How to choose best color of thread?
 

I'm returning to quilting after a few years hiatus and would love your opinions on how you select the quilting thread color.

For example if the quilt top is largely one color and the back another, do you choose a contrasting color or one that blends?

Do you want the top thread to blend or stand out?

I hope you understand what I'm asking :o because I've searched and cannot find a discussion about this.

Many thanks,

Georgia

I try to keep the back and top threads in the same color family especially when working with cotton battings. There isn't enough space for the threads to interlock and you can get a "pop" of the bottom thread to the top or vice versa. If thread colors are closely related this is less noticeable. It's why I like quilt tops that co-ordinate with the backing. I always like to talk this over with clients. If its possible pooling some thread across the quilt can help you choose a color.

Thanks for the input and logic.

Georgia

I have only been quilting a few years, and I mainly do SID, quite happily, I might add. I like SID. What I do in color selection of thread is that I pick the dominate color in the quilt and go with that. I prefer to use the same color in my bobbin. My machine seems to prefer the same thread in the bobbin also. :)

I am sure more experienced quilters have better answers, but that is what I do.

Dina

I always use the same thread in the top and bobbin on my longarm. I audition different threads for my customers and they make the finish decision. Some customers like a thread to blend, while others like the quilting to show up more. Each quilt seems to be different. I consider the back, but do not usually make a thread choice based on the backing. Some customers coordinate backing with their quilts while others just use whatever was big enough in their stash. As you can see, personal choice plays a big role in thread selection.

I use neutral shades of tans and greys, for both top and backing, usually in 50 wt. My piecing is better than my quilting, so I try not to draw too much attention to my thread. ;)

For me it would depend on the quilt, piecing, backing and what I plan on doing with the quilting. Sometimes I match, sometimes I blend, sometimes I go for the gold and make it stand out!

I treat the backing like a quilt in/of itself. So my bobbin thread will depend on what the backing is.

One quilt (Kodachrome) I did in all black/white fabrics with a solid black backing. I used bright lime green for the top thread and white for the bobbin. It is a very striking quilt.

One quilt (Bubblegum, which is waiting for binding) Is a bali pop in bright pinks with a leopard print in lime green for the backing. I used a variegated green for top thread and a variegated pink for the backing :)

One quilt (windows to the world) I used a batik charm packs with black solid backing. I used a silver/black variegated on the front and black on the backing. I wanted the top to look like water cascading off stained glass. So I wanted the variation in color for the quilting.

And one quilt on rack ready to be quilted (Morning Coffee) is another bali pop in browns with brown backing, I am using a variegated brown for both top/bobbin, so that the quilting blends.

Each quilt "tells" me what it wants for quilting. I will say though I tend more towards the dramatic. But I do treat the backing as a "whole cloth" type quilt, and usually pick the bobbin thread based on what I want to see on the back.

Thread color and weight are usually discussed at length in books about quilting the quilt (as opposed to books about piecing the quilt). It all depends on whether you want to emphasize the quilting or not. To audition a thread, you can spill a bunch of it onto the quilt and see if you like the way it looks. I often use different threads on top and bottom, though the tension has to be just right for them not to pull through occasionally to the other side. Just go with what you like, because there are no right and wrong answers.

I am (at best) a mediocre quilter. That means I don't want the quilting to show too much. I try to pick a color that won't show up too much on the front or the back. For this reason, I try to get my backs to coordinate with my fronts. I'm seldom happy when I use too different colors because the tension is never perfect and dots show through.

I have used a lot of differnet threads. I find it depends on the quilt and what I want on each quilt suttle or more showie.