Thread - help needed-- What color??

[Sandra W.]

This will be my third domestic machine quilting project.

I am making a baby quilt with Framed 4 Patch pattern. I have used wild, brights, batiks, from my scrap bag... many colors... turquoise, peach, coral, yellows, pink-fuchsia, lime green, lemon, purples and blues... You name it the color is in here.... Hot Caribbean colors.

Okay what colors do I quilt it ? I did not think that far when I started this project. It is for a baby so I do not think I want any thing supper dark. Not sure if I can find any blended threads and I am not sure I would like it much on the top.

I am currently planning a Mary Mashuta's Contact paper shapes in the four patches and then some kind of vines or feathers around the frame.

Oh MY.... I did not even think of the back side...

Help ... need some advice... What color threads for the top?

How do you pick your colors for your machine quilting projects? Is there a general rule?

[Mandella E.]

Thread colour is a very personal choice. It depends what look you are going for. As a rule, slightly darker shades blend in and lighter ones are more obvious. If you use a variegated thread on a many-coloured top it may make it even more busy, and sometimes a variegated thread disappears on certain fabrics which gives a broken look to the quilting.

Is there a colour that you haven't used in the top but would blend with everything else? I often find a shade of purple works in this situation, it seems to behave as a neutral sometimes.

Why don't you got to your favourite LQS, select a few possibilities and lay a single thread across the top to see how it looks?

[Mary H.]

The quilt in my profile "Fickle Pickle" has many bright colors and was machine quilted with lime green thread, although it doesn't show up much in the picture. I really like it. Mary

[Eileen K.]

Why don't you think about variegated thread? Superior King Tut is my favorite. There's a lot of color combos to choose from.

For the back, a neutral Bottom Line thread may just be what's needed. Unless you plan on exhibiting the back, it can be whatever you want it to be.

I normally use the same thread top and bottom. That way I don't have to worry as much about the tension and pokies.

HTH,
eileenkny