When I found out I had been selected as a 2026 Aurifil Artisan, I was equal parts excited and honored. Aurifil has assembled an incredibly talented community of makers, quilters, artists, and sewists, and being welcomed into that group felt validating in a way that’s hard to put into words. Much of what I do has been learned through experimentation, trial and error, and a willingness to ask, “What happens if I try this?” Being invited to join this year’s Artisan team felt like encouragement to keep asking those questions.
When a box arrived at my door a few weeks later, the true excitement hit. Inside was enough thread to keep me busy for quite some time: thread weights ranging from delicate 80 wt all the way up to bold 12 wt, Aurifil’s Forty3 thread, floss, a color swatch book, fabric scraps, a tote bag, and a collection of thoughtfully chosen information and notebook materials. As excited as I was to dive in, I quickly realized I didn’t want to start with a finished project.
I wanted to experiment and imagine some possibilities. My first test was to see how all the different thread weights performed for machine appliqué, which is a technique I use the most frequently in my work. It gave me the best feel for how visible each stitch line was so that I could see how each thread changed the look and feel of the work.
The result was the beginning of what I’m calling my Aurifil sketchbook—a collection of samples, tests, and ideas that will grow throughout this year of experimenting and learning.
Very quickly, one thread kept drawing me back: Forty3. I love visible stitching and texture. I love when construction becomes part of the design itself. Forty3 seemed to strike a balance I wasn’t expecting. So I decided to see what it would do on denim and jersey . It turns out that it was substantial enough to create beautiful, obvious stitch lines while still sewing remarkably well through layers of fabric, so the plan for my first Aurifil project became clear. I have been playing around with the idea of using my smaller denim scraps to give a ‘sea glass quilt’ effect on an article of clothing for quite some time, but this thread seemed like the perfect way to pull this project together.
The original vision was always denim layered onto black jersey. I wanted the softness and drape of the jersey, but I also knew jersey can be notoriously tricky to work with. To keep the denim pieces in place, I used Pellon Wonder-Under Stretch, which gave me just enough stability without sacrificing the lightweight feel of the fabric.
Then I loaded Forty3 in the top of my machine, paired it with 40 wt in the bobbin, and started stitching. What began as a thread test quickly became a finished garment.
The shirt is made from dozens of small pieces of upcycled denim arranged into a geometric mosaic and connected through layers of visible stitching. What surprised me most was how beautifully the Forty3 thread performed on the jersey base. The stitches remained crisp and visible, adding movement and texture while holding everything together.
In many ways, this project feels like the perfect beginning to my year as an Aurifil Artisan.
I opened the welcome package expecting to explore new threads. Instead, I found myself exploring new possibilities. If these first experiments are any indication, it’s going to be a very fun year.
I’m looking forward to seeing where next month’s challenge leads.