Hi — I’m Karen L. Miller, Master Educator and Program Coordinator for Aurifilosophy, here to welcome 2022 and the 4th year of Thread Matters – The Aurifilosopher Series with contributions by 35 wildly talented and creative Aurifilosophers from across the globe!
Has your shop, group or guild scheduled an Aurifilosophy event? Aurifil’s thread education program is all the rage. Both in-person and virtual events are available to schedule with one of our certified educators. From New York to Los Angeles and around the world, our Aurifilosophers are ready to share their knowledge, tips, inspiring projects and enthusiasm with you while educating on the production and use of cotton thread and unique ways you can apply each weight to your projects.
Review our team of certified Aurifilosophers and contact one to plan your in-person or virtual event today!!
Let’s kick off the new year with a positive outlook, a sewing room full of fabric (and thread), a peek at what to expect for the coming year, and a blast of helpful highlights from previous years posts. For 2022, Aurifilosophers will focus their creative and educational efforts on Aurifil’s beautiful Flora Color Builder Collections, bringing you a variety of ways to apply 12 irresistible hues to your creative projects.
Each Color Builder box contains three large spools of Aurifil 50wt thread, 2 variegated and one complementary solid. We love the opportunity to highlight Aurifil’s variegated threads, our unsung heroes of quilting! Learn all about Aurifil’s variegated threads by clicking HERE.
Boxes are available for purchase through your favorite local quilt shop or online vendor, but I’d encourage you to enroll in Aurifil’s Color Builder Subscription! The subscription includes monthly delivery of one color builder box + one block of the exclusive appliqué Flora BOM designed by Aurifil’s own Kate Brennan. (Learn more about the full program HERE)
Feeling inspired? Want to get involved? It’s not too late to reach out to your favorite quilt shop and secure your 2022 subscription or consult our Thread Concierge to find a participating shop near you.
I’m swooning over the thread painting and free motion quilting opportunities available to us using these luscious variegated threads. Here’s a sneak peek at one of the projects I have up my sleeve.
Interested in following along with my Lotus flower color builders free motion doodling? Be sure to sign-up for my newsletter and/or follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
As an Aurifil Designer, Aurifilospher, Master Educator and Program Coordinator for Aurifilosophy I’m honored to spend time working with our incredible group of Aurifil creatives and educators!! From quilting to garment making, hand embroidery to sashiko, machine embroidery to fiber art, their specialties are wide-ranging, their styles unique, and their passion for their crafts undeniable.
Over the years the Aurifilosophers have shared some inspiring projects and informative blog posts for Aurifil. Today, we’re thrilled to highlight some of our favorites! Remember, it’s super easy to browse all of our Thread Matters posts — simply click here.
Edge Coloring Appliqué with 40wt
by Barbara Persing
“Aurifil 40wt thread is truly perfect for Edge Coloring Appliqué. The weight and strength allows ease of stitching through the layers of fabric, glue, and stabilizer. Quilt with Aurifil 40wt thread in the top and bobbin. Vary the color and hues of the thread to create depth and texture to your piece.” – Barbara Persing
Machine Blanket Stitch Appliqué with 28wt
by Annie Smith of Annie Smith Quilts
“The 28wt also has a sheen that makes for the perfect decorative touch. I love the added luster.”
“Choose threads to complement each appliqué layer by unwinding the thread from the spool and positioning it across the appliqué.”
Machine Embellishing Tips with all Aurifil thread weights
by Tammy Silvers of Tamarinis
“As the thread weight increases, it will be necessary to slow the stitch speed… slow and steady for the best results. Increase stitch length as you go. With each additional layer, some of the stitch length will be taken up by the thickness of the appliqué.”
Cross Stitch with Aurifloss
by Wendy and Gwen Sheppard of Ivory Spring
“Just as everyone loves the minimal lint aspect of Aurifil’s cotton spools, I love the minimal lint aspect of Aurifloss. My smocking and cross stitch stitches are so much more crisp when using Aurifloss.”
“The wooden spools give such a handwork vibe! Without considering any of the technical aspects of the threads, the wooden spools stole my heart the very first time I came across Aurifloss.“
12wt Bobbin Work
by Krista Hennebury of Poppyprint
“Thread shred is remedied with some experimentation and the solution typically lies with the use of an appropriate type and size needle, slowing down your sewing speed and increasing stitch length. My needle of choice for sewing with 12wt is a 90/14 Superior Topstitch!”
