Gosh, I'm no help here. When my customers say they want to see the quilting, I take it to mean that they want to see more texture than thread. I use A &E Permacore thread from Signature, Tex 30 for all my quilting. I would not recommend a variegated to be seen unless you are quilting on fabric that reads as a solid color. Can youand your customer lay several threads out upon the quilt top and see which would suit your customer?