but I've had stuff that also said dry clean and washed in the washer just fine. As far as your other comment about a felted bundle, not sure what 'kind' of wool you think you might get. All felted wool is wool, some heavier/thicker than others, but you can buy felt fabric that's not wool. Like craft felt. You don't want to use that. When I was doing a lot of work with wool felt, I went to the thrift store and got some wool ladies blazers. Just look for the 100% wool & dry clean label. I just tossed them into a hot wash. Most will felt, but amazingly, some won't. One thing to be aware of, jacket fronts and lapels often have fusible interfacing. Sometimes it peels off after felting, sometimes you can use it with it left on and sometimes you have to discard this portion of the garment.
It's also a good idea to wash the garments in zippered pillow cases as sometimes the process throws off a lot of lint.

ragamuffin

I have some wool for felting and I could send you some. What colors do you want, and what size pieces should I send?
I am in DE. It is free.

alleyoop1

If you are on Facebook, go to the site "wool applique" and ask your question. This site is all about wool and wool felting and applique. You should get your answer there.

Maggie_Sue

PaperPrincess provided great information!

Chester the bunny

She sure did, everything I needed to know. Now to pick a project/pattern.

Zinda

Woolylady is a great source for wonderful wool. They dye their own wool and have beautiful colors.

ManiacQuilter2

You might think of saving that wool blanket for use in a quilt that will be warm all winter long.