The other day I noticed I needed to get thread. When I got to the store I was completely overwhelmed, there are all these different types, at all different price points.

Not only are there different colors, there are also different fibers. What kind of thread is best. My uses for the thread would be both hand and machine piecing. Also possible some quilting both by sewing machine and by hand.

If you could only have four colors what would they be?

100% cotton - Gray, Cream, Black and White :)

Make sure its NOT hand quilting thread. Its not to be used in a sewing machine.

Me too... cotton poly for piecing and a little heavier cotton for quilting :D:D:D

Hand quilting thread has been coated with a wax to make it easier to work with. Do NOT use it in your machine because it will gum up the works.

Machine piecing thread is kind of a matter of choice. I use a 50 wt. cotton, I know people who use a polyester, etc. I would not use rayon embroidery thread to piece my quilt. I also don't really like the polyester wrapped cotton threads because they tend to shred. I've had to have my repairman remove some from between my machine's tension discs before. Expensive lesson.

Machine quilters like a wide variety of threads. I still wouldn't quilt with rayon embroidery thread but I guess art quilters might. There are many weights of thread. The higher the number the thinner the thread.

I only use long staple, all cotton. Some good brands are Mettler, Aurifil, and Precensia. Aurifil is my favorite. It's low lint and nice and fine so it doesn't take up a whole lot of room in the seam. Aurifil may seeam expensive to buy but you get a whole lot of yardage for the money.

Hand quilting thread should be kept separate from machine quilting thread. Most brands coat the hand quilting thread and most that have 'quilting' written on them should be regarded as such. If it is labelled 'machine quilting' it is OK and Mettler brand is OK in machine. The other types will leave a residue in your tension discs.
Any strong thread can be used for quilting - the largest size that will go through the top needle is number 12 - but you can put thicker weight in the bobbin and sew the quilt upside down if you want some decorative stitches."Purists" will say you only use cotton and nothing else - however, many successful quilters use a variety of thread. As for colour, I always have Black,White, Grey, Maroon and Brown in my stash, as Blue can always be sewn with Grey if I have to 'make do'.

I use Gutterman, light gray, white, tan, and red

For machine piecing I use Gutterman with good results.

I bought some 100% cotton from Joann's for $1.99 -- a CONE! I bought one to see how it would work. It didn't beautifully with my sewing machine, hand sewing my binding AND it did GREAT on my Longarm!!!!!!! The thread didn't seem any more linty than others and didn't break, not even once on the Longarm (I can't say that about the more expensive threads)... :) :) wanna guess what I'm going to buy from now on????