I usually use Aurifil for piecing and Isacord for quilting (if i want that polyester shine). I stock up on neutral Aurifil colors when I see them on sale - there is a lot of thread on those big spools, so I do not find the price out of line at all. Isacord is easily found for about $4, also a lot of thread for the money - so I think it is a bargain. I have a stash of various colors of Mettler, Guterman, C&C that have been purchased for garment projects over the years, so I can almost always come up with a special color for a small project.