A brand new month brings a brand new Aurifil Artisan challenge, and this one is a joyful celebration of resourcefulness: it’s time to Get Scrappy! This July, our Artisans dug deep into their scrap bins, unearthed forgotten fabric treasures, and transformed leftover fragments into something spectacular, proof that some of the most inventive projects begin with what’s already in our stash.
The brief was beautifully simple: turn fabric leftovers into something new, using any Aurifil thread weight, and let creativity lead the way. Whether through bold patchwork, delicate appliqué, intricate piecing, or unexpected new forms, our Artisans embraced the challenge with real ingenuity, and many reached for the exclusive scrap bundle tucked into their Artisan Welcome Pack. The result is a showcase brimming with colour, texture, and the quiet magic of scrap quilting done with love.
To every Artisan who took part this month, thank you for sharing your vision, your resourcefulness, and your scrap-savvy brilliance. You’ve shown, once again, just how much beauty a little leftover fabric and a lot of creativity can create.
Linzi Conway
Making use of scrap fabric and colourful Aurifil threads to create ‘scrappy birds & flowers’ for mini artworks for cards and framing.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt: 1231, 1147, 2785, 2582, 4660
Jess Wheelahan
The Aurifil artisan challenge for this month was to ‘get scrappy’! I’ve made this knitted bag from the tiny strips in the scrap pack from my welcome box, to which I added strips of scrap silk satin. I painstakingly turned all of these into tubes, then rouleau! This was a new-to-me skill, and I learnt heaps of tricks for turning out these teeny-narrow tubes. Once joined, I experimented with both knit and crochet and decided to knit the bag. The handles were bought in Japan aeons ago! It’s very satisfying to make something pretty and useful from nothing!
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt black for piecing tubes.
Sofia Natty
I finally got to bring an idea to life that I’ve been concocting since June 2025, when I started saving every thread scrap from my first year as an Aurifil Artisan. I stitched the scraps between fabric and water-soluble stabilizer using Aurifil’s monofilament thread, then dissolved it away to reveal an entirely new piece of fabric made from those colorful leftovers. I also put together a couple of little tutorials over on Instagram, so check them out if you’d like to see the process!
Aurifil Thread used: Aurifil Nylon Monofilament and thread scraps from the previous Aurifil Artisan season. All and any color/weight.
Amy Freyn
For the Aurifil Artisan July Challenge, we were tasked with “Let’s Get Scrappy”. I used the Free Spirit scrap bundle (that is available from Aurifil in limited bundles) to make some much-needed coasters for my home.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt 2882
Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir
Aurifil’s commitment to sustainability is very dear to my heart and a big part of why I’m so proud to call myself an Artisan this year. 💙 Our challenge this month was to create something from this scrap bundle that arrived in our Welcome Box. Luckily, I recently saw a wonderful reel that the artist Gul E Raana shared on how to make Gindi embroidery beads. It seemed like the perfect match. I started making them with cotton floss (2912 & 6734), but then switched to 12-weight cotton because I couldn’t resist these gorgeously bright colors (1100, 2810 & 2120). These scrap bundles are such a wonderful way to celebrate sustainability, and there are so many fun ways to play with them!
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton Floss 2912, 6734; Cotton 12wt 1100, 2120 & 2810
Katrina Brosan
As someone with many baskets filled with scrap solid cottons, I was delighted with July’s scrap challenge. I was inspired by risograph art prints to make this repeating transparent triangle design for a quilted wall hanging. To get the design accurate, I created my own paper piecing templates. I machine quilted with my favorite Tula Pink neon 50wt thread, and finished it up by hand quilting with matching 12wt wool and cotton thread.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt 7001 (machine quilting); Cotton 12wt 7001, 4020, 2725, 2860, 7002, 1320, 8875; Wool 12wt 8891, 8348, 8220, 8520, 8260, 8740
Andrea Sauer
I made two mini quilts for this challenge using the colorful scrap bundle that came in the Welcome Package. I used the fabric scraps for appliqué and worked with different thread weights: 50wt, 40wt, and monofilament for the appliqué; 80wt for sewing the binding; and Forty 3 (my new favorite) for quilting! This just goes to show once again how much creativity can be found even in the tiniest scraps of fabric. I just love turning scraps into something new and special!
