Sew it With Aurifil

Hello, I'm Trudi and you can usually find me blogging over at Quilting Prolifically, where there is either copious amounts of quilting or fabric buying going on!

So, Lynne asked for ideas of how to use the Bari J Splendor 1920 12wt box of Aurifil Threads, and immediately I knew it had to be something that was free motion quilted, no piecing, just letting the thread do the talking!  As I just happened to have acquired a fat quarter bundle or two of the full range of Splendor 1920, I was not short of inspiration.

First thing was to order in the supplies, a little Art Gallery Fabric Pure Elements in Nocturnal (fabulous name for a colour don't you think?),

some needles, and I chose the Superior Threads Titanium coated needles which I got from Justine at Simply Solids.  I have used these on the frame before, and know they were definitely perfect as this is a pack containing a range of needle sizes, perfect for a task like this where I'll be using different weights of thread

some additional Aurifil Mako 50 wt in # 2784 to match the Nocturnal

some fusible fleece - oooh, if you haven't tried it, do, it was a revelation for me!

There is one particular fabric that kept catching my eye, so I used this as the inspiration, but I decided I needed to practice the pattern first before tackling it ...

It also meant I could have a good play with all the colours in the box too!  Just like a new box of crayons!

so, once I was happy, I set about making my cushion.  What, a cushion? I hear you shout!  I know, but this needed to be a manageable project ...

... fused the fleece to the Nocturnal, and added a backing fabric, pinning round the edges to hold the layers together ...

and set to with the machine ... I used a 16/100 size needle for the FMQing, as in my experience you need the eye of the needle to be 3 times the width of the thread to allow it to move through smoothly and unhindered.  These top stitch needles have a longer eye and a deeper groove in the shaft to accommodate the thread ...

It didn't take too long before the front of the cushion was done ... and I was having way too much fun, so I changed my needle to 10/70 a very fine needle and the thread to the 50 wt Aurifil... and duly quilted the back too.

Thanks to the marvellous (and might I say, very timely)  tutorials on cushions by Katy, I was able to create my cushion in no time at all!

I do love Aurifil, and it is my choice of thread for piecing at 50 wt all the time.  I must say, that these 12 wt threads behaved beautifully in the machine, I used a 50 wt Aurfil in the bobbin and only reduced the top tension to compensate for the thread thickness.  The colours are just stunning and vibrant against the Nocturnal Art Gallery Fabric, and the sheen on the thread makes the whole project just
shine.

I'm really rather pleased with my cushion, I knew these Aurifil threads would not disappoint, and they don't.

Thanks to Lynne for having such faith in me for the giveaway, and to Aurifil threads for making the job of a quilter so much easier and more beautiful. Thanks also to Bari J for providing the inspiration too!