In case you missed it, 2024 is ALL about our new 100% cotton 8wt thread. Presented on an elegant white wooden spool, Aurifil 8wt is a 2ply thread produced in Italy to the same standards you’ve come to know and love. We launched our initial 20 hues in partner with Suzy Williams back in February (learn more HERE) and on October 1, launched our second gloriously curated set of 20 new hues.
Indelible marks our debut collaboration with Annahttps://www.annamariatextiles.com Maria Textiles, a newly launched division of Northcott helmed by the esteemed designer Anna Maria Parry (formerly Horner). Renowned for her vibrant and innovative textile designs, Anna Maria brings her unique vision and expertise to this new venture.
The Indelible fabrics are a gorgeous showcase of color, brought to life in two-tone designs. The palette is both rich and soft, and the linework is highly detailed and timeless. They are absolutely perfect for quilt making and sewing and would be an excellent template for all types of embellishment from embroidery to hand-quilting. (available March 2025, Anna Maria Textiles)
In celebration of the partnership and our second launch of our 100% cotton 8wt, we sent initial samples in five stunning hues out to a wonderfully creative group of Aurifil Artisans, Designers, and friends. The feedback has been astoundingly positive and we’ve been devouring each new project with pure elation. Starting today and continuing through International Quilt Market at the end of this month, we’ll be sharing the stunning work of these makers, culminating in an interview and project feature from Anna Maria Parry. We hope you’ll find inspiration within and can’t wait to hear what you might make with the threads of Indelible!
Elissa Ziccardi
I have had the pleasure to work with the NEW Aurifil 8wt collection Indelible that officially made its debut on October 1! I hand quilted this pouch in three different colors of 8wt thread with the idea to carry small items (keys, medicine, lip gloss, tissues) to be placed inside of a larger bag to stay stylishly organized. I realized this morning that it is the perfect size for a small hooped project (or some EPP) to tuck into my bag and take on the go! I love a handmade project that serves multiple purposes, and serious bonus points for being a stress free and relatively quick pouch to make.
Project: Hemingway Pouch by @centerstreetquilts | Fabric: Untamed and Neon True Colors Poms by @tulapink x @freespiritfabrics | Hardware: @tulapink x @sallietomatopatterns
Mariana Diaz
Guess what I just got from Aurifil: the second edition of their 8wt threads! I was given these five for my project, so I made a single block of my Polaris pattern, and since my house is now officially full of cushions, I went all out to make this one stand out! The background fabric is an essex linen that gives the whole thing some heft, and the featured fabrics are soft cotton lawn, (which I’ve found is pieced beautifully with Aurifil’s 80wt). It’s a fun contrast too, with a loose weave and a tight weave. Hand quilting is about as far from my specialty as you can get, but I mean, just look at these threads and tell me you don’t want to pick up a needle and make something pretty! So I stitched these colors diagonally and I am so glad I did. Doesn’t it look like multicolored rain? This one is going to be a centerpiece on my couch for sure!
Susanne Kuprella
I used the 5 spools from the Indelible collection in the beautiful shades of blue and purple for embroidery. I don’t really know anything about embroidery, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it, right? And it worked really well, the 8wt thread is so pleasant to work with. I drew the motif on a self-adhesive, water-soluble stabilizer beforehand and just got started.
Tips: I know nothing about embroidery, so I used a simple pointed needle with a large enough eye (so I just could insert the thread by hand, not super big) and had no problems at all. I drew the motif on the “Stick-Stitch-N-Rinse Wash-Away Stabilizer” stabilizer and washed it out when I was finished. I used 40wt for the gray stitches.
I also used the 8wt from the Evolve before. I used it for a top stitch on a bag and used it for top and bobbin thread so it looks the same from both sides. At least the Bernina had no problems with this if you choose a medium stitch length and sew super slowly. I think the same applies to all 8wt threads.
Susanne Kuprella
Zeïba Monod
This mini quilt was a fun experiment, inspired by Aurifil’s new 8wt threads from the Indelible Collection by Anna Maria Parry/Anna Maria Textiles. The 8wt thread is perfect for hand quilting, offering the ideal balance between texture and ease, which made my *needle turn reverse appliqué* and *echo hand quilting* a joy to work on. I usually rely on 12wt or Aurifloss, but this new 8wt fills the gap I’ve been looking for, providing just the right weight. Now, with three thread options, I’m excited to explore even more textures and styles in my hand quilting projects!
Tips: I always use thread wax and a needle threader, with Clover or Milward needles, adjusting needle size (usually between 3 and 5) to fit the project. Most importantly, savor the slow, mindful process of hand quilting.
As a passionate hand quilter, I’ve always enjoyed working with 12wt and aurifloss. While both offer beautiful results, I sometimes sought a little more texture or contrast in my stitches. The new 8wt perfectly bridges that gap, giving me just the right balance between detail and thickness. It opens up so many creative possibilities, and I’m thrilled to have another favourite thread weight to explore. More options, more fun!
