Aurifil Artisans 2025
Aurifil has been a fun and meaningful part of my quilting journey from the beginning, and I’m always excited for new opportunities to collaborate together. This year, I’m excited to be part of the 2025 Aurifil Artisan Team!
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I’ve worn many hats with Aurifil over the years: they’ve supported charity projects I led, been my go-to thread for almost a decade (I often joke that I’m in a deeply monogomous relationship with Aurifil 50wt thread because I use it so much), I was an Artisan in 2018, became an Aurifilosopher in 2020 (you can book a thread talk for your guild here), and an Aurifil Designer in 2021.
This year, I’m returning to the Aurifil Artisans, and I am so excited to collaborate with my fellow makers as well as my favorite thread company!
The Aurifil Artisans are a selected team of makers who spend the year stretching their creativity and use of thread. I reapplied to the team this year because I want to be challenged to use threads beyond my beloved 50wt, and because I wanted to explore making new kinds of projects in addition to quilts. I’m sure I’ll be doing plenty of piecing and custom quilting this year, but I want to spend some of the Artisan challenges going beyond my comfort zone.
First Project: The Violet Backpack
To kick off the year, I thought I’d use a variety of threads on a project that uses my favorite technique (free motion quilting) but also has some growth elements. I made The Violet Backpack by Knot & Thread, and I am incredibly pleased with how it turned out. Kaitlyn’s directions are delightfully clear, and this bag is such a fun size! It’s perfect for a kiddo to carry their water/ snack/ other little belongings or for a grown person like me to carry my water/ snack/ and other belongings!
I used a Ruby Star Society Canvas from Alexia Abegg’s Ooh Lucky Lucky line– perfect because it looks pieced without any bulky seams. I free motion quilted my fabric to Soft & Stable using Aurifil 50wt 3817 (officially named Marrakesh, but affectionally known by me as Unicorn Poo). It’s a bold thread, but it was a perfect blend for this similarly bold fabric.
I assembled my Violet backpack with Aurifil 40wt 4093 for stronger stitches and more visible topstitching (read more about 40wt vs 50wt here). This wasn’t my first backpack or first bag with a gusset or even first bag with curved shaping, but it was fun to bring all those skills together.
Finally, I was chuffed to have an excuse to finally use one of my adorable Ruby Star Society patches and play with Aurifil Lana Wool thread in 8865. I’m not much of of a hand-stitcher, so this was my first time stitching a blanket stitch. I love the extra detail and texture the satiny patch and slight fuzz of the thread add to my bag!
Final Thoughts
Working with Aurifil is always a fun and growing experience. I can’t wait to see what other projects I tackle and play with this year! In the meanwhile, be sure to check out the whole cohort of amazing Artisans on the AuriBuzz blog and follow all my fun on Instagram @stringandstory!
Resources
BLOG: Choosing Thread Colors
Public Speaking: Book an Aurifilosophy lecture for your guild or group
SHOP: Buy Aurifil in our shop