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt 2310, 1147, 1320, 5017, 4660; Cotton 80wt 2479; Cotton 40wt 4129; Cotton Forty3 2600 & Nylon Monofilament
Janine Heschl
I’m happiest stitching photorealistic wildlife, but our prompt was all about scraps. So this time, I let the fabrics lead the way and tried not to over-embroider everything… which is surprisingly hard when you’re a perfectionist. Every feather is built from Freespirit fabrics offcuts, held together with free-motion embroidery and finished with a sculptural 3D crest.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt and Cotton 40wt
Sarah Ruth Morris
I used pink scraps of fabric to create scrappy improv courthouse steps blocks as my base for my next art quilt. I used my Aurifil cone thread to piece, but I’ll be using my favorite 8 wt in various shades of pink to hand quilt and needle turn hand appliqué.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt 2021
Jessica Jones
Using colourful Kaffe Fassett fabric scraps from my Aurifil Artisan scrap bundle, I collaged the petals with fabric decoupage glue to create this botanical mini quilt. Watercolour-painted calico and a scrappy flanged binding complete the piece, while the project gave me the perfect opportunity to explore three Aurifil thread weights, including Lana Wool, a thread I’d been eager to try!
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 80wt: 2692; 12wt Wool 8540, 8520 and Cotton 50wt 2605
Lileny Salazar Ulloa
This is my final piece for the Get Scrappy challenge with Aurifil this month. It became little windows.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 12wt 2784, 2720, 1104, 2240, 4020, 5021; Cotton 28wt 2240, 2445; Cotton 40wt 2735, 1148; Cotton 50wt 1147
Emily Ullo Steigler
For my July challenge, I layered confetti scraps beneath tulle, quilted them together, and turned a pile of leftovers into a jacket and one of my favourite pieces yet!
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 12wt 2835; Cotton 28wt 2140; pieced with Cotton 50wt
Sashanna Hart
I don’t usually use fabric in the colors and sizes that the Aurifil scrap bags specialize in, so I was worried about being able to utilize them. Ultimately, the challenge was so good for me, because not only was I successful in creating some really beautiful gifts that I will be happy to give, I also was incredibly satisfied with the process. These reusable crackers and magic wands bring me so much joy, just looking at them. If you want to make your own, the patterns are in Twig and Tale’s Celebrating Ebook. They are great for using up scraps of all kinds!
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt 1147
Shelley Colton
Shelley Colton | Hex Appeal: An Improv Scrappy Circle Bag. When my Aurifil Artisan welcome package arrived, I was inspired to transform the colourful fabric scraps into something both practical and beautiful. I improv pieced a wonky hexagon to create the focal point of a circular crossbody bag, using Aurifil Mako 50 wt threads in colours 4093, 4020 and 1147 for precise piecing, construction and topstitching. The teal Mora faux leather and glitter piping add the perfect finishing touch and a little extra pizzazz.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt 4093, 1147 and 4020
Angèle Kuy
I went with a quick and easy make that did not require a sewing machine: a headband. I handsewed two strips of FreeSpirit fabric together. Then I used my 0,5 mm hook to crochet a lacy edge with white Aurifil thread. The white goes really well with the blue fabric I chose and pops out on my dark hair.
