It feels especially meaningful to share this conversation with Sandy Saengsuk of Thai Charm LLC as she celebrates the release of her debut Aurifil thread collection, Patchwork Companion. We’ve long admired Sandy’s thoughtful approach to making— her ability to balance skill and softness, technique and intention— and have loved watching her journey unfold over the years.
Our partnership first began during the launch of our very first 8wt thread collection with Suzy Williams, when Sandy was creating as a maker for Suzy Quilts. From the moment we saw her work with those threads, we knew she was someone special. Not long after, we were thrilled to welcome her into the Aurifil Artisan program, where she continued to inspire us with her creativity, generosity, and expertise.
When Sandy came to us with the idea for a coordinating thread collection to accompany her book, we were instantly drawn in. There’s a genuine warmth to the way Sandy moves through the quilting world, online and at shows alike, and it comes through in everything she makes. She cares about how a finished quilt feels just as much as how it’s constructed. That same spirit runs through her debut book, Patchwork Companion (C&T Publishing), and it’s exactly what makes this collection feel so cohesive and considered.
This curated set of 10 Small Spools— featuring Cotton 50wt, 8wt, Floss, and Wool 12wt— reflects Sandy’s go-to hues: a comforting palette of earthy browns, softened blues, warm reds, and golden neutrals, designed to bring depth and intention to every stitch. Thoughtfully composed to pair seamlessly with the skills and explorations found in the book, the collection extends her philosophy of slowing down, building confidence, and finding joy in the process, one stitch at a time. We’re so glad this milestone exists, and even more glad to share it with you.
Hi Sandy! We’re so excited to celebrate this milestone with you. Can you share how your journey into the textile and quilting world first began– was creativity something that was part of your upbringing, or did you discover it later in life on your own?
I grew up in a little town just outside Bangkok, Thailand, surrounded by color, texture, food, plants, markets, and everyday creativity, even though quilting itself was not part of my upbringing. My grandma didn’t sew, but she loved beauty in small details. When we went to the temple, we would sometimes bring lotus flowers along with food to offer to the monks. Instead of simply bringing the flowers the way we bought them, my grandma would carefully fold each lotus petal by hand to make them look beautiful first. Looking back now, I think moments like that quietly shaped the way I see handmade work and thoughtful details today.
My grandma also loved bold colors, and I think that stayed with me more than I realized at the time. Looking back now, I can see that creativity was always around me. It just showed up in quieter, everyday ways.
Who or what have been your biggest sources of inspiration along the way?
A lot of my inspiration comes from everyday life. I love old cottages, faded florals, handmade clothing, spring gardens after long Minnesota winters, worn wooden tables, vintage books, and quilts that feel like they’ve been loved for generations. I’m drawn to things that feel lived in and comforting.
I’m also deeply inspired by people. The quilting community has been such a beautiful part of this journey for me. Some of my earliest inspirations were makers like Suzy Quilts, Sharon Holland, Brittany Lloyd, and many others whose work made quilting feel exciting, creative, and welcoming when I was still learning. Looking back now, it feels surreal and honestly really sweet that so many of the makers who inspired me early on are also part of the Aurifil family. It makes this chapter feel even more full circle and meaningful to me.
Some of the biggest moments in my creative life happened because someone took the time to encourage me, help me, or simply believe in me before I fully believed in myself.
How would you describe your creative style today, and how has it evolved over time?
I think my style today feels warm, layered, and thoughtful, with a mix of structure and softness. Early on, I was very focused on getting everything “right.” I wanted perfect points, perfect seams, perfect everything. Over time, I started caring more about how a quilt feels instead of chasing perfection.
My work still leans technical because I genuinely enjoy construction and thoughtful piecing, but I also want quilts to feel comforting and usable. I want them draped over couches, taken outside for picnics, folded at the end of a bed, and loved for years. I think my style evolved as I grew more confident in myself, both as a quilter and as a person.
Do you have a favorite type of project or technique that you find yourself returning to again and again? What draws you to it?
I always come back to patchwork and hand stitching. There’s something incredibly calming about repetition and rhythm in quilting. Sewing the same shape over and over becomes almost meditative for me.
I especially love classic building blocks like log cabin variations, Flying Geese, and Half Square Triangles because they leave so much room for personality through color and fabric choices. Two people can make the exact same block and end up with something completely different, and I love that.
Hand stitching also keeps pulling me back in. It slows me down in the best way. In a season where everything feels fast and constantly moving, slow stitching reminds me to pay attention and simply enjoy the process.
