Introducing Tim Holtz for Aurifil

We’ve admired Tim Holtz for a long time— that vintage-inspired eye, the way he pulls salvaged ephemera and forgotten typography into something entirely his own. So when our friend Debbie Stark at FreeSpirit Fabrics mentioned last year that we should talk, we didn’t need much convincing. Debbie had nothing but praise for Tim, both for his range and for his spirit as a collaborator. She thought we’d make a good match. We got on a call, and it didn’t take long for me to know she was right.

What struck me first was Tim’s command of color and pattern— the way he draws from wildly different mediums and turns them into something expressive, layered, and completely cohesive. That’s no small feat across a portfolio spanning distress, stamps, inks, paper crafts, tools, and dies, plus a long-running fabric partnership with FreeSpirit. What sealed it for me, though, was Tim himself: his enthusiasm and willingness to just dive in. It’s exactly the energy we love bringing into the Aurifil family.

We’re thrilled that we get to be the first new brand partnership Tim has added to his portfolio in over a decade. That’s landing in two collections: Palette, 12 Large Spools of Aurifil Cotton 50wt (in stores now!), coordinating with Tim’s Palette range for FreeSpirit; and Timeworn, arriving in December 2026 with 10 Small Spools of Aurifil Cotton 28wt in our Mini Storage Case, built to pair with his brand-new Cotton Duck Cloth collection, a heavier substrate opening the door to book-making, bags, jackets, and more.

Two collections, two distinct thread weights, one unmistakable point of view. I sat down with Tim to talk about where his creative journey started, how he thinks about color across such a sprawling portfolio, and what drew him to Aurifil after a decade of building everywhere else. Here’s what he had to say.

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Hi Tim! We are so excited to welcome you into the Aurifil family and are grateful for your time today! Let’s dive right in…  Have you always considered yourself an artist? Where did that creative passion first take root, and what mediums drew you in early on?
I am excited to be part of the Aurifil family and happy to share my story.

I’ve really never considered myself an artist, not even today. If I had to define it I would say I’m more of a creative than anything else. Growing up, I always had a vivid imagination and loved making things. I was lucky to have the most amazing art teacher in grade school who encouraged us to embrace our ideas and trust the creative process. I don’t think there was any certain medium that drew me in until much later in life.

How did you first find your way into design as a career?
Believe it or not, my initial career goal was to become an Accountant. Needless to say, that didn’t work out for me. After high school I worked in retail and restaurants until 1998 when I took a job at a local Ben Franklin Crafts store. Shortly after, I learned about rubber stamping and mixed-media and became instantly hooked. For the next 5 years I attended craft + hobby trade shows with Ben Franklin which is where I met Ranger, a manufacturer of inks. In 2003 Ranger asked if I would demo for them at the trade show which I did, and I loved it. A month after returning to work, Ranger offered me a full-time job traveling and teaching product education for them.

Within the first few months my love for all things vintage sparked an idea that I presented to Ranger. I described to them an ink with water reactive properties that would make things look old and weathered. In 2004 I released my first ever product line with Ranger called Distress Ink, which consisted of 1 black and 5 brown ink pads. Now 22 years later, those 6 colors are a palette of 72 colors in over 25 different product categories from inks, paints, powders, fabrics and now even thread! I guess my art teacher was right, trust the creative process for sure.

Can you share more about what inspires you and what drives your creative process?
I’ve always been inspired by vintage things. The faded colors and timeworn finishes hold a story just waiting to be told again. My creative process is definitely influenced by elements of the past. I’m always on the hunt for lost and forgotten things. I look at something and see a cool color, texture, or element to be salvaged and turned into a product of some sort.

You have such incredible range across stamps, inks, paper crafts, tools, and fabric— does your process usually start with one core idea that fans out, or does it look different every time? Are you intentional in how all of the elements connect from the get go, or is it more of an evolution?
My career started with Distress, so other products I’ve designed have definitely been influenced by their crossover ability. Rubber stamps, papers, fabrics and tools were all designed to work with Distress, and have played an important role in the on going success of the line. From the vintage design style of a stamp, the use of actual vintage ephemera for papers and fabrics, to the specific function of a tool or medium. It’s inspiring to see the wonderful things people create with all of these different products cohesively.

What does a typical design day actually look like for you?
I don’t really have a typical day, and I’m sure like most creatives I wish there was more time to make. I try to keep the balance of work/meeting stuff to a minimum compared to the designing/creative stuff. It’s a challenge for sure, and some days are tougher than others, but I’m grateful to be able to do what I love.

Scrapbooking and paper craft are such a different medium from fiber… How do you combine the two and how do they hold unique spaces within your creative vision?
After 8 years in the paper craft industry, I was approached by Westminster Fibers asking me if I ever considered putting my paper designs on fabric. I was so curious and excited about the opportunity and possibilities that could be explored. In 2012 we launched Eclectic Elements, a collection of cotton fabrics inspired by my papers. To be totally honest, I was absolutely terrified to launch this since I’m not a quilter and don’t even sew much. My fear quickly subsided when I learned how many makers I knew not only quilted, but had a passion for sewing long before paper crafting. It was clear to me that these two mediums could actually thrive off one another.

