Embarking on a creative journey often means exploring the seamless fusion of exceptional fabrics and exquisite threads. In the latest blog post from our Aurifil Artisan Mariana of Sew Mariana, the enchanting world of Liberty Tana Lawn fabrics meets the unmatched quality of Aurifil threads, resulting in a project that is nothing short of a dream.
Join Mariana as she shares her experience working with Liberty of London’s “The English Garden” Aurifil collection, a delicate thread palette reminiscent of strawberry ice cream and adorned with cool blues, spring greens, and warm yellows. The beauty of this Aurifil journey, showcases every element, from the threads to the patchwork, the backing to the quilting. It all has its chance to shine. The result is a project that reflects not only artistic skill but also the joy derived from savoring every little detail.
No one will gasp in surprise when I say that I love Liberty Tana Lawn fabrics, they check all the boxes: the prints, the texture, even the vibe, it’s all marvelous. And if you were in my studio, you would find more than one drawer full of Aurifil threads, so working with both of these in one project has been a dream.
Some months the Aurifil Artisan projects can make me sweat a little, since I’m not exactly an embroidery master, but the September challenge was a breeze: we had to pick one of their collections and sew something with it. That’s more of a treat than a challenge!
Well look at what I picked: The English Garden by Liberty of London. Even the box is delicate enough to make you think there might be tea bags inside. The threads themselves, well, where to start? Those peachy pinks that reminded me of strawberry ice cream, or the cool blues and spring green and yellow… all of them come together for a palette that looks like the perfect combination of vivid and cozy.
Since the threads were this easy to work with, matching the Liberty fabric I wanted to use to a t, I decided I didn’t need anything complicated, and went with a simple patchwork cushion. Once again, I was digging through my scraps, brainstorming quilting ideas as my sewing machine pulled each piece together.
I pieced my Liberty squares with a beautiful Aurifil 80wt., which is super thin, and used the same thread to baste my cushion.
For the back, I wanted a Liberty that wouldn’t compete but complement the front, but I didn’t want a plain color. So I went to my favorite Liberty shop, Duckadilly, and got this gorgeous pigment white that is exactly what I had in mind.
Look at how great the threads match with each and every print!
And this is how it looks after quilted:
I decided to add a piece of binding for a beautiful finish touch.
In the end, every element has the chance to shine: from our base, the Aurifil threads, to every detail; the patchwork, the back, the quilting, even the size of the project itself. My favorite part of this Aurifil journey is how it’s had me slow down and really enjoy every little bit of the process, and that’s led me to experimenting, playing, and making small pieces to allow myself the time to put in as much detail as I like.
If you were to choose one spool, which one would it be?
You can find Mariana at: https://www.sewmariana.com/ and on Instagram @sewmariana.