Zeïba Monod
Vivian Doan
I’ve always been eager to delve into the beautiful art of Sashiko, and I believe that 8wt thread is the ideal medium to start with. My project is inspired by the book The New Sashiko by Sashikonami, featuring the lovely Pin Cushion design with Flower Stitch and Kugurizashi. For the larger pin cushion, I used three vibrant colours and drew a grid with quarter-inch lines on white cotton. It ended up being quite large! For the smaller version, I chose a lovely shade of reddish-pink cotton to complement the light lilac colour.
Lexi Ellis
Slow stitched and hand quilting was my favorite way to work with the new 8wt. They have a gorgeous sheen like the 12wt I already know and love. The texture of 12wt, 8wt, and machine quilting with 50wt adds an extra special finish to this little mini quilt.
Sarah Harris
This plain boiler suit was calling out for some hand stitched organic circles, and the new 8wt Indelible collection was amazing to work with. The 8wt thread glided so well through the linen and the brilliant colours remind me of a beautiful set of watercolour paints. The boiler suit glow up was an enjoyable and relaxing portable project.
Vickeidy Plybon
This project was such a learning curve for me! It was my first time using 8wt thread for cross stitch. I love how much coverage I can get on every stitch, and I also love how glossy every stitch looks. The colors are also perfect and right up my alley. Just be mindful of what size needle you use and make sure it has a big eye, but not too big!
Tips: Use a needle with a big eye and make sure your strands are not too long to prevent shredding of your thread.
Use a needle with a big eye and make sure your strands are not too long to prevent shredding of your thread.
Vickeidy Plybon
Janice Reimer
When the only thing that doesn’t match the sewing aesthetic of your quilting room is your mundane tissue box, you make it a little sweater to fit in! I used this project as a way to explore sashiko-inspired patterns. Each side of the tissue box features a different pattern using a combination of four different thread colours.
Zoe Mayson
I was inspired to try out some quilting motifs by hand that I found in a vintage sewing book. They were a fun sew, and the 8wt thread was perfect for adding stitch definition with a subtle sheen. Once sewn, I combined 2 panels into a drawstring bag.
Emily Herbster
When I was deciding what to create with Aurifil’s beautiful new 8wt threads, I came across an adorable cicada pattern that felt like the perfect match for my color palette. This was my first time trying hand embroidery, and using the 8wt thread made it both fun and easy to work with.
Andrea Kjorlaug
Andrea put the strength of our 8wt thread to the test by using it to make hand brooms. She used tampico fiber and 8wt thread from our newest collection, Indelible, to create a durable and functional Appalachian style Turkey Wing broom. By changing thread multiple times, she was able to feature several colors from the collection to make a bright and fun color palette.
Mary Burroughs-Mayer
Using new products from Aurifil is always a treat, and trying out a few of the new 8wt colors from the Indelible Collection by Anna Maria Textiles was no exception. I used 4 different colors to add a machine-quilted touch to this Holland Pouch AND used it for the top stitching along the zippers and handles! While it does take a few little tweaks to use this thicker thread through your machine, see my latest blog post for all the tips and tricks to successfully get this fun and chunky stitching on your next project!
Tips:
1. 100/16 or Jeans needle for your machine.
2. 40 wt. or 28 wt. in the bobbin. A heavier thread in the bobbin helps balance out the heavier thread in the top and reduces the tension adjustments. Consider using a coordinating color in the bobbin to help camouflage any minor tension issues that may arise.
3. I almost always have to INCREASE the top tension on my machine to get the tension right. The top tension needs to be increased if you are seeing small loops of the top thread on the backside of your project, and decreased is you are seeing the small loops of the bobbin thread on top of your project.
4. DO NOT USE your machine’s automatic threader or thread cutter. At least on my machine, the thread is too thick to be handled by these mechanisms and I’ve had bad tangles and broken parts as a result. I use a simple thin wire threader to thread my needle and snips to trim threads when sewing is complete.
5. Use a sample quilt sandwich in the same thickness as your project to figure out tension adjustments and try out different stitch lengths. I usually end up around a 4.0mm length, but see what you like!
6. I like to start and end my quilting on the margins of my project. I’ve found that the majority of the tangles I get are at the beginning and the end of stitching, so it’s great to be able to just trim these off.
7. Stitch slowly. Be patient. Put your headphones on and get that audiobook ready and take your time! The thickness of this thread is about the max of what my domestic machine is able to handle, so give it a chance to feed through that bobbin area cleanly.
8. Sew a victory lap once your quilting is complete and trimmed to size to lock down those stitches.
9. Enjoy the fun texture this thread creates!
I LOVE using the NEW 8 wt. thread in my machine for adding a bold, chunky stitch to my projects. The new shades from the Indelible Collection by Anna Maria Textiles add another bold rainbow to the existing colors available, greatly expanding the opportunities to use this gorgeous thread.
Mary Burroughs-Mayer
We encourage you to click through and check out each of these amazing projects in more detail!
When will the 8 wt be sold in retail stores?