Your work often feels both technical and deeply comforting— how do you strike that balance in your designs?
I think that balance comes from remembering what it felt like to be brand new to quilting. I made my very first quilt without even knowing what a quarter-inch seam allowance was, so I never want people to feel embarrassed for learning.
When I design patterns or teach techniques, I try to make things feel clear and steady without taking away the creativity or joy. I want quilters to feel supported, not overwhelmed. At the same time, I care deeply about craftsmanship and thoughtful construction, so I try to build both into my work equally.
To me, quilting is both practical and emotional. It’s learning a skill with your hands while also creating comfort, memories, and connection.
We’ve had the pleasure of working with you as a maker for Suzy Quilts and as an Aurifil Artisan, and we’re so thrilled to now celebrate you as an Aurifil collection designer. What has this evolution in partnership meant to you?
Honestly, it feels surreal in the sweetest way.
Being part of the Suzy Quilts community and later becoming an Aurifil Artisan already felt incredibly special to me because those were brands and people I genuinely admired long before we worked together. So stepping into this next chapter as an Aurifil collection designer feels deeply personal.
Aurifil has been part of my quilting journey almost from the beginning. Your threads became part of my everyday sewing life long before this collection existed, so creating something together now feels less like a career milestone and more like a really meaningful continuation of the relationships, creativity, and inspiration that helped shape me into the maker I am today.
What originally drew you to Aurifil threads, and how did they become part of your everyday practice? What do you love most about working with Aurifil across your projects?
At first, I honestly noticed how smoothly Aurifil stitched in my machine. As a newer quilter, I didn’t fully understand how much thread quality could affect the sewing experience until I started using Aurifil consistently. Suddenly, sewing felt smoother, cleaner, and less frustrating.
Over time, Aurifil became part of my everyday practice because the threads allowed me to focus on creating instead of troubleshooting. I also love how versatile the thread weights are. I can move from piecing to quilting to hand stitching while still staying within the same thread family, which makes my creative process feel very cohesive.
Let’s talk about your new book, Patchwork Companion. How did the idea for the book first come about?
The idea for The Patchwork Companion came from wanting to create the kind of quilting book I wish I had when I first started quilting.
When I was learning, I often felt overwhelmed by how much information there was and how quickly I thought I needed to improve. I wanted to create something that felt encouraging and steady instead of intimidating. Not just a collection of patterns, but a companion someone could keep near their sewing machine and return to again and again.
The book slowly became a reflection of everything quilting had given me over the years: comfort, creativity, confidence, patience, and connection.
You describe it as more than a pattern book— what can readers expect to learn and experience as they work through its pages?
Readers will absolutely find quilt patterns and techniques, but I hope they also feel supported throughout the process. The book focuses a lot on foundational piecing skills, color understanding, thoughtful construction, and building confidence over time.
I wanted the projects to feel achievable while still helping quilters grow their skills naturally with each quilt. There are clear diagrams, practical tips, and a lot of encouragement woven throughout the pages because I truly believe learning should feel welcoming, not intimidating.
More than anything, I hope readers feel inspired to trust themselves creatively.
The book emphasizes slowing down and building confidence. Why was that message important for you to share with the quilting community right now?
I think so many of us feel pressure to constantly keep up, create more, improve faster, or compare ourselves online. Quilting can unintentionally start feeling performative instead of personal.
For me, quilting became meaningful when I stopped trying to rush through it. Slowing down helped me enjoy the process more, trust my own choices, and appreciate the small skills I was building over time.
I wanted the book to remind people that growth doesn’t have to happen all at once. You’re allowed to learn slowly. You’re allowed to make mistakes. You’re allowed to create simply because it brings you joy.
What inspired you to create a coordinating Aurifil thread collection to accompany the book?
The thread collection felt like a natural extension of the book because thread has always been such an important part of how I work and create. I didn’t want the collection to simply “match” the book visually. I wanted it to support the warmth, texture, and thoughtful details that are woven throughout the projects in the book.
I also loved the idea of creating a collection that encourages quilters to experiment a little more with thread weights and texture without feeling intimidated by it.
How do you see the thread set extending the story of The Patchwork Companion, and how do the different thread weights (Cotton 50wt, 8wt, Floss, and Wool 12wt.) support the creative techniques explored throughout the book?
To me, the thread collection adds another layer of warmth, texture, and personality to the world of The Patchwork Companion. The book itself is rooted in thoughtful details, comfort, and building confidence through making, and I wanted the thread collection to reflect that same feeling.
