Step into the magical realm of Aurifil Thread, where each thread tells a tale of artistic brilliance waiting to unfold. It’s that wonderful time again when we reveal the enchanting creations of our skilled Aurifil Artisans. For November, we’ve embarked on a festive journey, weaving a challenge that’s destined to infuse your crafting spirit with holiday joy.
As we embrace the approaching festivities, our gifted Aurifil Artisans have eagerly risen to the occasion to showcase their distinct styles in crafting holiday-inspired wonders. Whether it’s the warm touch of hand sewing, the exacting precision of machine quilting, a seamless fusion of both – our Artisans are here to ignite your imagination.
A heartfelt thank you to all the participants who made the November challenge a dazzling success. Your unwavering creativity and enthusiasm to join us month after month are truly appreciated, bringing an extra dose of magic to the holiday season.
Candice Odeen
I just love using Aurifil 40wt and 50 wt for machine embroidery. I wanted to make a piece I could frame for my bookshelf and this cute deer was perfect. The texture in the embroidery is stunning and the stitches flawless with the Aurifil cotton. I also wanted to show how well Aurifil stitches up with both dense designs and more open ones. The bookmark is embroidered on felt with Aurifil 40wt and is such a fun, quick project that will be a great stocking stuffer this year.
Irina Malyukova
For me, Christmas is more about giving rather than receiving. This is why for the November Aurifil Artisan Challenge I designed those simple but joyful ornaments to spread the joy of Christmas sewing and gift giving. They can be sewn entirely by hand and can be easily personalised with machine embroidery. The free tutorial and templates can be found on my blog. I used 80 wt colour 2625 Arctic Ice, 50 wt colour 2250 Red for applique; 40/3 colour 2024 White (top), 50wt colour 2311 Muslin (bobbin) for machine embroidery and machine decorative stitching; 12 wt colour 4060 Silver Moon for decorative hand stitching.
Aurifil Threads used: Applique: 80 wt colour 2625 Arctic Ice, 50 wt colour 2250 Red; Machine embroidery and decorative machine stitching: 40/3 colour 2024 White (top), 50wt colour 2311 Muslin (bobbin); Decorative hand stitching: 12 wt colour 4060 Silver Moon.
Fiona Johnstone
The various colours of Aurifil thread I used for this project were the perfect tools to mimic Christmas decorations on my mini tree wall hanging. I had a lot of fun playing with various stitches on my machine to add tinsel, lights, baubles, and a strong of popcorn!
Aurifil Threads used: 50wt: 2250, 3817, 2145, 4150, 2860 and nylon monofilament in clear.
Robyn Cuthbertson
For my Christmas inspired project I decided to play around with some of Aurifil’s amazing 80 wt thread in some miniature foundation paper piecing. These designs and frames are part of my recently launched ‘Mini Makes’ earring kits, but I decided they’d also make perfect miniature Christmas ornaments (and I guess also double as Christmas earrings if I feel the need!). The 80wt is beautifully fine, keeping your seams nice and slim which is what you need with this delicate, detailed work. It’s an absolute pleasure to work with!
Aurifil Threads used: 80 wt- 2870, 2880, 2024, 2250
Janine Heschl
Happy to share my Aurifil Artist Monthly Challenge for November and it threw me right into a little pre-Christmas mood. Christmas to me is all about the scents: cookies, hot cocoa, candles, pine trees and cones… and that is what I went with for this month’s creation. I painted the cone and twigs on vintage cotton fabric with @derwentartofficial Inktense pencils and loosely stitched over it with my favorite 50wt threads. Not much embroidery needed, when it’s all painted already in the base – so a quick project for the busiest time of the year.
Sarah Harris
My family has a long history of making handmade gifts, and I enjoy continuing this tradition. Using mostly Aurifloss and 12wt threads, I started out by hand quilting on striped Essex linen. Then I dove straight down a rabbit hole of other ideas using 50 wt, machine and hand stitching, plus a variety of fabrics, including an upcycled tweed suit jacket.
Aurifil Threads used:
Aurifloss 2130, 2311, 2630, 2890, 4140, 4182 and 12 wt: 1114, 1125, 2120, 2235, 2581 and 50wt: 1126
Anorina Morris
A fun and festive table runner to brighten a home. A patchwork of green and low volume prints, bordered in red, for a traditional Christmas style. Quilted in the ditch with Aurifil 50wt and 40wt thread. Completed with some big stitch hand quilting using 12wt cotton thread.
Aurifil Threads used: #6722 – 50wt / #2250 – 50wt and 40wt / #2840 – 50wt and 12wt
Lou Orth
Cute and quick re-usable drawstring bags, perfect for wrapping up those awkward shaped gifts. I have used Liberty ‘Deck the Halls’ fabric and added some ‘Winter Glow’ applique for an extra festive touch!
Aurifil Thread used: 2600 50wt for all construction sewing. Traditional colours: 40wt, 1103 (red), 50wt, 2783 (blue) Modern colours: 50wt, 4654 (teal), 50wt, 2530 (pink)
Aimee Hagedorn
Twinkle twinkle little stars…I took the Ann Wood star folk pattern and gave these ornaments a family feel. Specifically, my own family! We are small but might. More stars will be appearing as the holiday season continues. XO
Aurifil Thread used: 12wt Aurifl thread
Zeïba Monod
Dreaming of a white Christmas and remembering many Christmases on the beaches of Senegal. For this project I wanted to encapsulate my heritages in a fun project. They have now pride of place over the mantelpiece, as our first festive decorations to go up. Happy holidays everyone.
