
This year, Aurifil Thread has a Color Builder program. It is a total of 12 different mini-collections that, for 2021, are based on Endangered Animals. Aurifil’s goal is to “Increase sustainability and positive environmental impact.” (source: Island Batik).
For the October challenge, Aurifil is asking you to create a piece inspired by the endangered animal featured on your assigned Color Builder box. Use each one of the 3 provided colors somewhere in the challenge piece, how the thread is used is up to you! (source: Island Batik)
I received the Pangolin bundle. The 3 threads in this collection are: #2312 – Ermine, #6010 – Toast, #2360 – Chocolate. They are all 40 weight.

I had to look it up …

The Pangolin is sometimes used for it’s meat, but mostly the scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine. There is a huge amount of illegal trafficking and the pangolin is considered Critically Endangered. Source.
I literally spent a few months thinking about what I would do.
I finally decided that I would go to the Internet and search for royalty free colouring book pages and pangolin. Bingo! I found one at THIS SITE.
Below is the pangolin print out and fabric (Buttermilk) on my light board. My light board happens to be a window. You can see where the pages are overlapping and taped together. The Buttermilk fabric is taped on top.Then a picture of me tracing it out with a brown sharpie. (Inspired by Helen Godden and the Flower Power Quilt-a-long)


I used Hobbs Polydown batting and Odif 505 temporary adhesive spray and got to work. First I stitched over the brown sharpie lines with #2360 – Chocolate.
I quickly realized that I needed to have a fabric on the back: the polydown was catching on the lowered feed dogs. Previously, when I used this technique, I was able to use Hobbs 80/20 with no difficulty.
Then, I was not pleased with how it was stitching out! So, I cleaned my machine (it needed it) and changed to a Schmetz needle. That helped a bit, but then I took off my ruler quilting foot and put on the regular free-motion quilting foot. I’m not sure why, but my quilting was WAY better.
The pangolin is outlined with Aurifil #2360 – ChocolateI. The Zendoodling is Aurifil #2312 – Ermine. Aurifil #6010 – Toast, was used for the organic echoing around the pangolin. It took 3 full days of zendoodling to get to this point. Then I needed a break!

For the spikes around the border, I used several pieces from the Autumn Wings collection, along with Large Netting-Sand (a blender) and Citrine (Marvelous Multis). The spikes were all fused with steam-a-seam light. And appliqued in place with #6010 – Toast. Then the feet were “coloured” in using Aurifil #2360 Chocolate. It is bound with Wavy Dots – Cappuccino.


Disclosure: The fabrics, thread, batting and needles were generously supplied by the following companies:


Hi Gail, what an amazing quilt. Congrats!
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Thanks, Andrée!
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Incredible and Incredibly Beautiful. Great job! (You should win a prize for this.)
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Thanks, Heather. My prize is to keep this and hang it in my studio! 🙂
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Another silk purse!!! Stunning work Gail
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Thanks, Terry!
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Gail I was wondering which Aurifil collection you would get and what you would create to inspire us all. Your Pangolin is surely a creature to be admired. The fabric choices for the border are perfect and as usual, your quilting is amazing. Zen doodling the scales is pure genius!
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Great way to do it! I love the critter and the scale border is perfect.
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Thanks, Kathleen!
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The quilting in the individual “scales” just takes my breath away!!
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Thanks, Becky! That part was fun!
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Wow – three days – but that is SO cool!! Love it!! I’ve never heard of this creature either.
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Thanks, Brenda!
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Awww! He’s so cute! The border is a great compliment to your zendoodled Pangolin. Have a great day!
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Thanks, Jennnifer!
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Hi Gail! Boy, this project came together quite nicely especially considering you had to look up your endangered species. It turned quite stunning, I think. Really nice job. ~smile~ Roseanne
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Thanks, Roseanne! 🙂
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That is amazing! Thanks for sharing your process. I never heard of this animal before but it sure is interesting.
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Hi Marianne,
the pangolin is very interesting!
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Turned out great, love the spikey border as well!!!
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Thanks, Eileen!
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Very creative and beautifuly executed! It looks like you had a lot of fun once you got started.
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Yes, Susan, I did have fun!
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You just might have the first and only pangolin quilt!! It is a gorgeous work with such incredible quilting detail. I can’t even imagine what I would make with this challenge. You hit it out of the park.
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Mine is not the only pangolin quilt … a fellow Island Batik ambassador from Greece also made a pangolin quilt. You can check it out here: https://maniaforquilts.com/2021/10/02/endangered-species-with-aurifil-%ce%b5%ce%af%ce%b4%ce%b7-%cf%85%cf%80%cf%8c-%ce%b5%ce%be%ce%b1%cf%86%ce%ac%ce%bd%ce%b9%cf%83%ce%b7-%cf%86%cf%84%ce%b9%ce%b1%ce%b3%ce%bc%ce%ad%ce%bd%ce%b1-%ce%bc%ce%b5/
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This is awesome, Gail! He looks so friendly! That’s A LOT of stitching!
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Thanks, Emily! It was fun to do!
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I had to look that pangolin up also. You did an amazingly fantastic job on this piece. Gold star for you on this one, Gail. Seriously!
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Thank you, Sue! I’ll take the gold star! I haven’t had one of those for eons! 🙂
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Looks like you enjoyed the process and completed a great quilt! Those colors are fantastic!
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Thanks, Wendy! It was a difficult one to decide on, but once I got started, I was fine! The Aurifil threads really made the difference! 🙂
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Awesome!
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Thanks, Maryellen!
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