We still can’t quite believe we get to be the first new collaboration added to your portfolio in a decade! How do you see this partnership fitting alongside the rest of your product world?
Are you kidding? It’s such an honor to partner with Aurifil. Since my first product release in 2004 with Ranger, I have been fortunate to work with some of the industry’s most amazing brands and manufacturers. I currently design for 7 different brands which include Ranger, Advantus/idea-ology, Sizzix, Stampers Anonymous, Tonic Studios, FreeSpirit and now the renowned Aurifil. My partnerships have always been intentional, that each brand specializes in something that works well with everything else, and Aurifil is no exception. 

You have not one, but two new releases hitting stores this year. Palette, the first, features 12 Large Spools of our Cotton 50wt and Timeworn incorporates 10 Small Spools of Cotton 28wt thread. What were your thoughts around creating these two distinct collections and how do you see them complementing each other? 
How cool to have the opportunity to release two thread collections this year. Palette is inspired by the year-long fabric collection of quilting cotton and canvas cloth I released with FreeSpirit. It consists of 130 designs in 12 distinct color palettes each with various shades and tones. The opportunity to curate coordinating threads for this collection in 12 large spools of Cotton 50wt is amazing. Later this year I’m releasing Timeworn with FreeSpirit, a heavy weight Cotton Duck in 36 colors inspired by the colors of Distress. The new Timeworn thread collection has 10 small spools of cotton 28wt. I chose this weight specifically since it sews perfectly through the heavy weight 10oz Cotton Duck, and it’s also great for paper crafters.

How do you see yourself using each in your own work? Would you find yourself reaching more for the 50wt or the 28wt?
I guess you can say this is where my personal sewing comes into play. I definitely like to sew on cards, tags and journals so the thicker 28wt thread will definitely be more of my go to. I really love the texture it gives and how it shows up on my makes. It’s perfect for book binding as well as securing embellishments, and I can’t wait to use it with the Cotton Duck.  Of course if I get better at sewing things with fabric, you can bet I’ll be using the 50wt Palette thread, the colors are perfect.

As a maker with such a wide range of artistic mediums, how do you think your customers will use these threads? Do you see the 50wt being used in new ways in the context of paper craft and the 28wt pulled into quilting and apparel construction? 
When I shared the announcement on YouTube I was blown away by all of the incredible ideas and excitement being shared in the chat. People were talking about quilting, making totes, cards, journals, sewing through fabrics, papers, vellum and even mixed-media uses. There’s no question Aurifil is a loved brand, and both of these thread collections definitely sparked creativity. I can’t wait to see them showing up on different projects. 

With such a wide range of hues to pull from, how did you approach narrowing down and selecting colors for these collections? 
This was so difficult to narrow down. I struggled with which colors to do in 50wt vs. which colors to do in 28wt. I knew I wanted to select a complete color range for each collection that had a vintage/weathered vibe without choosing all browns (old habits). I reached out to my friend Richele who has been quilting and sewing with my fabrics from the start, and she helped me make the final choices.

Timeworn coordinates with FreeSpirit’s brand new Cotton Duck Cloth, a substrate that didn’t exist yet when you started. What was it like designing for something entirely new?
I’ve been asking FreeSpirit for a heavy weight canvas material for many years. The challenge was they needed to find a factory that could manufacture this substrate while achieving the color variation and imperfections my designs have. I was so thrilled when FreeSpirit told me the news they found one. We wanted this collection to be functional, colorful, definitely Timeworn and I knew just the color palette to create it in…Distress! 

The Small Spool set will be only the second collection ever offered in Aurifil’s Mini Storage Case… what appealed to you about that packaging?
As a creative I love to collect products just like everyone else, and storage is always a challenge. When we were discussing both thread collections I loved the idea of storage cases for each of them. I’m so happy Aurifil said yes giving makers the benefit of creative convenience where supply meets solution. 

Out of everything you create, across every medium, what are your absolute favorites to make?
I genuinely don’t have a favorite thing to make. I guess that’s why I just consider myself a creative vs. a maker. It’s important to keep the spark of imagination going by doing something creative everyday even if you only have a few minutes to do it. I enjoy experimenting with inks and other mediums to discover new techniques. It might not result in actually “making” anything, in fact it usually doesn’t and I’m ok with that. It still makes me happy.

After a career this expansive, is there a particular thread (pun intended) you hope people take away from your work? Something that connects all of it?
I hope people recognize that we are all creatives in our own unique way. Whatever you like to make, make it. Whenever you find the time, take it. Don’t stress over it, enjoy it. Creativity is supposed to be fun. We are surrounded by inspiration, it’s simply a matter of allowing yourself to see it. I truly believe perspective creates possibility.