Each year we partner with an amazing team of Aurifil Artisans to not only spread the joys of working with Aurifil Threads, but to also share their masterful creations and talents far & wide. Today we are thrilled to share the first project showcase for our new team of 2023-2024 Artisans!
Today, we can’t contain our excitement as we present the first project showcase from our new team. Throughout July, we asked them to share projects featuring the items they received in their Aurifil Artisan Welcome Pack. The results are nothing short of awe-inspiring, and we can already tell that this year’s Artisan projects will be a constant source of inspiration, month after month. Get ready to be blown away by their creativity and craftsmanship!
HUGE thanks to all of our participants for July — we are grateful for you, your creativity, and your incredible willingness to play along with us month after month!
Annie Tremblay
When I opened my welcome package, I got curious about the monofilament thread and have been dreaming of making a Hawaiian quilt for a while. It’s really perfect for needle-turn appliqué! I also used 40/3 wt in White. It’s a little bit thicker than the 40wt and I loved it for this. The 28wt variegated in Bubblegum add a little something to the hand quilting
Candice Odeen
Aurifil sent this amazing guide to all of their thread types and it includes a table showing which thread is best for different techniques. This year is turning out to be alllll about stretching myself and my projects which means more but smaller finishes. One item on deck was a mini quilt for the #woollypetalsminiquiltswap2023 and I knew I wanted to do foundation paper piecing for it. For the FPP project I used the 50WT cotton in Light Laurel Green (2902) and it was perfect!
Robyn Cuthbertson
I had so much fun experimentiing with the 80wt Aurifill thread I found in my welcome pack this month! I was impressed with just how much detail I could capture as I stitched out these cute little earrings on my longarm. For reference, the outer frames are just under 2″, so much fun!
Madeline Bonner
I was inspired by the variety of colours and textures in my Welcome pack. I used the 28wt thread along with Aurifloss to crest this small decorative embroidery hoop. I can’t wait to see what everyone makes this month.
Debbie Jeske
I enjoyed using several threads from my Aurifil Artisan 2023 Welcome Pack to stitch up some leather pincushions. Basically chosen for color, the mix of threads worked well together. I used 50wt in the bobbin when stitching with the 50wt thread; 40wt when stitching with the 40wt and 12wt. I was happy to discover all the combinations I tried sewed through the lightweight leather wonderfully.
Karen Foster
When I opened my Aurifil Artisan 2023-2024 Welcome Package the big bold cone of 2225 Salmon and large spool of 1104 Neon Orange immediately caught my eye and I knew they would pair perfectly to quilt my recently made Self Portrait fabric collage.
Maude MacDonald
Scrappy Patchwork curtains! Made this project twice the fun with using all colours from my welcome kit as bobbin thread for a pop of colour and fun in the back!
Janice Reimer
What’s better than bringing two of your favourite things together – games and quilts! I’m going on a big camping expedition and thought it would be great to have a bag to hold everything in. I used two different weights of thread in 6 colours to really play with the quilting.
Francesca Kemp
Unbox my welcome pack with me. A big thank you to the team at @aurifilthread for sending over this exciting welcome pack for the Aurifil Artisans 2023. There’s lots of my favourite 50wt in such an array of colours, it’s the absolute best for the fine details and its the only thread my vintage singer plays nicely with! Then there is some threads that I wouldn’t have chosen for myself, such a great way to blow out some cobwebs, I’ve got my eye on that bright orange first! 🍊
Anorina Morris
Grunge Rainbow Cushion – Freehand cut rainbows, needle-turn appliqued using Aurifil 80wt thread. Blocks pieced with 50wt thread. Big stitch quilting and embellishment with a mix of 12wt Cotton and Lana.
Ben Millett
The first #aurifilartisan challenge was to use the thread from the Welcome package. Included was the color Light Sand 2000 in 12wt. This was the perfect hue to use for the base running stitches on a patchwork that featured the color brown. I supplemented with three other colors (Café au Lait 2340, Dark Antique Gold 2372, Fuschia 4020) in 12wt that I had on-hand. I also used the 80wt thread in Army Green 2905 that came in the Welcome box to attach the binding to the back. That weight almost entirely disappears.
Ledine Watson
Stepping outside our comfort zone feels so great! For our July Aurifil Artisan challenge, we were tasked with using an option from our Aurifil Artisan Welcome Kits! I wanted to bind my wall version of my Water Colors Quilt Pattern I made for the recent Quilt Along sponsored by American Patchwork & Quilting. I knew this 12-weight Aurifil Thread in Color 2000-Light Sand would be a perfect option. But how exactly do you use a 12-weight thread in your machine? Good news, with just a few adjustments, you can easily use this thicker thread in your machine with beautiful results!
Lou Orth
Luna Spring cushion. A made a cushion from my latest quilt pattern, Luna Spring using Liberty quilting cotton prints. The cushion was pieced using 2600 50wt and then hand and machine quilted using a mixture of different weighted threads. I really enjoyed the finished look with the mix of machine and hand quilting.
Shereece Nicole
The peach and yellow of the Orchard collection were perfect for these pillow/cushion covers created from the River Wall quilt pattern. They blend from a distance. But when I snuggle with them on my sofa, I can appreciate how they complement and add texture to the quilts.
