Documenting a year of stitches as a new Aurifil Artisan for 2026

In April 2026, I found out that I had been accepted into the Aurifil Artisan Program. To say I was excited doesn’t really explain the happiness I felt! This is my first year as an Artisan, so I am learning as I go and discovering what the program is all about. But I can already share a few things about the experience.

The Artisan Program is open to anyone who would like to apply, and I believe the application process usually starts around January or February. Acceptance emails are sent in April. This year was my second year applying, so I was especially thrilled to receive the good news!

The program consists of participating in at least four of the twelve challenges that Aurifil gives the Artisans throughout the year. Each month, there is a new challenge for us to explore. As ambassadors for the company, we promote Aurifil threads through the various projects we create and share on social media, websites, and blogs. We can also request threads to work with, and each Artisan gets the opportunity to take over Aurifil’s Instagram for a weekend, where we can showcase some of the work we have made with their threads.

It seems like a really fun year full of creativity, experimentation, and, of course, lots of thread, so I am very happy to be part of the team!

I decided that I wanted to journal my way through the year by writing a blog post about each challenge I complete. I love the idea of being able to go back one day and see all the projects, ideas, and creativity from this year in one place, while also being able to share the process with people beyond my social media accounts.

So, here I start!

June — The Welcome Kit

June was about doing something with the welcome kit Aurifil sent us, so I decided to test each of the threads in the kit by making a stitch sampler.

I used a black background so I could see how the colors would pop, and I used the same kinds of stitches for each color. The result was so neat, and I learned so much about how the different weights of thread looked and behaved.

I decided to repeat the same stitches, this time on a beige background, and it was also fascinating to see the difference in how the colors looked against the lighter background.

I enjoyed this project very much. After I finished, I found myself intrigued by the 80 wt thread—the thinnest of all the threads in my sampler. I knew I wanted to come back to it and see what I could create with such a delicate thread.

Here is a link to a YouTube video about the June Challenge:

Video June Challenge

July — Scraps of Fabric

The July challenge was about using scraps of fabric. Aurifil sent us a bag with tiny strips of fabric from FreeSpirit, beautiful cottons in bright colors.

At first, I wasn’t sure what I was going to make with them, but I eventually decided to use them to make a bag.

I divided the strips by similar color tones and then joined them with other scraps of solid-colored fabrics to add even more pops of color. I used linen for the background and did wavy free-motion quilting by hand.

I like to give my bags a different look on the front and back, so I created a different design for the back. I had lots of fun playing with different colors and thread weights throughout the project.

For this challenge, I used 12, 28, 40, and 50 wt threads.

I am enjoying this first year as an Aurifil Artisan and, most of all, I am enjoying the opportunity to experiment with threads I might not otherwise have chosen. I’m curious to see where the next challenge takes me!

Find below a link to a video on my YouTube channel explaining a little about the process for making this bag.

Video July Challenge

August — Slowing Down, Hand Stitching, and a Favorite Thread

The August challenge was about slowing down, using hand stitches, and working with a favorite thread.

I had this idea of using 80 wt thread for hand embroidery. It was all an experiment, with just a vision in my head as this weight of thread is not usually used for hand embroidery. I’m glad I gave it a try because I love the delicate effect this thread creates. To be honest, I had never used this weight of thread before receiving it in my welcome package. After making my sampler of stitches in June, I knew I was going to return to it for a project, so here it is: very delicate leaves and a stem on a black wool-blend background.

I loved the process so much. I listened to classical music as I stitched and felt that the delicate stitches matched the soothing music perfectly. It also gave me time to slow down and reflect on so many things.

I first drew my design using a sliver of soap. This is my go-to alternative to fabric chalk because it disappears with the steam from the iron. Then I started embroidering, line by line. At first, it was a little difficult, but the more I stitched, the better I became at guiding the needle and thread.

I was not looking for perfect stitches, but rather to explore, experiment, and learn. And I think that is one of the things I am enjoying most about being an Aurifil Artisan: having these monthly challenges encourage me to slow down, try something new, and simply see where my stiches take me.