Sheena Norquay is a Festival of Quilts legend, truly the darling of the epic quilt show that takes place each year in Birmingham, England. One of our all-time thread heroes, she is incredibly talented, always looking for new ways to showcase Aurifil thread with that talent. When we first met Sheena, we were immediately taken with her artistry, her vision, and her undeniable quilting genius. That sense of awe that we feel when we see each new piece never really leaves and we’re entranced all over again with each new project.
Sheena is always experimenting and innovating in her work, while remaining meticulous and measured in her experimentation with needle and thread. Every time she creates something new, she sends along thoughts on that piece… what she tried and why, which threads were used, and what she thought about the process. Her thread experimentations have covered a multitude of Aurifil threads, including 50wt, 28wt, 80wt, & Aurifiloss. We always love reading about her process and have a sneaking suspicion that you might feel the same way.
Today, we’re delighted to introduce Sheena’s latest collection and to share her thoughts on work created with those featured threads. In case this is your first time meeting Sheena, we’d encourage you to check out her original 2017 interview HERE and scroll through some of our previous posts to really experience the range of her work.
This collection of Aurifil 28 weight threads was inspired by the many subtle colours of hydrangea petals collected from various bushes.
Sheena Norquay
Sheena Norquay’s Hydrangea is a glorious lineup of 10 beautifully curated hues in Aurifil’s 28wt thread, perfect for thread painting with definition and hand stitching with purpose.
As always, Sheena shows off the thread’s luminescence through her detailed stitching and spectacular thread experimentation.
psssst– if you happen to be at the 2024 Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England this weekend, you can catch Sheena at Aurifil’s Stand on Saturday at 2pm for a Meet & Greet. You’ll also have the opportunity to see many of the artworks detailed below on display!
Introduction
Some of the petal shapes were painted on to fabric while observing the colours, some were hand embroidered, some were free motion embroidered, but they were all either machine quilted or hand quilted or a combination or both. For the quilting and embroidery designs I simplified the petal shapes and for some I further simplified them into fan shapes with radiating lines. Backgrounds often had seed shapes for free motion quilting.
For machine stitching I used a machine quilting needle size 90/14 with one strand of the 28 weight thread on the top spool and 50 weight in the bobbin. For hand stitching I used one strand for quilting using a long basting needle. For hand embroidery I used one or more strands especially if I was blending colours so I used various sizes of chenille needles depending on how many strands I was using.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 1 | HYDRANGEA CUSHION
Finished Size: 10 x 10 inches (27 x 27cm)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 16.10.2023 – 17.10.2023
Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
I used four colours of Aurifil 28 weight thread from the Hydrangea Collection (2740, 2725, 2520 and 3320) for free motion quilting the design. The shapes were simplified from hydrangea petals and drawn around three circles – 4 motifs in the centre (90 degrees) 8 motifs in the next round and 8 in the outer round (45 degrees). In each round, the shapes become progressively wider. Curved lines were created to join the shapes in the outer 2 rounds.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 2 | HYDRANGEA BORDERS I – CROSSING COLOURS – QUAPRON
Finished Size: 19.25 x 22 inches (49 x 56cm)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 17.10.2023 – 22.10.2023
Total Time: 11 hours 30 minutes
Floral shapes were inspired by hydrangeas. I made a template and drew around the outlines 100 times. They were free motion quilted across 10 pieced strips using 10 colours of Aurifil 28 weight threads from the Hydrangea Collection, creating 100 colour combinations of threads and fabrics. Each row had 2 pathways for quilting – first the top halves of the shapes, then the bottom halves plus the stitched centres. I used Hobbs Heirloom wool wadding so decided to make the sample into a quapron (quilted apron) to keep my legs warm in the winter.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 3 | HYDRANGEA BORDERS II
Finished Size: 22 x 25.5inches (55 x 65cm)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 18.10.2023 – 24.10.2023
Total Time: 11 hours 10 minutes
Simplified single petal shapes were free motion quilted along pieced strips and into the grey borders using Aurifil 28 weight threads from the Hydrangea Collection. The shapes for the top and bottom borders were altered in size and shape to fit the 2 different depths. The colours of threads were stitched in the opposite direction to the order of fabrics – threads from green at the top to dark blue at the bottom on fabrics from dark blue at the top to green at the bottom. 80/20 cotton/polyester wadding.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 4 | HYDRANGEA COLOUR BLENDS
Finished Size: 13.75 x 13.75inches (35.5 x 35.5cm)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 18.10.2023 – 27.10.2023
Total Time: 17 hours 30 minutes
The grid of fan shapes was free machine embroidered on to cotton organdie and then hand appliqued to white cotton. The background was hand quilted with running, laced running and Turkey Track stitches.