Aurifil Monofilament, Tips and Tricks
by Karen L. Miller of Redbird Quilt Co.
“Monofilament truly allows you to stitch across a variety of fabric colors without changing thread color! The stitches are virtually invisible on most fabrics.”
“Tension: Lower the top tension significantly to minimize the possibility of stretching the thread while stitching. Some makers choose to set their machine tension to zero – personally a tension setting of 2 works fine on my machine. This is something that you’ll want to adjust to your specific machine and project. Grab a practice sandwich and give it a whirl. You’ll be happy you worked through this step before beginning your project.”
Quilt as Desired with all Aurifil thread weights
by Donna Morales-Oemig of Follow That Thread
“Now, whenever I am at a show, someone will ask me ‘What is the best weight to quilt with?’ My answer is ‘All of them.’”
“I would encourage you to experiment with the thickness of the quilting thread you choose and enjoy the extra design element the thread line gives to your work. As the saying goes, “it’s not a quilt until it’s quilted”, so grab a top from your stack of finished ones and treat yourself to a nice spool of Aurifil thread in whichever weight gives the look you like. Happy Quilting!”
Wool, The Thread Cinderella with 12wt
by Jo Avery of The Stitch Gathering
“Did you know you can use Aurifil 12wt wool thread in your sewing machine? It actually works like a dream and as with embroidery I have never had a thread break while stitching. I use Aurifil 50wt in the bobbin and a size 100 needle (though you can get away with 90 at a push). For quilting I turn my stitch length up to 4 or even 4.5 and the effect is like a super neat backstitch worked by hand.”
“I started experimenting with Aurifil 12wt wool and soon discovered that the effect of crewel wool could be achieved by using two strands together, but with the added advantage of finer detail when using a single strand. As Aurifil wool thread contains 50% acrylic it has extra strength and doesn’t break easily. “
Thread Troubleshooting
by Karen L. Miller of Redbird Quilt Co.
“Thread Breakage: “If you’re using a large spool of Aurifil thread gently twist and loosen the bottom flange to ensure the thread is not pinched and is allowed to draw easily from the spool.”
“Needle: Old, bent, damaged, or dull needles are trouble. A new needle is the best $1.25 investment you can make in your sewing project.”
Boro & Sashiko Journal Cover with 50wt and 12wt
by Shannon & Jason Mullett-Bowlsby
“Aurifil 50wt is smooooooooth and slips through fabrics with ease for hand sewing and the mercerized cotton creates less fluff when we use it in our BERNINA B790 Plus so we don’t have to clean out our machine as often as with other cotton threads.”
“This 12wt, 2-ply, mercerized, long-staple cotton thread glides beautifully through any fabric we have stitched on and is less prone to tangling and snarling so we don’t need to use a thread conditioner on it. The stitch definition is bold and clear which is paramount for sashiko.”
That’s a wrap!! Stay tuned to Auribuzz for next month’s installment of Thread Matters featuring the beautiful hues of the February’s Color Builder, Stinking Corpse Lily.
Here’s to a creative new year!
Sincerely,
Karen L. Miller – Redbird Quilt Co.
pssssssst. Want to put some of these great ideas to work? Check out Karen’s newsletter, linked below, for a chance to win her Subtle Sampler collection, featuring Aurifil’s 12wt, 28wt, 40wt, 50wt AND Monofilament!
ABOUT AURIFILOSOPHY
At Aurifil we believe that education is key… that sharing extensive knowledge and truths on the construction, nature, and behavior of Aurifil threads will inspire, educate, and enable all makers to achieve brilliant results.
With that in mind, we’ve trained and certified a global team of dynamic, charismatic, and brand-loyal designers, artisans, and educators to offer Aurifilosophy programs using a structured presentation and thread demonstration. Aurifilosophers travel the countryside in person or virtually to educate on thread basics, including information on weight and ply, spool positioning, needle recommendations, and tension settings.
They’ll offer helpful tips and tricks and will share projects and photos aimed to inspire and expand your creative use of Aurifil threads. Plus… at each Aurifilosophy event, program attendees will receive exclusive Aurifil swag!
To learn more about Aurifilosophy, view upcoming events, or locate an Aurifilosopher to speak at your shop, guild or group event, visit our website.