Together with our friends at OLFA, Aurifil is please to present a fabulous monthly series that will answer all sorts of questions about OLFA tools & Aurifil threads. Whether you’re just getting started, looking for specific answers, or are interested in key tips and tricks, this series is for you!
Grab the details you need, send the link to a friend, and always feel free to share your questions — we’re here to help! Want these details and more sent directly to your inbox? Subscribe to our newsletters via the buttons below.
Tips for working with Aurifil Forty3
- Aurifil’s 40wt/3ply thread is everything you know and love about the 40wt/2ply, but with an additional strand of luscious cotton spun into the mix for added strength. Available in 73 colors, it’s wound on a bright yellow cone sporting 3280 yards of thread. That’s a LOT of thread!
- Forty3 was designed to handle the rigor of today’s high-speed, high-tech longarm quilting machines but also works beautifully on domestic machines. Choose it for quilting, embroidery, fiber-art, bag and garment making, and more.
- On any machine, utilize a needle size ranging from size 90/14 up to 110/18. The groove along the shaft of a topstitch needle works wonders to protect the thread while working magic on fabric. Corresponding longarm needle size for a Groz Beckert “MR” needle would be a 3.0, 3.5. or 4.0.
- When using Aurifil’s Forty3 thread on a sewing machine, consider lowering the top tension a bit and choosing Aurifil 40wt or 50wt 2ply threads for the bobbin. Use of a 2ply thread in the bobbin allows you to wind more thread, extending your sewing time before winding another bobbin.


The OLFA® Curved Art Blade
The Curved Art Blade is honed in the same fashion as the OLFA rotary blades. This makes the blade unique and ideal for ripping seams, fussy cutting cotton fabric, cutting felt, and more. Choose the carving blade to also cut, sculpt, and add dimension to thin paper, films, plastic, rubber, wax, and more. Learn more about this blade and the AK-4 Cushion Grip Art Knife that it works with.

Join us next month for more handy educational nuggets! HUGE thanks to OLFA for their continued partnership!