stitchengramie, it really depends on what you have. The variegated worked for this because the color was light, and similar to the toille. I have another quilt that is very bright gold, green and orange, and worked beautifully with a variegated thread with those colors. But, it wouldn't work in every case. It is so much your opinion and what you like, the point was to audition as much as you can to see the different and pick what speaks to you.