One tip from the Houston quilt show--a lady selling patterns used a double layer of fabric for her stitching so the little ends didn't show at all on top . She used a 100 percent cotton quilt fabric on the front and muslin beneath, just hand or machine baste around edge. I've been helping a friend who has all her redwork done on a christmas quilt and she used various white-on-white fabrics. You might do a search on redwork thread on this board because there have been discussions of threads. Of course the quilt fabric is optional, just adds another layer of interest. I've done some framed red work items on prewashed muslin.