Quilty Texture through Thread | Club Tissus x Shannon Fraser Designs Part 3
When I first started sewing, I knew very little about thread.
I knew even less about different thread weights, uses, fibers and brands.
Turns out, there’s a whole world focused just on the stringy stuff!
As my sewing and quilting journey evolved so too did my thread exploration. Plus, you know I have a soft spot for texture and thread is one of the fun ways I sneak quilty texture in!
Which is why I love sharing my love for Aurifil Thread. As you know, I’ve been lucky to be an Aurifil Artisan for the past 2 years and even I’ve been surprised by my continued learning just from a thread perspective.
Who knew thread could be so fuuuuun?! Ha!
It certainly was an unexpected love affair that really kicked off when I dove into hand stitching and quilting my own quilts at home.
The way a quilt gets quilted is a big design consideration for me, not an after thought.
Pictured above is the Shattered Star Table Runner that I quilted using 28wt Aurifil Thread. Pattern available in the shop.
I see it as an opportunity to enhance the quilt design. It could be subtle, it could be overt – either way, the thread you use and the way you use it in your quilts is another chance for you to make your quilt your own.
You probably think I’m weird when I get excited by seeing one of your completed quilt tops and my response is “Can’t wait to see her quilted up!”. That’s because I’m always so curious to see how you’ll continue to bring your own unique flare. I’ve been flat out amazed by some of the quilting I’ve seen, and it’s really encouraged me to continue to step outside my quilty comfort zone and explore new techniques and ideas.
Pictured above is my Which Way is Up quilt that I've entirely hand quilted using various Aurifil Thread weights, including: 12wt, 28wt and Aurifloss.
Pictured above is my first exploration with Aurifloss, a nice chunky weight thread that’s similar to embroidery floss. Summer Solstice Floral Mini art quilt is available in the shop.
When I first made the switch to Aurifil, I found it tough to source here in Montreal, but the options are opening up!
Club Tissus has recently added Aurifil Thread to their selection of notions and it looks like they’ve got several thread weights to choose from including: 12wt, 28wt, 80wt, 40wt and 50wt. I also spotted them in small and large spools 😊
You can hear more about why thread is so important to me in my quilting journey in Part 3 of my video collaboration with Club Tissus.
In case you missed it, here is a link to Part 1 – my quilt journey and Part 2 – a day in my studio.
Pictured above is the Pink Lemonade quilt I first machine quilted using 50wt and then big stitch hand quilted using 12wt Aurifil Thread. Pattern available in the shop.
For more thread inspiration, check out:
Happy quilting!
xo
Shannon
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I have a question. Is the Aurifil 12 weight the same as DMC perle cotton #12? I can’t get the DMC where I am, but we now have an Aurifil distributor who may be able to order the Aurifil 12 weight for me.
I recently switched to using Aurifil for my quilting projects and was amazed at how much smoother my stitches were than other threads I’ve used. I honestly haven’t thought much about thread and have exclusively used 50wt when piecing and quilting. I’m intrigued by your post…do you use a larger needle when you machine quilt with 40wt or 28wt?