Applique / Bondaweb advice please

[dizzyday07]

I apologise at the start for the waffle below

For one of my mini quilt swaps, my "partner" likes Amish - and also the American Civil war - look.

So I've decided to do an old-fashioned type "Home Sweet Home" plaque. It will have 1 or 2 patchwork schoolhouse blocks on it plus the lettering

I want to have the edges of the letters frayed (to give an old-fashioned feel) but don't know how to do this.

Should I "stick" the letters to the fabric with the Bondaweb (which I've never used before) but not have it all the way to the edges (iykwim) so I can then sew around a little way in from the edge and then fray?

Would it be OK without the Bondaweb?

Or is there another way to achieve this effect?

BUT if you think the whole idea is naff - please tell me now!!

Can be quite effective, dizzy.

Am not a fabric afficionado, but I wanted to achieve a similar effect with dd1's bag here. I sewed round each patch, then washed them in the machine, then just pulled off the extra bits by hand. Slightly bigger (but blurry ) picture here. It actually looks better in RL! The stitching holds the fabric from fraying any further.

I would experiment on a scrap of fabric first!

I second cali and miaou with the washing to get fringing effect, and also steamaseam2 is really easy to use, instead of 'real' wondaweb...it is slightly sticky already, so you can can reposition your appliques, rather than ironing it on, then ironing again iykwim. I get mine from cotton patch online, but ebay and most haberdashery shops sell it, as does hobbycraft, Good luck - sounds fab btw!!!