Nanscan

I will be hand quilting with cross-hatching and stars on a mostly black quilt top. I have seen a thread here on which it was suggested not to use black. Would a varigated thread be best? I was going to use a black No.8 pearl cotton, but now I'm not so sure. I don't want the quilting to compete with the appliques. Thanks for your help.

JustAbitCrazy

I don't know why you shouldn't use black thread, especially if you don't want the quilting to be the star of the show. It is hard to see black on black, so you will need strong light (maybe sit in a sunny window) and maybe some magnification, too. It's your quilt, your rules.

quilterpurpledog

If you are planning to use No. 8 pearl cotton am I correct in assuming you are going to do a type of 'big stitch' quilting? I think that would look very nice on a black background because it would give nice dimension. Cross-hatching is generally for a backgound effect. Sounds good to me. Perhaps a varigated thread would be distracting-it just depends on the design of your quilt. Please show us your project.

Mitty

I think the only issue with using black on black is that it's very hard to see where you've sewn, making more difficult to do.

Tartan

​If you are doing hand big stitch with perle cotton then it is fine. The reason black thread is not used is when you are machine free motion quilting because it is hard to see where you have stitched on black fabric.

jokir44

The perle cotton will sit on top of the fabric and it has a twist to it so I think you should be able to see it with not much of a problem, especially with big stitch. Go for it!

feline fanatic

Black thread on black fabric is very difficult to see when machine quilting. As you are hand quilting you shouldn't be concerned. If you want to use black thread go ahead. If you want the quilting to pop a bit use a dark color thread, maybe pull one of the other colors in your quilt out. I have found that dark purple, navy blue and forest green blend well with black but offer just a wee bit of contrast so you notice the quilting more than if it is black. If you want the quilting to pop use a high contrast thread which could really compliment your applique without overpowering it.

A 30 wt hand quilting thread really doesn't show up a whole lot and certainly won't compete with the applique. Here is a link to a quilt I hand quilted with a yellow variegated 30 wt thread (Valdani brand) on almost black fabric. You don't really see the quilting until you are close up.
Hand quilted Mariners Compass WIP

Nanscan

Your quilt is awesome! Love the way the quilting shows up. I like the idea of purple or dark navy, too. Thanks for the advice.