Aurifil Threads used: Aurifil 40 wt thread 2311 (muslin) for piecing and walking foot quilting.
Mariana Diaz
Okay, everyone, are you really ready for the Christmas quilting season? Do you have enough green and red fabrics? What about golds and silvers? Have you practiced your self-restraint enough to resist splurging on every cute little Santa print you see? Well, I know I’m hopeless, since I’ve been hearing jingle bells since July, plus my growing Aurifil thread obsession strikes again…
Aurifil Thread used: #4658 in 40wt. and #2021 in 50wt.
Annie Tremblay
The first quilt I made was a Christmas quilt. They are my favorite without a doubt. This month the Aurifil Artisan’s challenge is all about our projects for the Holidays so one more reason to make a new one. I used a beautiful bundle of « non-Christmas » fabrics and opted to used the same colors to hand quilt it but in a contrasting way. The thread work plays a big part in the design and they work really well together.
Aurifil Threads used: 12wt in Muslin 2311, Pine 2892 and Red 2250.
Elissa Ziccardi
Joyfully embracing the festive spirit for the @aurifilthread November Artisan Challenge project 🧵🎄❤️ The theme for this month was “Holiday Projects” – looking to create something festive I was happily smitten with the Hexie EPP Stocking pattern from Joanna of @kustomkwilts BONUS POINTS to stitching up this project as I was able to purchase as a full kit with papers, pattern, acrylic template, and fabric for my hexies, back of stocking, hanging loop, and lining. I tossed in my own Holiday Homies hexies from my collection. LOVE that I was able to add these little treaures of fabric – no scrap left behind! Seriously, how sweet are the tiny deer and candies in these hexies!?! I used 50wt for my English paper piecing choosing Aurifil 5023 from my Tula Pink Holiday Homies thread collection for the hand stitching.
I settled in and savored the simplicity of slow stitching while enjoying some of my favorite Christmas movies surrounded by twinkling lights and shades of green and red all around. When it was time to quilt I knew I wanted to use a 28wt for a bit of texture and show off the thread on top of the solid fabrics. After auditioning several options from my swatch book, I chose Aurifil 1231 for the quilting with a 90/16 needle, paired with 50wt of #1231 in my bobbin. Double crosshatch quilting through the solids with for a 3.6mm stitch length gave me the feeling of traditional with just the smallest hint of “extra”. I left the focal hexies to float supported by the surrounding quilting. This project leaves me wanting to make more stockings in a multitude of colors … Dare I say new stockings for the whole family?!?
Pattern: by @kustomkwilts
Fabric: Dragons Breath solids and Holiday Homies by @tulapink for @freespiritfabrics
Thread: Aurifil 50wt #5023 / Aurifil 28wt #1231 for quilting
Francesca Kemp
Another batch of these gorgeous boys coming off the machine, more stitching on this batch. Each batch is different and each ornament completely uniquely draw by hand, with freehand machine embroidery on my vintage sewing machine.
Aurifil Threads Used: This beauty is stitched in 50 wt Black 2692- the perfect outliner, ‘Golden Honey’ 2214 for the body, ‘Chocolate’ 2360 bottom (sorry that was too funny to miss), ‘Paprika’ 2270 and 40wt ‘Midnight’ 2745 for the head and scruff.
‘Winter Orange‘. This piece has been on my list for such a long time, it just makes me think of family time and twinkling lights on the tree with those festive aromas. From embroidery to print, my works are transferred to gifts and stationery, plus that sumptuous blue velvet.
Aurifil Threads Used: 40wt: Midnight Blue 2745, Black 2692. 50wt: Neon Orange 1104 Tangerine Dream 6729, Golden Honey 2214, Olive Green 5016, Marrakesh 3817
Devida Bushrod
Seasonal cushion covers, the perfect quick and easy project to add some handmade loveliness to your home.Aurifil Threads used: 12 wt varigated thread, 50 wt quilting thread.
Janice Reimer
Is there anything more magical than big fluffy snowflakes on Christmas Eve? I wanted to capture some of that magic in this holiday quilt, and I really think the quilting brought this quilt to life. It always amazes me magic can be created on a domestic machine with a little time and patience. Quilt pattern: Jovie Quilt by Mommy & Me Quilt Co, modified to include background stars.
Aurifil Threads used: 2311 in 50 wt
Kate Sandford
I was inspired to be playful this month, creating new Christmas decorations from materials I already had. I made a mini forest, for all the Christmas elves to hide in!
Aurifil Threads used: 4020 in 12wt and 50wt, 2910 in 50wt
Mary Burroughs-Mayer
The theme of the November Aurifil Artisan Challenge is all about making something festive for the holidays. This Nutcracker wall hanging/pillow fits the bill! This is a foundation paper piecing pattern by Tomte Studio and has been on my holiday bucket list for a while. I used Aurifil thread in 80 wt for the first time in my machine to piece this and it worked perfectly! I used a simple 60-degree triangle quilting pattern for the background using 50 wt thread, leaving the central motif free. I’m so excited to display this with the rest of my holiday decor this year!
Aurifil Threads used: 80 wt in 2021, 50 wt in 2021
Alison Carpenter-Hughes
A little robin with festive cheer! Made with free motion embroidery using 40 and 50 weight Aurifil Cotton Mako threads; sewn onto an organza background, with various sparkly applique fabric pieces and my customary tangle of threads!
Aurifil Threads used: 100% Cotton Mako 40 and 50 weight
We encourage you to click through and check out each of these amazing projects in more detail!