Back again after reading all the previous posts. We used colored thread all the time and never had a bleeding problem back then. Don't know if it would be now. I have several quilts from then that are used and washed all the time. One I have to requilt as the thread is wearing out but the quilt is not. On my bucket list.

I'm using a dark red perle to do a big hand stitch on a blue and white quilt I made with dark red binding. I read a post once that said just have fun with it and don't worry about doing perfect stitches. A little imperfection just gives it more charm. Well so farm my stitching is very charming, LOL! I'll post a picture of it when it's completed.

I hope I send you a picture of the Big Stitch. This is a Log Cabin pattern that forms a heart.

A close shot.

I have shown this before. A few months after my husband and I married (32 yrs ago) his grandma died. SAhe left alot of quilts and quilting stuff, and no one else in the family cared, so they came to me.
One was a maple leaf quilt, unfinished, all hand sewn blocks, with a graph paper showing her plans.
I put it together, by machine, but felt it deserved some hand quilting, which I did 'big stitch.'
I outlined the leaves in whatever color that particular leaf was in, picked some fall leaf print, and said "It's done - to go to the next generation."

I like it. Great job. Thats what you calla successful experiment!

Sounds like fun! Anybody got pictures?

Mine, shown here before. This has a thread called Cotty, from Sulky, no longer available like this. I called Sulky and the sweet lady sent me the "last spool available anywhere, as far as we know!" from her own collection. :) Closest to it she told me is the Sulky 12 wt. cotton which also comes in 'blendables'. Quilt made in mid 1980s, I think; quilted in mid 2000.

Jan in VA

That's a quarter, not a penny.