Thread Color
 

What color thread do you usually go with to machine quilt a scrappy split nine patch with white and medium to dark patches? Medium gray? Light gray? Something else? Thanks.

I unroll some thread from each color I think will work on different parts of the top and see which one I like the best. It's amazing the colors I think will work based on the colors of the blocks sometimes end up just not looking right at all. Sometimes I match the fabric on the back, if the color goes well with the top. Sometimes, I go exactly opposite and let the quilting sing, even though I don't do very good quilting at all. Oh well, no one complains.

As there is white in this quilt, I would most likely go with a light grey or light tan based on what colors you actually have in the scraps. I do like Barb does, pick some threads I think might work, then unwind and place it on top of the quilt making sure I have covered each type of fabric I have in the quilt. There is times, I also find a light yellow works fine when I have white. As there is a lot of white, I would not use a dark color unless I really wanted to make the thread a focal point, because a dark or bright color on the white parts would do that.
OH, I might actually use a white thread depending on how much white and what the other colors are.

I've been using Glide thread lately. My Juki loves is and I like that it's very fine and not "linty". I use their light gray which is almost a silver color for a lot of quilts. It seems to work with most colors.

That said, I saw a Kaffe Fassett fabric quilt at Quilt Festival that they had quilted in an almost celery green and it looked outstanding. I agree with Barb. Unroll some of several different threads and see what you like.

One of my go to’s is King Tut River Wash…it has taupe, grays but it is variegated and blends in nicely with many colors. Look forward to to seeing your project.

I do the same as Tartan in one of the above post. In scrappy quilts I use up spools of various threads as I don't think it shows at all and a good way to "use up" spools (as well as bobbins).

Light grey or tan on quilts with white or beige. On colorful quilts that are all colors, I go with whatever I have the least of. I try to use up almost gone spools of thread and bobbins. I don't match bobbin to to thread.

I love watching Donna Jordan audition threads for her quilts and I've started doing the same thing.

Another alternative is to use a variegated thread that matches some of the colors in the quilt. I've used thread with bright colors on scrappy quilts with good effect. The variation makes the colors blend in and out, adding another scrappy element that is still fairly subtle.