A Bouquet of Tulips

This month's Aurifil Artisan challenge was to feature your favorite Aurifil thread weight! I didn't even have to think about it! I absolutely love the 50wt!! I use it for piecing, machine applique, free-motion quilting (on both my domestic and longarm!), stitching on binding...

It took a bit longer to think about what I wanted to make. More sunshine is happening these days, and I've really been admiring the tulips blooming around our neighborhood. That was just the inspiration I needed to make a mini quilt!

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I got out my stash of Island Batik fabrics that already have fusible web on them. They're a mix between Heat-N-Bond Lite and Lite Steam-A-Seam 2.

I also found my piece of clear vinyl. It's meant for a table cloth cover or something, but I use it for fun sewing projects! (Here's the last time I used it!) I got 1/3 yard of it cut off the roll behind the cutting counter at my local Wal-Mart.

Then I got started cutting out the shapes! I first made a jar from very light blue. I also cut the same jar shape from the clear vinyl.

Then cut stems, leaves, and Easter eggs tulips!

I had a light-colored scrap among my Island Batik fabrics that was the perfect size!

After fusing the fabrics in place, I layered a piece of Hobbs' Thermore batting under it.

Next it was time to free-motion quilt/applique with some 50wt Aurifil thread! I chose #2692 Black to outline each of the flowers.

Then I placed the clear vinyl over the outline of the jar and added a bit more free-motion work to outline the jar.

Here's the view from the back! I didn't want to put the backing fabric on before this, as I didn't want to have to bury all the threads from the starts/stops!

I trimmed up the mini quilt to 9" x 12" and cut a fabric scrap the same size for the back. Then I switched to Aurifil 50wt Pine #2892 and machine stitched on the binding (tutorial for that here)!

No quilting or stitches show on the back, so it looks nice and finished!

Do you have a favorite thread weight? I have a *few* spools of Aurifil 50wt! (Just under a hundred colors plus a couple cones of white and grey that I use often!)

I used Aurifil 50wt Black #2692 and Aurifil 50wt Pine #2892 for this mini quilt!

This was a quick and fun experiment in using the vinyl in a quilt!

And I've never done the raw-edge applique using black thread either!

I love the look, so I'll definitely keep this in my wheelhouse to use again!

As April comes to a close, I can't help but think of the saying, "April showers bring May flowers!" 

And this quilty bouquet will remind me of the beautiful flowers long after they're gone too!

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