Within the fan the rows of colours begin on the left diagonal with dark blue and progress to green on the top right. These colours were crossed horizontally with dark blue at the bottom fan shape and progress to the top row with green. I used single colours on the right diagonal and on the bottom points of rows of fan shapes, whereas on all other fan shapes there are 45 different colour combinations using 2 colours at a time.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 5 | CIRCLE OF HYDRANGEA PETALS
Finished size: 14 x 13.75inches (36 x 35cm)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 18.10.2023 – 28.10.2023
Total Time: 12 hours 5 minutes
Twenty petal shapes were free machine embroidered using 28 weight threads from the Hydrangea Collection on to fabric baked with VS13 and inserted in an embroidery ring. Ten shapes were stitched with single colours and the shapes between were stitched with 2 colours except for the green shapes next the dark blue shape as the green thread was variegated and resulted in 2 different greens.
I used white cotton wadding and quilted concentric circles with the walking foot. The radiating lines in centre, the swinging C curves within the concentric circles and the petal shapes in the corners were free motion quilted. The backgrounds around these petal motifs were hand quilted in Turkey Track stitch.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 6 | THREE SETS OF HYDRANGEA PETALS
Finished Size: 10.25 x 13.5 inches (20.5 x 34cm)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 28.10.2023 – 31.10.2023
Total Time: 9 hours 5 minutes
Three sets of hydrangea petals were painted on to calico using various fabric paints. Left over pieced strips from another sample were used for the side borders with 2 narrow and 2 wider top and bottom borders added. The background around the flower petals was free motion quilted in contour lines. The narrow borders have diagonal zig zag S curves while the outer borders were quilted in continuous petal shapes. I used threads in the same colours as the fabrics to quilt the opposite borders – green on dark blue, dark blue on green cream on blue, blue on cream and so on. The 4 colours of the binding wee from the fabrics used in the borders, again on opposite sides. Hobbs 80/20 cotton/polyester wadding. Aurifil 28 weight threads from the Hydrangea Collection.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 7 | SCATTERED SETS OF HYDRANGEA PETALS
Finished Size: 8 x 9 inches (20 x 23cm)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 14.10.2023 – 31.10.2023
Total Time: 12 hours 55 minutes
Five sets of petals were hand painted on calico. Veins were backstitched by hand in various colours of Aurifil 28 weight thread from the Hydrangea Collection with Hobbs Heirloom wool wadding on the reverse of the fabric. I drew outlines of more petals on the calico and tacked the 2 layers to backing before free motion quilting around the printed and outlined petals. The background was free motion quilted with continuous leaf shapes in variegated green thread. Binding was painted with left over fabric paints.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 8 | HYDRANGEA WREATH
Finished Size: 11 x 11inches (28 x 28cm)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 14.10.2023 – 2.11.2023
Total Time: 10 hours 30 minutes
Petals from various hydrangeas were painted on to organdie then free machine embroidered using Aurifil 28 weight threads from the Hydrangea Collection. Silk borders were machine pieced and quilted with the walking foot. Centre of the wreath and background were free motion quilted with stamens, contour lines and leaf shapes. The leaf shapes were quilted with variegated thread in subtle greens. The contour line next the flower petals was quilted twice to make the line thicker and slightly more prominent than the other two.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 9 | FAN
Finished Size: 4.5 x 14.5inches (36 x 36cm)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 16.10.2023 – 15.11.2023
Total Time: 25 hours 5 minutes
I drew quarter circles with the radius of each increasing by 1.5 cm from the centre. Starting in the centre with one fan, I increased the number by 1 within each pair of contour lines until reaching 10 fan shapes between the outer pair of contour lines. This gave me 45 fan shapes so I decided to stitch 45 blends and 10 self- colours from the Hydrangea Collection.
The small fan shapes were hand embroidered using 2 threads at a time on to white fabric backed with fine polyester wadding but the fabric puckered. I therefore decided to cut out the large fan shape and hand applique it to the dark grey fabric. I added 2 pink and 2 peach borders to complete. As the borders were 10 inches I worked out that I could fit 5 fan shapes along each border so I made a template and marked the borders using a pencil before free motion quilting the shapes. The outer edges of the borders were hand quilted in Turkey Track stitch while the grey background around the large fan was free motion quilted in groups of small radiating lines connected with meandering lines Finally the points of the fan shapes in the borders were hand stitched with the 10 colours from the collection.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 10 | HAND EMBROIDERED COLOUR SAMPLE
Finished Size: 19 x 34.5cm (7.5 x 13.75inches)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 5.11.2023 – 29.11.2023
Total Time: 14 hours
Ten single colours of Aurifil 28 weight threads from the Hydrangea collection and forty blends of pairs of colours were hand embroidered on to calico and Vlieseline S13 using satin stitch. Eg. – a, ab ac, ad, ae, b, bc, bd, be, bf and so on. After borders were machine pieced, the areas at the top and bottom of the sample were hand quilted to disguise where the background fabric had puckered. Straight, contour lines were machine quilted with the walking foot in 2520 before free motion quilting curved lines in 1320 to match the binding. Vertical, parallel lines of hand quilting using 2520 were stitched on calico at each side of the colour sample.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 11 | MACHINE EMBROIDERED COLOUR SAMPLE
Finished Size: 8.5 X 11.25 inches (21.5 x 28cm)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 16.10.2023 – 2.12.2023
Total Time: 8 hours
The 10 colours of 28 weight threads were free machine embroidered on to cotton organdie and for each self colour I also stitched 2 blends eg a, ab, ac, b, bc, bd. The rectangle of colours was cut out and hand appliqued to grey/black graded cotton fabric then quilted with the walking foot in horizontal lines, one of each colour.