The 50wt thread is really the foundation of my everyday sewing practice and the thread I naturally return to for piecing and quilting. The 8wt adds beautiful texture and visibility for decorative stitching and details that deserve a little more attention. The floss brings softness and handwork into projects, while the Wool 12wt adds cozy texture and dimension in a way that feels playful and creative.
More than anything, though, I hope both the book and thread collection encourage makers to experiment beyond the page and trust their creativity a little more. Recently, I used one of the wall hanging patterns from the book as the starting point for a quilted vest, and that project reminded me how inspiring it can be when we allow ourselves to explore ideas freely instead of feeling limited to exactly what’s written in a pattern.
I think some of the most meaningful creative moments happen when we take the skills we’ve learned and make them our own.
Your color palette feels incredibly warm and intentional. How did you land on these particular hues, and what role does color play in your creative process?
Color has always been deeply emotional for me. I think growing up in Thailand surrounded me with a love for rich color combinations very early on, even before I realized it would influence my work later in life.
For this collection, I wanted the palette to feel warm, grounded, comforting, and slightly nostalgic while still leaving room for creativity. I kept returning to earthy browns, softened blues, warm reds, golden tones, and layered neutrals because they felt connected to both the quilts in the book and the feeling I wanted the collection to carry overall.
Color is often where a project begins for me emotionally. It sets the mood long before the sewing starts.
How do you plan to use this thread collection within your own creative workflow as you continue to share projects from the book?
One of my favorite recent projects was a tote bag inspired by techniques from the Fresh Cut Table Runner and Cozy Cabin Quilt projects in the book. I ended up using every thread weight from The Patchwork Companion thread collection throughout the project, and it was so fun finding ways to use each one along the way.
Turning those techniques into something functional for everyday life felt really rewarding. Lately, I’ve been enjoying finding new ways to bring patchwork, texture, and stitching into projects beyond traditional quilts.
For quilters who may be new to experimenting with different thread weights, what advice would you offer as they begin exploring this collection?
Start small and stay curious.
You don’t need to master every thread weight immediately. Sometimes simply using a thicker thread for one decorative stitch or trying floss for a tiny hand-stitched detail is enough to open up a whole new creative direction.
I think many quilters worry about doing things “correctly,” but experimentation is part of the joy. Some of my favorite creative moments happened because I simply tried something without overthinking it first.
Do you have any favorite tips, tricks, or small details that can help makers elevate their stitching experience?
Honestly, slowing down changes everything. Checking your seam allowance, pressing carefully, choosing thread thoughtfully, and allowing yourself to enjoy repetitive stitching instead of rushing through it can completely change how quilting feels.
I also always encourage quilters to pay attention to texture. Sometimes the smallest details, like visible hand stitching, slightly heavier quilting, textured thread, or soft frayed edges, are what make a quilt feel deeply personal and loved.
What’s bringing you the most joy in your creative practice right now?
Right now, I think the biggest joy is creating more freely again, especially making patchwork clothing, which still feels pretty new to me but has been so much fun lately.
After spending so much time writing the book and preparing projects behind the scenes, it feels really special to return to simply making things slowly with my hands again. I’ve been enjoying embroidery, textured stitching, experimenting with thread, and creating projects that feel playful and personal.
I’m also incredibly grateful for the community surrounding this season of life. Sharing this book and thread collection with people who genuinely care about quilting and handmade creativity has been emotional in the best way.
Where can our readers find you— online or in person— throughout the coming year? Any events, workshops, or special plans ahead?
You can usually find me sharing bits of my quilting life online at thaicharmllc.com, on Instagram @thaicharmllc, and on YouTube. I love sharing quilts, tutorials, slow stitching, behind-the-scenes creative process, and all the little moments in between.
This coming year, I’ll be spending a lot of time sharing projects from The Patchwork Companion, sewing with the Aurifil collection in ways that feel natural to my creative process, teaching, and continuing to explore new ideas and collaborations along the way.
If there’s one feeling or takeaway you hope quilters experience when working with your book and thread collection, what would it be?
I hope they feel encouraged. Not pressured to make perfect quilts or keep up with anyone else, but encouraged to create, experiment, learn slowly, and trust themselves more deeply as makers.
More than anything, I hope the book and thread collection remind people that quilting doesn’t have to be rushed to be meaningful. Some of the most beautiful parts of quilting happen in the slower moments.