Returning to the Studio with the Aurifil Artisan 3:2:1 Challenge

After some time away from my studio following a family loss, I felt ready to pick up my threads again. This month’s Aurifil Artisan 3:2:1 Challenge gave me the perfect nudge - the brief was simple but inspiring: use at least 3 thread colours, in at least 2 different thread weights, all in one project.

For this challenge, I created “Telling the Bees”, a piece inspired by the old folklore of the same name. Traditionally, bees were seen as part of the family - any news of births, marriages, or deaths would be shared with them so they wouldn’t leave the hive. I wanted to capture that sense of connection to nature and the rhythms of country life, bringing a little of that gentle storytelling into my stitching.

I chose fabrics with a soft, organic feel to reflect the colours and textures of the countryside, and based the bee motif on illustrations from a vintage observer book, aiming to capture the charm of a hand-drawn page. I turned this into a small art quilt to hang in my studio, combining machine free-motion stitching in Aurifil 80wt, 50wt, and 40wt threads with hand-embroidered words and hand quilting in two strands of Aurifloss. These delicate stitches represent whispered, gentle messages to the bees, adding texture, depth, and a soft sense of movement to the design.

Working on “Telling the Bees” was a really special way to return to the studio. It reminded me why I love stitching so much - the slow, mindful process, the joy of experimenting with texture and colour, and the satisfaction of creating something that feels personal, natural, and connected to the world around me.

Threads used in “Telling the Bees”:

Aurifil 80wt (machine stitching & facing): 5011, 2000, 2360

Aurifil 50wt (machine stitching): 2600, 2140, 4667

]Aurifil 40wt (machine stitching): 2308

Aurifloss, 2 strands (hand-embroidered words & hand quilting): 2000, 2026

See what other makers are creating each month by checking out Aurifil’s official blog, Auribuzz.