At the top and bottom I satin stitched the 10 colours – 4 at the top and 6 at the bottom. Finally, herringbone was hand stitched along the edges of alternate rows of colours. Left hand side sets of herringbone were stitched in 2 colours, one thread of each colour. The ones on the right were stitched in single colours and in single threads. I accidentally trapped a piece of dark fabric between the wadding and the backing!
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 12 | EIGHT SETS OF HYDRANGEA PETALS
Finished Size: 11 x 25.25inches (28 x 64cm)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 14.10.2023 -4.12.2023
Total Time: 20 hours 20 minutes
Eight sets of hydrangea petals collected locally were observed and painted on to white cotton. Centres were hand stitched using Aurifil 28 weight threads from the Hydrangea Collection.
80/20 cotton/polyester wadding and backing were tacked to the top, before I hand quilted sets of horizontal, flowing lines from the petals and free motion quilted leaf shapes in between the groups of lines. I used all 10 colours from the thread collection.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 13 | FOURTEEN SETS OF PAINTED HYDRANGEA PETALS
Finished Size: 35 x 76.5cm (13.75 x 30.75inches)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 12.10.2023 – 17.1.2024
Total Time: 34 hours 25minutes
Inspired by the many colours of hydrangea petals which were painted on calico then hand embroidered with a layer of wadding tacked behind the top fabric. After drawing outlines of other petal shapes and sets of flowing lines from some of the petals over the background and borders to the outside edges, backing fabric was tacked in place.
The outlines of the painted petals were free motion quilted using cream Aurifil no. 50 weight thread whereas the drawn petal outlines were free motion quilted using darker colours of 28 weight threads on the top spool and 50 weight in the bobbin. I also used the darker colours from the hydrangea collection for the flowing lines which create movement.
Seed shapes on the calico background were free motion quilted using paler colours of 28 weight threads whereas I used darker colours on the painted borders.
Hydrangea Collection, Sample 14 | DISTORTED HYDRANGEA PETALS
Finished Size: 102 x 103cm (40.25 x 40.50inches)
Sheena J Norquay, copyright 10.12.2023 – 14.1.2024
Total Time: 40 hours 40 minutes
Inspired by the shapes of hydrangea petals which I drew and distorted to fit the segments of the concentric circles of varying widths. The shapes were drawn on a large piece of paper before tracing the design on to fabric and free motion quilting using the colours from the Hydrangea collection of Aurifil 28 weight threads. The top was tacked to a layer of fine polyester wadding and a layer of 80/20 cotton polyester wadding and inserted in a quilting hoop which I slackened to accommodate the extra thickness of two waddings.
I began quilting in the centre by outlining the shapes and then filling in backgrounds. The flowing, radiating lines from the outer round of petal shapes add movement towards the outside edges of the wall hanging. Most of the lines were free motion quilted apart from those at the corners which were too long to fit into the quilting hoop so I quilted these with the walking foot. This involved turning the work for every line which was not easy as the layers were quite heavy to handle with the extra layer of wadding. Spaces between the blue lines were free motion quilted using seed shapes in five colours. It was bound with double binding.
ABOUT SHEENA
Website — Facebook
Sheena Norquay was born on the Orkney Islands, just off the Northern tip of Scotland. Though she began sewing as a child, it wasn’t until attending University in Aberdeen to gain a B.Ed degree that she immersed herself into the world of sewing, quilting, and textiles. The degree included 2-dimensional design in textiles which inspired her interest in exploring the artistic potential of threads and fabrics.
Having been a Primary School teacher in Inverness for 30 years, Sheena is now a freelance quilting teacher and teaches workshops locally, all over the UK, and sometimes abroad. She also writes articles for magazines and her quilts have been featured in several books.
Sheena’s work has been exhibited locally, nationally, and internationally since 1981 and she has won many awards in competitive quilt shows. She sells her work, cards and postcards of her work, and also accept commissions. In 2019, Sheena self published her first book with the help of Philippa Adams from Crafty Retreats which explains how to use Aurifil’s stranded cotton floss. “Colour Blending – Embroidery using Stranded Cotton Floss.” (available from The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles on line bookshop)