80 Is My New Favorite Number

Aurifil 80 weight thread, I love you. Your super-thin yet strong fibers have turned my only-average applique stitching into awesomely beautiful work. Normally, I use Aurifil 50 weight for applique, with no complaints, simply because it's easy to find. But my stitches are often visible, even when I REALLY pay attention and try to hide them. In my new project, I'm trying out Aurifil 80 weight, and....well, let me show you what I mean:

That's 80 weight on the left and 50 weight on the right. Sort of like spider web fiber versus rope! And here's what it looks like once stitched:

Try as I might, I can only see about 2 of the scores of stitches along the edges of these bias strips. This photo was taken from 2 inches away from the work, about the same distance that critical busybody at your quilting group will get to it during show and tell. What I'm trying to say is, 80 weight changes everything! Here's what to look for at your local quilt shop:

That's the 80 weight on the left. I'll still be buying 50 weight for piecing (Aurifil rules), but for applique, it's 80 weight all the way!

I'm a very fortunate quilter, as the Fat Quarter Shop sent me this 80 weight collection to try out. The spring green and all its little friends will be getting a workout on the Friends Sampler, for sure!