Aurifil Thread used: Forty3 2024
Andreia Cabral
I used a small portion of the Free Spirit fabrics scrap bundle, offered for this challenge, mixed with some of my scraps, and I made, entirely by hand, this miniature mossy patchwork quilt. (I don’t know if I can call it that; among connoisseurs, I’m not familiar with the terminology, and I am sure there is a better technical term) Anyway, I really had a blast making this 11 cm octagon, about 4 inches, and it will be the cover of a sampler book I’m planning to make next, for which I already made one page, and I’m working on a few more. Usually, my scraps consist mainly of strips and small triangles of linen and cotton, plain, unpatterned ones, mostly white or cream, and to stay true to my reality, I made a Ginkgo branch, something I regularly create using my fabric scraps. For both projects, I used the same two Aurifil greens: 1147 (50wt) and 2890 (40wt), plus 4644 (8wt) for the darker moss… I’m only saying this to illustrate a thought: we don’t need a ton of supplies to make something. These are not floss, and, still, different proportions of thread through the eye of my needle and a wide range of green shades were achieved for the moss and for the branch.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt 1147; Cotton 40wt 2890; Cotton 8wt 4644, 2000
Isabel Wilder
How fun it was to turn scraps of fabric into a cute bag with lots of color and textures.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 28, 40, 12 and 50
Hope Talbot Waller
I wove together the gorgeous scraps from my welcome pack, and ironed them onto some base fabric using bondaweb. I then quilted them using Cotton 12wt thread and sewed up some little zipped coin purses. I loved working with the super bright and cheerful patterns!
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 12wt 2870; Cotton 50wt 2860
Julia Crook
For the scrap challenge this month, I decided to use some off-cuts of silk fabrics to create an experimental piece inspired by the sun. In the UK, we have had four extremely hot heatwaves this year. I tried to capture the strong sun shining in the sky. For this, I used 5 Aurifil thread colours combined with machine stitching and hand work to build a textured stitched surface. I used 50w and 28w threads which worked really well together, particularly for layering up the stitching.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt 2324, 5022, 4655, 2214; Cotton 28wt 2770.
Mira Jones
I was so happy to see the ‘Let’s get scrappy’ challenge back as upcycling leftover fabrics is something close to my heart! For this quilted laptop sleeve, I decided to go for a denim collage and added in fabric strips from our Welcome Pack as fun pops of colour. For added texture, I enjoyed experimenting with three different Aurifil thread weights and a variety of embroidery stitches.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt 2535,1135; Cotton 40wt 2150, 2525 and Cotton 28wt 4182
Chloe Cuff
I absolutely love working with scraps but even I was a bit intimidated by just how skinny the scraps in the Aurifil scrap bag. But then, inspiration struck and I decided to use the challenge this month to practice my skinny line piecing techniques. I had no idea that this would turn into an entire quilt top, but here we are!
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt 2311
Barbie Mitchell
I had so much fun playing with the FreeSpirit Fabric Scrap Bundles this month that I couldn’t stop at just one project! With my scraps, I created an owl pincushion to serve as my travel companion – I strip pieced the scraps on my Bernina using 50wt (with my go-to machine piecing colour 2612), along with a DIY ring thimble made using scrap cardboard and fabrics, using 8 & 12wt threads for a functional embellishment.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 50wt 2612 machine piecing owl; Cotton 8wt & Cotton 12wt for thimbles.
Cotton 8wt 1148 & 5002 for ring tutorial on reel
Francesca Kemp
Moths and Butterflies of the British Isles: Creating Embroidered Brooches from Fabric Scraps
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton 80wt 4241; Cotton 40wt 2692; Cotton 28wt 2710; Cotton 50wt 5014; Cotton 40wt 2725, 2311
Tamara Darragh
I transformed the Free Spirit Fabrics scrap bundle from my Aurifil Artisan Box into a hand-stitched basket. The cord was created from long strips of leftover quilt batting wrapped with fabric scraps and coordinating Aurifil thread, then coiled and hand-stitched in place using a long darning needle.
Aurifil Thread used: Cotton Floss 1154, 2725, 2479, 2515, 2445, 2245; Cotton 8wt 1231, 2510; Cotton 12wt 2479
We encourage you to click through and take a closer look at each Artisan’s brilliant take on this challenge, from inspired unboxings to first makes that highlight the possibilities of thread and fabric. And of course, a huge THANK YOU to our 2026 Aurifil Artisan team. Your creativity, curiosity, and enthusiasm shine through already, and we’re so grateful to have you on this journey with us!