Greetings Aurifil followers. I’m Karen L. Miller ~ Redbird Quilt Co., Master Educator and Program Coordinator for Aurifilosophy, here to celebrate 2023, the 5th year of Thread Matters – The Aurifilosopher Series with monthly contributions by our wildly talented and creative Aurifilosophers from across the globe!
If your shop, group or guild is ready to take their understanding of thread weights, ply, needles, tension, and technique to the next level, there’s no better time to book an in-person or virtual Aurifilosophy event with one of our certified educators. Learn more and find your favorite Aurifilosopher here.
If you missed January’s installment of Thread Matters, use the link below to review tips, tricks and my favorite uses for the five unique Aurifil 2ply threads!
We had fantastic feedback on the post and are using your input to prepare even more reference materials for future release. Stay tuned for that!!
I’m excited to continue with our second Thread Matters installment for 2023. We’d intended to have this up last week, but much of our staff was in Atlanta for QuiltCon, so we’re excited to now have 2 posts to share for March… one today and one on the last Friday of the month! For now, I’ll begin by sharing my favorite uses for the Aurifil’s non 2ply threads including the six strand divisible cotton floss, a luscious 3ply cotton thread, a nylon monofilament, and a 12wt wool blend thread. There will be a giveaway this month too! Many thanks to those that contributed to last month’s review. You’ll find the Giveaway details at the end of this post.
IN REVIEW:
Aurifil offers their 100% Egyptian cotton 2ply thread in 5 weights.
Additionally, they offer a six strand divisible cotton floss, a luscious 3 ply cotton thread, a nylon monofilament, and a wool blend thread. Each thread is easily identified by the color of the spool. Learn more about Aurifil’s spool color coding and available cotton colors in our “Getting Started with Aurifil” post linked below.
Although each thread offering has a primary purpose and multiple secondary uses, every creator, maker, and thread lover has their own favorite uses for each. I’m excited to share my favorite uses paired with lessons I’ve learned to achieve excellent results with these threads!
Aurifloss
This six strand divisible Egyptian cotton floss delivered on a small wooden spool is PERFECT for cross stitching…
But my 1st choice for Aurifloss is Hand Decorative Stitches. If you love to add a bit of hand stitched fun to your “quilty” projects, consider using a few strands of Aurifloss to achieve beautiful slow-stitched details.
Tips:
- When using Aurifloss on fabric, I prefer a Bohin Size 5 Crewel/Embroidery needle. The pointed tip of this needle allows you to stitch through fabric with ease and the larger eye aids in threading.
- The same needle works wonderfully with Aurifil 12wt and 28wt threads!
- Use short lengths of thread (about the length of your forearm) to avoid excessive wear and tear or knotting when stitching.
Aurifil FORTY3 (40wt / 3ply)
Aurifil Forty3 is one strand heavier than Aurifil’s original 40wt/2ply thread. That additional strand of 40wt provides extra strength that lends itself nicely to garment sewing, topstitching, and more!
My 1st choice for Aurifil 40wt/3ply thread is Longarm quilting – free motion or edge to edge. That’s right! This 3ply thread was designed to handle the high speeds of today’s longarm quilting machines and it executes true to design. Having used it on several brands of longarm and sit-down machines, I can attest to the excellent performance of this 3ply egyptian cotton thread.
Tips:
- On the longarm consider using a Groz Beckert “MR” Multi Range Needle sizes ranging from 3.0 – 4.0 Comparable American and European sizes are 90/14 – 110/18.
- Although Aurifil Forty3 will perform wonderfully in the bobbin, there’s a benefit to using a 2ply thread in that you can fit more thread on the bobbin. For larger quilts that will endure years of use, I prefer to use Aurifil 40/2 in the bobbin.
Aurifil Monofilament
Aurifil Monofilament is a single strand of synthetic fiber made of Nylon. If Aurifil monofilament had a weight assigned it would fall between 90wt and 100wt, very fine. But because it’s synthetic, it’s very strong and because it’s nylon, it will stretch. I adore using Aurifil Monofilament (clear or smoke) for free motion quilting those fabrics that are hard to match to any one color of cotton thread.
But, my 1st choice for Aurifil Nylon Monofilament is Invisible machine appliqué. Whether you choose clear or smoke, this fine weight, strong nylon thread will work wonderfully to invisibly secure appliqué to a background. I generally combine the appliqué stitching process with the quilting step, eliminating the need to stitch the appliqué twice.
Tips:
- Use a Microtex Sharp needle size 70/10 or 80/12 for domestic machine work with Aurifil Monofilament. Use Aurifil 50wt cotton thread in the bobbin.
- On the longarm, use a similar size needle or a Groz Beckert “MR” in size 2.0 or 2.5. Use Aurifil 40wt or 50wt cotton thread in the bobbin.
- To avoid stretching the thread, be sure to decrease the top tension. We also recommend increasing stitch length when working with Monofilament.
Aurifil 12wt Wool
Aurifil 12wt Wool thread is 50% wool and 50% acrylic making it oh so strong! Whether you prefer machine or hand stitching, this primitive looking thread will beautifully adorn any project. Although I’ve enjoyed using Aurifil 12wt Wool for free motion quilting on a domestic machine…
I’m always over the top impressed with Aurifil Designer and Aurifilospher Jo Avery’s use of 12wt wool for Hand Embroidery.
Tips:
- When machine quilting with Aurifil 12wt wool, select a Topstitch needle size 90/14 or larger and continue to use Aurifil 50wt in the bobbin. The 50wt is the most cost effective weight to purchase. Your bank account will thank you.
- For hand work with Aurifil 12wt wool, I prefer to use a Bohin Crewel/Embroidery needle in size 5 or a comparable large eye straw needle.
This wraps up a few of my favorite uses for Aurifil’s non-2ply threads. Thank you so much for providing any feedback you might have below.
THE GIVEAWAY:
To enter to win the Aurifilosophy 7 small spool collection, please comment below with one suggestion for what you’d like to learn about Aurifil threads OR let us know if something that you read today was helpful. This giveaway runs March 3rd through March 16th, 2023. The winner will be contacted via email. Good luck!
Love the “This Little Light” quilt block? Karen and her good friend and fellow Aurifil Designer Wendy Sheppard (@ivory_spring) have announced a June, 2023 “Piece and Quilt” Retreat in Quilt Town, USA. You won’t want to miss the lessons shared by this dynamic duo. Learn more about the upcoming retreat via the button below.
ABOUT KAREN
Karen L. Miller, owner of Redbird Quilt Co. is Master Educator for Aurifil, USA, an Aurifilosopher, national educator, author, and cheerleader of all things free motion quilting. She launched Redbird Quilt Co. to share her love of appliqué and show others how free motion quilting on home sewing machines can bring their projects to life. Karen plays with all weights of Aurifil thread and openly contributes her knowledge and experience to the greater quilting community. When she’s not home enjoying her family and the multitude of songbirds that grace the Finger Lakes Region of NY, you’ll catch her traveling the countryside sharing her passion for quilting with Guilds and Shops alike.
If you’re interested in learning more about free motion quilting on home sewing machines be sure to check out Karen’s website, programs, tutorials, upcoming events and social media feeds. Subscribe to Karen’s Newsletter here.
