Today we are thrilled to hand the Auribuzz blog over to Aurifil Artisan Renee Hoffman of Quilts of a Feather! Renee has been sharing quilting sneak peeks of this project over the past few weeks on Instagram. And now we get to see the full scope of her stunning stitching!
Make sure to read through to the end for two chances to win — both here and on Renee’s blog!
Hello! I’m Renee from Quilts of a Feather (probably better know as @quiltsNfeathers on Instagram). I’m a stay at home mom to a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old. I’ve been quilting for about 8 years, with a focus on detailed free motion quilting. Today I will be sharing samples of all 36 Aurifil variegated threads so you can see each one stitched out–because let’s be honest, it’s hard to tell from a picture of the spool or from the color card how those colors will look for quilting.
Aurifil 4650 Leaves
I hope that seeing these variegated samples will help you decide which colors are right for next project, or inspire you to try one out for the first time. Variegated threads are so much fun to watch change colors while you’re sewing!
Aurifil 3817 Marrakesh
These samples are done on Michael Miller Cotton Couture in White and Black, and all of them have one layer of batting–except for Marrakesh I used two layers because I could not get the tension to play nice. Also these are all stitched using 50wt thread–except for the white side of Marrakesh is 40wt. At the end of the photos are some tips for quilting with variegated threads!
Aurifil 4649 Lemon Blueberry
You can also see each of these samples in different lighting conditions under the Instagram tag: #AurifilVariegatedSamples.
Aurifil 4647 Berrylicious
Note: I know it is quite redundant to have the color number and name both on the photo and in the caption, but it makes this blog post easy to search (ctrl-f on PC) and the photos have enough information if you decide to save them elsewhere.
Aurifil 3852 Liberty
Aurifil 4648 Desert Dawn
Aurifil 4651 Bari
Aurifil 3840 French Lilac
Aurifil 3660 Bubblegum
Aurifil 4660 Pink Taffy
Aurifil 4668 Strawberry Parfait
Aurifil 4250 Flamingo
Aurifil 4659 Mango Mist
Aurifil 4657 Tramonto a Zoagli
Aurifil 4150 Creme Brule
Aurifil 3920 Golden Glow
Aurifil 4658 Limoni di Monterosso
Aurifil 3910 Lemon Ice
Aurifil 4653 Spring Prairie
Aurifil 3320 Light Spring Green
Aurifil 4661 Mint Julep
Aurifil 4662 Creme de Menthe
Aurifil 4654 Turquoise Foam
Aurifil 4663 Baby Blue Eyes
Aurifil 3770 Stone Washed Denim
Aurifil 4669 Stonewash Blues
Aurifil 4655 Storm at Sea
Aurifil 4664 Stonefields
Aurifil 4665 Graphite
Aurifil 4652 Licorice Twist
Aurifil 4670 Silver Fox
Aurifil 4060 Silver Moon
Aurifil 4666 Biscotti
Aurifil 4667 Nutty Nougat
Aurifil 4656 Cinnamon Sugar
Aurifil 4671 Mocha Mousse
Tips for quilting with variegated threads:
1. Use thread in your bobbin that will match your quilt top.
2. Use a scrap mini quilt (9-12″ square is a good practice size) to play with the threads and tension, and to get a feel for how the colors progress and transition.
3. Using two layers of batting for mini quilts gives the thread extra space to get the tension just right, especially if you are using a contrasting thread in the bobbin.
4. If you decide to use a variegated thread in the bobbin remember that the colors will change in the opposite order of the top thread–and sometimes you will have dramatic contrast in color between the top and bottom threads. The sample of Licorice Twist above is a good example of this.
Have you tried variegated thread? Which one is your favorite?
Thank you so much Renee! The quilting is stunning, and your tips are sure to help anyone looking to tackle using Aurifil Variegated threads!
We are offering an additional giveaway, so you have two chances to win! Click here to head to the Rafflecopter entry page, or simply click on the image above. You do not have to complete all the options to be entered but the more options you choose, the more entries you have! Entries will be accepted from now through 11:59pm Eastern Time on Monday, October 2! Winner will be randomly selected and announced here on Tuesday, October 3. Good luck!
