A few weeks ago I visited the Aurifilosophy—Education for the Love of Thread exhibit, organized by Karen L. Miller and sponsored by Aurifil. This exhibit was part of the quilt show associated with the 2019 International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston, Texas. The exhibit included works of more than 13 Aurifilosophers, designers, artisans, and makers who enthusiastically create and educate with Aurifil thread. Pieced, appliquéd, and fiber art quilts are beautifully enhanced when prepared, embellished, or quilted with various weights and colors of thread. The exhibit highlighted inspirational applications of thread.
As an Aurifilosopher and Aurifil Artisan, I was incredibly proud to have my 270 Colors quilt included in this exhibit. I was also really inspired by seeing many of the quilts in person. I am familiar with many of these quilts, as photos are included in the Aurifilosophy digital presentation, part of a thread education program I offer to quilt guilds and shops.
I was able to document all 15 quilts included in the exhibit. Unfortunately, the lighting in the show isn’t the best for photography.
Included in this virtual modern quilt show is a walkthrough video as well as both full and detail photos of all of the quilts. All descriptions were written by the makers.
If your quilt was in the show—congratulations! Please email me your Instagram link if it is not listed below. I’d be happy to include in this post.
Enjoy the show!
A video walkthrough the show (also, be sure to check out this in-depth video exhibit walkthrough narrated by Karen Miller):
!["270 Colors" by Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill Statement: "I designed and created a quilt for the Italian thread company, Aurifil, to commemorate and celebrate their tenth anniversary in the United States. The quilt features all 270 curent colors of Aurifil's 50wt thread" [Design Source: Aurifil 50wt large cotton thread spools | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_01_full-510x643.jpg)
Statement: “I designed and created a quilt for the Italian thread company, Aurifil, to commemorate and celebrate their tenth anniversary in the United States. The quilt features all 270 curent colors of Aurifil’s 50wt thread.” [Design Source: Aurifil 50wt large cotton thread spools | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]
Learn more about the design and making of 270 Colors here (there are also MUCH better photos!).
!["Wheel of Fortune" by Pat Sloan. Quilted by Cindy and Dennis Dickinson <br>Statement: "I wanted to do a Dresden block made up of trips of different widths. I had accumulated boxes of leftover sample strips for creating my round Dresden. Filling the center with a snazzy red polka dot, my Wheel of Fortune came to life." [Design Source: Aurifil 50wt large cotton thread spools | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_02_full-510x508.jpg)
Statement: “I wanted to do a Dresden block made up of strips of different widths. I had accumulated boxes of leftover sample strips for creating my round Dresden. Filling the center with a snazzy red polka dot, my Wheel of Fortune came to life.” [Design Source: Dresden Plates | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]
!["Diamonds in the Rough" by Christa Watson<br>Statement: "I often start in black and white so I can play with design without color getting in the way. More often than not, the black and white version takes on a life of its own and becomes a totally different design. It's completely made from half rectangle triangles. I used Aurifil 50wt cotton in black, white, and red, creating irregular geometric designs to enhance the modern aesthetic of the quilt.." [Design Source: Half rectangle blocks | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_03_full-510x653.jpg)
Statement: “I often start in black and white so I can play with design without color getting in the way. More often than not, the black and white version takes on a life of its own and becomes a totally different design. It’s completely made from half rectangle triangles. I used Aurifil 50wt cotton in black, white, and red, creating irregular geometric designs to enhance the modern aesthetic of the quilt.” [Design Source: Half rectangle blocks | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]
!["Aldebaran" by HollyAnne Knight<br>Statement: "Aldebaran star marks one side of the Winter Hexagon, an asterism that appears in the Southern sky during winter. Unlike the other stars in the shape, Aldebaran burns red, adding its own pop of color to the collection of fiery stars, just like the string wedge in this hexagon quilt! To quilt this piece, I enjoyed showing off Aurifil 50wt thread with lots of graffiti or doodle quilting to add texture and extra pops of hot pink, bearing futher homage to the Aldebaran star's reddish hue." [Design Source: Pieced hexies | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_04_full-510x680.jpg)
Statement: “Aldebaran star marks one side of the Winter Hexagon, an asterism that appears in the Southern sky during winter. Unlike the other stars in the shape, Aldebaran burns red, adding its own pop of color to the collection of fiery stars, just like the string wedge in this hexagon quilt! To quilt this piece, I enjoyed showing off Aurifil 50wt thread with lots of graffiti or doodle quilting to add texture and extra pops of hot pink, bearing futher homage to the Aldebaran star’s reddish hue.” [Design Source: Pieced hexies | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]
