I think it would look beautiful to have the purple stitching showing on the white back.

I am doing the same thing. I have a tan backing and purple on the quilt top. As my stitches are not great due to severe arthritis, I am doing tan in the tan areas and purple and green in those areas. Mine is an applique quilt top. I am keeping this quilt so I am happy with it. I have machine quilted with bobbin colors to match the backing and different colors on the top. I believe the quilt tells us what it wants and I respect that. Since you are the quilter go with your gut feeling!

Does it make you smile when you look at it? If it does that's all that matters. :lol:

I am proud of you for continuing even with artritius.

I am proud of you for continuing even with artritius.

Make sure that the thread you use is colorfast and will not fade into the white backing. I think the purple thread would be a nice contrast and would bring out the pattern of the quilting to enhance the overall design of the quilt. The ladies in my family were very traditional in their quilting methods. Nothing was ever machine quilted and all were both pieced and quilted by hand. I am sure that it would have been unheard of to them to quilt with a thread of any color; however I am more willing to see diversity in things than they were. If you feel that it will add to the overall beauty of your creation, go for it by all means. There is nothing wrong with being different as long as you don't do any harm. :-D

I agree with Jan.

I would do the same thing - colored thread on top & white on the bottom

I just use the color of thread in the bobbin that I want for the back

My Amisfh neighbor used to make whole cloth or one solid pieced top and use a darker shade of the color thread to quilt it. The backs were white { sometimes] it was gorgeous Diane C.

I think purple will be beautiful!

If your tensions are right you could use both, bobbin white/cream and top purple/lavendar. I have used King Tut varigated thread and it looks cool.

Er-hem....how much have you done? The verigated thread sounds like it would be a good idea.

I would quilt with purple so you have 2 quilt for the work of one.

Myself, I can't hand quilt... so I say go with what you want. If I could... I would use purple. Beautiful quilt by the way!!! :)

The purple on the white would look great. I just finished a cream, green, brown & red colored top with a dark green backing. I hand quilted it with white thread & the white thread looked great on the green backing (in fact I almost like it better than the top).

Use whatever you like. I saw a stunning black and white quilt that was quilted with red thread.

Use the purple, just imagine you will have two quilts. The top will be pieced, but the back!!!...........will resemble a whole cloth quilt with "purple" work as a design. So go for it!!!! It will be an original to be proud of.

I love using varigated thread and many of my backings are white. I can free motion quilt very well and don't care if the thread shows on the back.

Some years ago (about 1965) my mother hand quilted a bedspread for me. One side was brown and the other pink. The quilting was done in brown thread in a flower design. The brown side is beautiful and the pink side is stunning! Go with the color if the quilting will make a pleasing design on the solid back.

K...handquilting??

I change my answer...go with the PURPLE!!!! :D

(Unless, of course, you have a hard time making your hands slow down. lol j/k)

I'd say go for it. No hand quilting was or ever will be perfect and that is part of the charm. I'd use the purple thread I think it will look great. I'm an old hand quilter too!
Andie :thumbup:

I have an embroidery machine, I have used white blocks
on top and bottom. The embroidery thread is the same
color in the bobbin as on the top. I used the same color
of material on side and bottom sashings and borders. This makes a nice reversible quilt.

Go with the purple thread since you are handquilting. Love that quilt!!

Oh yes then it will be reversable they are beautiful that way.

could you use a soft pale color in the purples would not be so bright on back. However I like some of the others think the purple / white contrast would be nice good luck which ever way you go.

I agree totally!!! I love to see quilting. I usually use thread that stands out so you can see it. There is alot of time put into quilting and it's NEVER perfect unless your doing it computerized. That's what makes it special!!! :)

I was told I shouldn't use colored thread, that I would not like it. However, being the stubborn person that I am, I used it -- pink thread on pink and white squares. I loved the way it looked and others told me they liked it. I also used black thread on an Amish quilt and loved that, too. I'd say it's your choice. You could always try a sample block and see what you think.

You must have been reading my mind,
I was hoping someone would post photos !
Thanks !!
Olga,

Oh, very cool ! by the way :)

Be brave! The purple will show up on the back, but that's okay! It will really highlight your quilting! Celebrate! Live a little! It's going to be great!

I am a handquilter and I use whatever I want. I like varigated thread. I don't mind if the back thread shows. It helps me to see if I missed anything. I am currently quilting a raffle quilt for our Linus Chapter. The top is a star pattern with yellow and blue prints and solids. I am quilting it in blue. The back is a yellow on yellow dot. The blue quilting looks great on the back. The hardest part is marking a quilt top so that I can see the quilting pattern when I am working.

Oh duh! by hand. go ahead with the color thread or your choice. it will be fine. much better than machine quilting. we always get some mess on the back, small or large, when machine quilting. No worries :thumbup:

I have used colored thread to hand quilt ( all I do ).
My stistches are not perfected & it is OK. I like the way the design shows up on the back. Purple will be really beautiful !!

Using dark thread on a white backing just means being a little more careful with your stitches, stops and starts. That applies to hand- and machine-quilting. I love the look of a contrasting thread. Have you thought of using a variegated thread?

I think this quilt will be beautiful on both sides. I like the whole cloth look on the back. But by all means don't use variegated thread. I did that on a plain colored back and it looks awful. The thread I mean. It matched the top really well. I wish I had not used it.

I hand quilt and I always match the top. Besides, I think the white back with the purple design would look good! It would your purple version of the red- work designs.

what about using cream on both top and bottom. the colors blend in well on the purple and not so bad on the back. Unless you use the same type of cotton thread you may end up with spots or uneven sewing on the back. Try it out first on scrap of sandwiched block.