This month, our Aurifil Artisans turned their attention to one of the most powerful tools in a maker’s studio: intentional color matching. Using the Aurifil swatch card as their guide, the challenge invited each Artisan to thoughtfully select thread shades that would complement, contrast, and enhance their chosen fabrics.
With real thread samples designed to be removed and placed directly against fabric, the swatch card encouraged exploration. Subtle tone-on-tone blends, confident contrasts, and carefully considered pairings all came into play. Whether piecing, quilting, hand stitching, or adding detail to a garment, each project demonstrates how deliberate thread choices can shape the overall finish.
This is a celebration of precision, creativity, and confidence in color. It is a reminder that thread is not simply a supporting element but an essential design decision that brings depth, cohesion, and clarity to every stitch. We are excited to share how our Artisans approached the art of color matching.
Sofia Natty
Back in December, I was going to make one pair of slippers as a Christmas gift, but… guess what? “You get quilted slippers!” multiplied by six. I used the Aurifil swatch book to perfectly match-contrast the 12 colors of solid fabric scraps and finished off each pair with Washi Plus fabric from Ruby Star Society.
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 50wt in 2123, 2140, 2437, 2277, 2515, 4020, 1243, 2520, 2775, 2710, 2835, 2850
Jessica Jones
For February’s Aurifil Artisan Challenge, I created one of my raw-edge appliqué butterfly cushions with a real focus on thoughtful thread choices. Using the Aurifil Swatch Book, I matched threads to blend beautifully with my fabrics and selected contrasting shades to gently highlight areas of free motion stitching, adding depth and subtle definition throughout.
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 50wt 2240, 2535, 1243, 2560, 4241 & Cotton 28wt 7250
Karlie Hunter
This challenge encouraged me to try something new – starting a project without a plan for the final outcome. I used the swatch book to find colors that would complement the fabric well, and then I just kept adding different stitches and textures until it felt complete.
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton Floss 2440, 6728, 2435, 2420, 2000, 2890 & 2568
Amy Freyn
The Artisan challenge for February was to use the Aurifil thread swatch card to find perfect thread pairings for our next projects. I took my swatch card to the beach in Ecuador for a short vacation, and it did not disappoint! So many new project ideas, and now I’ll know what color thread I’ll need! The first project will be the Pinguino ice cream bike embroidery.
Maude MacDonald
I love matching thread to fabric. It almost feels like a little game, holding different shades up to the print and seeing which one blends, contrasts, or makes a detail pop. It’s amazing how much the right thread color can change the look and finish of a project. Having my Aurifil Swatchbook makes the whole process so easy. Being able to place the actual thread samples directly against the fabric takes out the guesswork and makes choosing the perfect match both simple and fun.
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 50wt 1133, 5019, 2975, 2615 & Cotton 40wt 2425, 1135
Amari Thomsen
My tiniest scraps found a new life as these cute scrappy Valentines! With a little glue and the right thread (I used Light Lilac in Cotton 40wt), zig-zag stitches hold the scraps in place and give the cards a finished look around the edges!
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 40wt 2510
Suzanne Campion
This project was made in celebration of the Aurifil X Liberty collection, in collaboration with Emma Giacalone. Emma chose the colour palette from the Emily Belle fabrics and created embroideries to the scale of the template I provided for cathedral windows. I chose the sapphire blue for the window frames and highlighted the embroidery colours with prints from the Emily Belle collection. I used a triple stitch in the centre of the windows, matching the fabrics and threads. Each corner of the cushion cover was quilted with one of the four colours. The envelope cushion back was finished with a band of Marine Blue to match the thread box, a label embroidered by Emma and piped with the Sapphire dark blue.
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 50wt 2437, 2830, 2710, 2130, 2324, 1128, 2784
All from the Aurifil X Liberty Collection
Katie Zahm
My 4-year-old niece Maggie is at that magical stage of learning to write her name, and I couldn’t let that handwriting disappear. I traced her signature onto fabric, embroidered it in Aurifil Cotton 8wt Wisteria using a stem stitch, and built a concentric rectangle quilt block around it using Fableism Woven Sprouts. The finished piece is mounted on canvas and ready to hang. A forever keepsake made with thread and a whole lot of love.
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 12wt 2437, 6722, 2318, Cotton 8wt 2566, 2930 & Cotton 40wt 2600
Amanda Loewen
My Elevenses Backpack (pattern from Sew Liberated) was a combined January and February challenge project that I worked on over two months! I used 6 colours of thread and three weights in one project! My Aurifil swatch card came in handy to choose the right shade of magenta thread for stitching the body of the bag. I love using Cotton 40wt in bag construction! I used a palette of Cotton Floss from my collection to add hand-quilted details to the front panels of the bag. I love how it turned out, and I can’t wait for some summer adventuring!
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 50wt 6723, Cotton 40wt 2588, Cotton Floss 1231, 6720, 2515, 2715.
Ben Millett
I used the swatch book to match eleven Kona colors, and they all happen to be in Proud Work by Ben Millett, my collection for Aurifil. I use these thread colors all the time because I also use these fabric colors all the time. This jacket was made in part for QuiltCon 2026 and sat next to me in the Aurifil booth. Unfortunately, it wasn’t worn because the conference center was too hot, but at least it was just right for the snow and cold temps when I returned home.