!["Finite Struggle... Infinite Hope" by Sarah Maxwell. Quilted by Sarabeth Rebe <br>Statement: "I capture the current partisan divide with stark black and white stripes. The idea of clinging to hope even when days are dark is represented by seemingly random lines of colored threads breaking up the dense quilting, ultimately coming together in a rainbow motif." [Design Source: "'We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.' –Martin Luther King Jr." | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_05_full-510x336.jpg)
Statement: “I capture the current partisan divide with stark black and white stripes. The idea of clinging to hope even when days are dark is represented by seemingly random lines of colored threads breaking up the dense quilting, ultimately coming together in a rainbow motif.” [Design Source: “‘We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.’ –Martin Luther King Jr.” | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]
!["Leaf & Berry" by Patricia Belyea <br>Statement: "The quilt design was created with five unrelated and lyrical quilt blocks where I played with color and design. The first block was the heart-shaped leaf on the bottom right. From there, I responded to the existing shapes and colors to make the next block. The dashed quilting was stitched with a Sashiko 2 machine." [Design Source: This was inspired by nature and an interest in exploring complex curved piecing. | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_06_full-510x637.jpg)
Statement: “The quilt design was created with five unrelated and lyrical quilt blocks where I played with color and design. The first block was the heart-shaped leaf on the bottom right. From there, I responded to the existing shapes and colors to make the next block. The dashed quilting was stitched with a Sashiko 2 machine.” [Design Source: This was inspired by nature and an interest in exploring complex curved piecing. | Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted]
!["A Promise Kept" by Lorraine Turner <br>Statement: "I met this white lion in a South African sanctuary in 2015. Although he no longer lives in the physical plane, this majestic soul visits me in meditation. His appearances tend to coincide with my wondering if my art is raining awareness of the endangered animals. Aurifil thread as well as alpaca, llama, and lamb's locks are blended into his magnificent mane and his whiskers are horsehair." [Design Source: Meditation visitations | Techniques: Hand embellished, felted, raw-edge appliqued, embroidered]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_07_full-510x510.jpg)
Statement: “I met this white lion in a South African sanctuary in 2015. Although he no longer lives in the physical plane, this majestic soul visits me in meditation. His appearances tend to coincide with my wondering if my art is raising awareness of the endangered animals. Aurifil thread, as well as alpaca, llama, and lamb’s locks, are blended into his magnificent mane and his whiskers are horsehair.” [Design Source: Meditation visitations | Techniques: Hand embellished, felted, raw-edge appliqued, embroidered]
!["Thread Journey" by Wendy Sheppard <br>Statement: "This quilt is made to commemorate my journey in domestic machine quilting. I used various subtle colors from a collection, Subtle Strings I curated for Aurifil, to demonstrate the concept of subtle contrast in quilting. The colors augment the overall look of my quilts, yet don't compete with the design." [Design Source: Original design | Techniques: Machine pieced, appliqued, and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_08_full-510x535.jpg)
Statement: “This quilt is made to commemorate my journey in domestic machine quilting. I used various subtle colors from a collection, Subtle Strings I curated for Aurifil, to demonstrate the concept of subtle contrast in quilting. The colors augment the overall look of my quilts, yet don’t compete with the design.” [Design Source: Original design | Techniques: Machine pieced, appliqued, and quilted]
!["Love is Spoken Here" by Annie Smith. Quilted by Lori Kennedy <br>Statement: "This quilt is symbolic of the love I have for my maternal grandmother, Gertrude Smith. I gre up wanting to be just like her. The flowers are symbolic of family members. The house stood in a cherry orchard. The cluster of golden poppies represents five generations of women born in California." [Design Source: Memories of my maternal grandmother's patio garden | Techniques: Machine pieced, appliqued, quilted and embellished]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_09_full-510x383.jpg)
Statement: “This quilt is symbolic of the love I have for my maternal grandmother, Gertrude Smith. I gre up wanting to be just like her. The flowers are symbolic of family members. The house stood in a cherry orchard. The cluster of golden poppies represents five generations of women born in California.” [Design Source: Memories of my maternal grandmother’s patio garden | Techniques: Machine pieced, appliqued, quilted and embellished]
!["Firelight Peony" by Barbara Persing <br>Statement: "This quilt is based on a photo I took at the Denver Botanical Gardens. The construction of this quilt is done with glue-basted-raw-edge applique. There is no fusible web in this quilt. All of the thread work was done with Aurifil 40wt and 50wt cotton thread. I used over 56 colors in this quilt." [Design Source: Personal photograph | Techniques: Machine appliqued and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_10_full-510x342.jpg)
Statement: “This quilt is based on a photo I took at the Denver Botanical Gardens. The construction of this quilt is done with glue-basted-raw-edge applique. There is no fusible web in this quilt. All of the thread work was done with Aurifil 40wt and 50wt cotton thread. I used over 56 colors in this quilt.” [Design Source: Personal photograph | Techniques: Machine appliqued and quilted]
