Tips for Hand Quilting with Aurifil 12wt

Aurifil’s 12wt/2ply thread comes in all 270 of our Cotton colors and is wound on a red spool. It is the heaviest weight thread that we offer and is perfect for hand quilting your favorite projects.

• Use a quality hand needle that won’t break or bend during the process of hand quilting ensuring the eye of the needle is large enough to accommodate the heavier weight thread.  Consider a crewel or embroidery needle in size 5 or a chenille needle in size 24.  
• Avoid the thread getting fuzzy or weakened by threading the needle with a short length of thread, approximately 12-15”, or roughly the length of your forearm.  
• Stitch with the nap of the thread by knotting the last end cut and threading the needle with the opposite end.
• Use a sturdy quilt hoop to secure the layers of the project for stitching.
• Use an open-side thimble for ease of pushing the needle and thread through the quilt layers.