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 12wt 2021, 2425, 5006, 2372, 2692, 2270, 2150, 2135, 1114, 2810, 2540 & Cotton 28wt 2021
Vivian Doan
As soon as I saw the Luna Moth quilt from the Wondergarden series from my friend Tamara Kate Designs, I knew I had to make it. It is a foundation paper pieced quilt, and the cover quilt uses a quilt kit from her Insectarium collection. It was so much fun finding corresponding thread colours to the vibrant fabrics in the quilt. I used Aurifil 50wt to quilt the sandwich, choosing matchstick quilting for the background in Smoke Blue, and then ten other lovely colours to quilt the moth and the leaves. I usually send my quilts to a long armer, but I wanted to quilt it myself, and I am so proud of the quilting. It is proof that I can quilt my quilts myself! This quilt was love at first sight… and I am so in love with it.
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 50wt 4644, 2887, 1231, 6737, 2830, 2120, 2220, 2515, 2479, 4020, 2540
Sarah Ruth Morris
I made Too Red to Count as a remembrance quilt in response to the devastation Hurricane Helene brought to Appalachia… damage that was met with minimal national attention and chronically delayed federal aid. I designed this FPP piece using traditional state quilt blocks, honoring Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee, and Western North Carolina who were left to rebuild on their own.
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 8wt 6730, 2345, 2930, 2720, 2850
Luci Camorani
I created a large All The Things Tote pattern by Knot and Thread with Corrine Wells’ newest line, Reef. Choosing a thread that matched the pink jellyfish binding and water lining fabric was a breeze, and I am really happy with how the finished tote turned out!
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 50wt 2021, 5006, 2423.
Tamara Darragh
For the February Aurifil Artisan Challenge, I pulled out my swatch card and let it guide my thread choices. I turned two Goose Goose Quilt blocks designed by Sharon Holland into a quilted tote using the free tutorial on my blog. I hand-stitched both the front and back in coordinating colors, adding gentle texture and quiet depth that catches the light and brings the whole piece softly to life.
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 8wt 2930, 2000 & Cotton Floss 5014
Julia Crook
For this month’s Artisan challenge, I thought I’d show how I use my Aurifil Swatch Cards in my work. The versatile thread shade cards can be used for inspiring colour combinations and colour matching. Here I have used them for colour matching in my stitched fabric samples, thread colour selection from colour pencil palettes, colour matching from natural materials and colour inspiration from nature. So many colour combinations can be found from the vast range of Aurifil thread shades, the possibilities are endless!
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 40wt 2600, Cotton 50wt 2130, 2850, 5022, 5024, Cotton 80wt 2000, 2890 and Forty3 2024.
Suzanne Campion
My Aurifil Swatch Book has always been an essential tool in my studio, and it was a pleasure to showcase its versatility in this month’s Artisan challenge. I was working on an EPP cushion with each honeycomb shape fussycut exactly the same across five fabric colourways of Nouveau Shadow. The quilting required simple lines of handquilting, and I was able to select the perfect shades from the swatch cards. Even better, I had them all in my stash!
Aurifil Threads Used: Cotton 8wt 4129, 2815, 1231, 2843.
Susanne Kuprella
Before I got the swatch book, I didn`t even know that there would be a color card for threads. And now I just love it. I usually use thread that matches the fabric exactly in color. That way, it doesn’t immediately catch the eye, but is more of a subtle accompaniment. Of course, a strong contrast can sometimes be more exciting. The main thing is that it’s not just any color that sort of matches and therefore doesn’t match at all. That’s what the color chart is perfect for! For my little bunnies, which are Easter cutlery bags, I used these beautiful aqua tones.
Aurifil Threads Used: Cotton 28wt & Cotton floss 1310, 2843, 2902, 2310.
Janice Reimer
My next daisy quilt is quickly coming together, which means I need to start thinking about how I’m going to quilt it. I used my swatch book to find a thread that would complement my multi-coloured daisy blocks. I find it tough choosing a colour when I have a rainbow of colours present in my fabrics, but I ended up choosing this ochre yellow to match the daisy centers to help tie the blocks together. Now to the hard part – figuring out the actual quilting design!
Aurifil Threads Used: Cotton 50wt 2320
Ashelyn Downs
When my bestie, Erin of The Blanket Statement, announced her upcoming pattern release of the Crescentwood Crossbody, I knew that I needed to make it before QuiltCon! Well, just as many projects of this type work, I got to work the day before my early morning flight to Raleigh. I had made the fabric and piecing decisions before I even knew I would be making this pattern, but I left out a pretty big piece of the puzzle – the thread! I began looking through my swatch book and was so smitten by the idea of using the variegated thread in French Lilac (3840), which I had received in my Artisan Welcome Box!
Aurifil Thread Used: Cotton 50wt 3840
We encourage you to click through and take a closer look at each Artisan’s brilliant take on this challenge. A huge THANK YOU to our 2025 Aurifil Artisan team. Your creativity, curiosity, and enthusiasm shine through already, and we’re so grateful to have you on this journey with us!