!["A Quilter's Doodles Quilt" by Karen Miller <br>Statement: "A Quilter's Doodle Quilt was an experiment in color and composition—enhanced by Aurifil's 100% Egyptian cotton thread. The use of Moda Grunge fabrics paired with similarly colored Aurifil 28wt threads enabled endless creativity. Try doodle quilting with heavyweight threads to enhance your free motion quilting skills." [Design Source: Free motion doodle designs | Techniques: Hand appliqued and embellished, machine pieced and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_11_full-510x680.jpg)
Statement: “A Quilter’s Doodle Quilt was an experiment in color and composition—enhanced by Aurifil’s 100% Egyptian cotton thread. The use of Moda Grunge fabrics paired with similarly colored Aurifil 28wt threads enabled endless creativity. Try doodle quilting with heavyweight threads to enhance your free motion quilting skills.” [Design Source: Free motion doodle designs | Techniques: Hand appliqued and embellished, machine pieced and quilted]
!["2017 Designer of the Month Quilt" by Pat Sloan. Quilted by Carolina Asmussen <br>Statement: "Designers starting at the top block are:<br>Brenda Ratliff–Bright Sun Block<br>Vanessa Goertzen-Sunflower Power<br>Helen Stubbings-Basically Hugs<br>Heather Givans-Tall Trees<br>Janet Clare-Cat Applique<br>Amanda Murphy-Tight Rope<br>Maureen Cracknell-Dutch Treat<br>Melissa Corry-Scraptastic Stars<br>Sue Marsh-A New Direction<br>Mathew Boudreux-Faux Weave<br>Sarah Maxwell-Star Shine<br>Shruti Dandekar-Reverse Applique Block [Design Source: Quilt Sampler | Techniques: Hand appliqued, machine pieced and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_12_full-510x529.jpg)
Statement: Designers starting at the top block are:
Brenda Ratliff–Bright Sun Block
Vanessa Goertzen-Sunflower Power
Helen Stubbings-Basically Hugs
Heather Givans-Tall Trees
Janet Clare-Cat Applique
Amanda Murphy-Tight Rope
Maureen Cracknell-Dutch Treat
Melissa Corry-Scraptastic Stars
Sue Marsh-A New Direction
Mathew Boudreaux-Faux Weave
Sarah Maxwell-Star Shine
Shruti Dandekar-Reverse Applique Block
Find the patterns for all of the blocks here.
[Design Source: Quilt Sampler | Techniques: Hand appliqued, machine pieced and quilted]
!["Simply Spring Fleur Quilt" by Karen Miller <br>Statement: "This quilt is inspired by bright, beautiful fabric and enhanced by Aurifil 100% Egyptian cotton thread. Aurifil 50wt is versatile enough for precision piecing and delicate needleturn applique, yet strong enough for dense home machine quilting. Aurifil 12wt adds a sweet crochet touch to the fussy cut flowers." [Design Source: I love to let the fabric drive the design and quilting choices. | Techniques: Hand appliqued and embellished, machine pieced and quilted, crocheted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_13_full-510x519.jpg)
Statement: “This quilt is inspired by bright, beautiful fabric and enhanced by Aurifil 100% Egyptian cotton thread. Aurifil 50wt is versatile enough for precision piecing and delicate needle-turn applique, yet strong enough for dense home machine quilting. Aurifil 12wt adds a sweet crochet touch to the fussy cut flowers.” [Design Source: I love to let the fabric drive the design and quilting choices. | Techniques: Hand appliqued and embellished, machine pieced and quilted, crocheted]
!["Neoteric" by Sarah Thomas <br>Statement: "This quilt was developed using the fabric collection, Avant Garde, by Katarina Rocella as inspiration. It includes a range of techniques. Color theory, foundation paper piecing, applique, and translucency all play an important part in this pattern." [Design Source: Inspired by the fabric collection, Avant Garde, by Katarina Rocella | Techniques: Machine pieced, appliqued and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_14_full-510x548.jpg)
Statement: “This quilt was developed using the fabric collection, Avant Garde, by Katarina Rocella as inspiration. It includes a range of techniques. Color theory, foundation paper piecing, applique, and translucency all play an important part in this pattern.” [Design Source: Inspired by the fabric collection, Avant Garde, by Katarina Rocella | Techniques: Machine pieced, appliqued and quilted]
!["Folklore" by Amanda Murphy <br>Statement: "Folklore is a reflection of the exuberance and joy of folk art across cultures and across time. It expresses the joy of creating art while playing with scale, color, and texture. I used my Folk Art Fantasy fabric line for Contempo of Bernartex and a wide variety of Aurifil threads to create this piece. The applique border is inspired byt eh shapes I drew for the fabric line." [Design Source: Medallion quilts adn folk art | Techniques: Machine pieced, appliqued and quilted]](https://blog.wholecirclestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aurifil_exhibit_15_full-510x521.jpg)
Statement: “Folklore is a reflection of the exuberance and joy of folk art across cultures and across time. It expresses the joy of creating art while playing with scale, color, and texture. I used my Folk Art Fantasy fabric line for Contempo of Bernartex and a wide variety of Aurifil threads to create this piece. The applique border is inspired by the shapes I drew for the fabric line.” [Design Source: Medallion quilts and folk art | Techniques: Machine pieced, appliqued and quilted]
Want to increase your knowledge of thread, tools, and uses (and get lots of tips)?
Have your Guild or Shop host me to present my Aurifilosophy presentation and trunk show. From the thread makers of Aurifil, it’s a program designed to unlock the mystery of thread, educate the masses, and help all users achieve brilliant results! Plus, exclusive Aurifil resources and swag for attendees are included. Email me for details.