Justine Wilson
Pink and yellow are two of my favorite colors. They’re so cheerful and perfect for a summer project! I used Pale Pink in 28wt and Lemon in 50wt to quilt this patchwork zipper pouch.
Devida Bushrod
From piecing quilts, to piecing clothes – a new challenge for a new box of beautiful thread!
Irina Malyukova
For my first Aurifil Artisan Challenge I settled on an upcycling project. I thread painted a vintage linen tablecloth with heavier weights of Aurifil thread (12 wt, Lana 12/2, 28wt) and embellished it with hexagons.
Brandon Wulff
Hey fellow crafters! 🧵✨ Sharing a personal project close to my heart—a Mandela I’m making using Colour 1135 thread. It commemorates my family’s traveler heritage from Iran. Each stitch reflects our unique identity. Crafting with purpose and joy!
Janine Heschl
When my artisan starter pack arrived a few weeks ago, it was the blue thread that caught my eye instantly! Took me a while though to figure out just what to do with it … it was my plant-addicted friends that gave me the idea to create my very own version of a variegated monstera plant and I think it turned out nicely – it being my first ever plant to embroidery! I got to use 50wt, 18wt and 28wt thread.
Amelia Ellen
I loved making this quilt with my Aurifil ‘Welcome Pack’ I used the 40/2 white thread to piece the quilt together. I used a Yellow and and Orange 50/2 thread for the quilting. I loved using these threads and I am very pleased with how the quilt has all turned out. I cant wait to make more!
Adam Burch
When I got to choose what to play with in my Artisan collection, I knew this was the time to have a go a doing some hand quilting with the Lana wool and the cotton 12wt. Well what can I say? Why has it taken me so long, this has been one of the most tactile and satisfying makes to date. Here is my hand quilted Everglow cushion
Heidi Schlicht
My 12 year old son freestyled the design of this quilttop with me, that I pieced and quilted with aurifil 50wt col 2902.
Fiona Johnstone
My first Aurifil Artisan project was all about using a new to me thread weight for the quilting and the top stitching of an Auntie Grace Bag.
Kate Sandford
Using a selection of my new threads, I made a modern graphic mini quilt. I used loads of different techniques and matched the best weight threads for each technique. Including hand and machine appliqué and free motion quilting.
Vickeidy Plybon
I am slowly dipping my toes into English Paper Piecing (EPP) and decided to make the Holland Pouch by @centerstreetquilts needed to keep all my new sewing notions organized. Now I have my EPP project all tidy and ready to go when I need a portable sewing project!
Emma Giacalone
The threads I was sent in this years artisan pack were very candy-coloured, so this was where I decided to draw inspiration for this months challenged. Based on a photograph of vintage lovehearts packaging, I embroidered this piece using a mixture of 50wt and 40wt threads, and then made some felt candies to make it extra sweet!
Mary Burroughs-Mayer
The first thread I pulled out of my Aurifil Artisan box to try was the monofilament! I’ve been working on a raw edge applique pattern test for Campbell’s Soup Diary, and am blown away by how well this worked and how perfectly it blends into the fabrics! Going slowly with a narrow zigzag stitch and 50 wt thread in the bobbin worked like a charm!
Elissa Ziccardi
Aurifil Artisan Challenge – July 2023 🧵 This months #aurifilartisanchallenge was all about our welcome package – choosing anything new from our welcome package to create something of our choosing. As soon as I opened my box the orangey-yellowish 50wt threads jumped out at me in beautiful ombré color wash. I LOVE yellow and orange 💛🧡 I knew I wanted to create with those and got to work on this English paper pieced mini quilt wall hanging. I had saved every last bit of my @tulapink Besties fabric so I put it to work getting creative with some fussy cutting and radiating a rainbow of stitching that make me think of the ripples on water once a stone has been tossed in.
The peony tent stripe fabric are reflective of the fish tails that start in the pinky-red and then fan put to yellow. I’m calling it “Just Keep Stitching” and going to hang on my wall behind my machine by my thread racks. 💖 It’s a solid reminder for me that every project starts out as just an idea, and can grow in whichever way you choose. So I’m going to take it one day at a time, and just keep stitching. 🪡🧵 Thread: @aurifilthread 50wt from my welcome package 1104 / 2214 / 2115 – paired with 50wt 4020 / 2830 / 1148 / 4093.
Sarah Harris
Desperately missing the sea, I made a wall hanging inspired by the book, Lost and Found, by Oliver Jeffers, which is a top favourite at our house. Using 11 different threads from my welcome pack (12wt, 12wt wool, 28wt, 40wt, 50wt, 80wt, monofilament, and floss), I machine and hand stitched following the waves, added some Wicklow sea glass, appliquéd a Heather Ross paper boat and goldfish, and stitched three very subtle whale silhouettes under the surface of the waves.
Zeiba Monod
For this challenge, my focus was on piecing curves and improvisation, so I focused solely on top piecing as I made 2 rather large improv quilts. First an improv curve piece that is made with some special fabrics that belonged to my mum, and also a transparency effect quilt which was very addictive and lots of fun. I used threads, 40wt, 50wt and forty3 which as always, blended beautifully with all the fabric colours and were perfect to work with.
We encourage you to click through and check out each of these amazing projects in more detail!