Choicing thread color

[jbsewsinwv]

How do you decide what color thread to use? I'm new, only have quilted 2 quilts so far. One practice for me and one paying. I wasn't happy with my choice of thread color on my second quilt. I used blueberry thread. The fabric colors ranged from cream/stone to black including medium blue, and purple. So the quilt had several colors. Do you try to blend with the majority of the fabric regardless of the color? Or do you try to blend to the lightest or the darkest fabric? Too many decisions!!!! I would post a picture, but haven't figured that part out yet. I did a pantograph, Frisky Cat (I think that is the name). I wanted to do a custom, but a had a deadline.

[Sheagatzi]

I lay out a few colours that I think may go well and I pull out a good meter or so of the thread and just kind of bunch/curl/lay/spread it out randomly over the fabric.   Some are automatic no ways, and most you just know by the way they look when they sit on the fabric.   This is the best tip I learned.  For instance, I'm using a really bright school bus orange right now -  it's super bright on the spool, but when I pull the strand out and lay it out on the fabric like stitching, it looks gorgeous and way less bright.  :-)

 

I tend to like to blend more with the fabric, but depending on your client - he/she may prefer the colour to stand out a bit more. 

[ffq-lar]

Build a nice assortment of blendable thread as you progress.

Good choices are white, off white, cream, a putty color, several grays from silvery to dark-ish, sage green, taupe, "baby poop" green, dusty pink, tan-to-dark browns, and the like.

Laying the threads on the fabrics as advised above is the way to go. You'll find that a blue and yellow quilt will love a sage green--the thread looks blue on the yellow and yellow on the blue. If you have multiple bright colors , a medium gray will work and not stand out too much on any color.

One thing to consider is to try colors you might not think of. Neon green looks great on black/white/purple. A red/white/blue quilt calls for white thread if you must have only one color. The thread will show up on the colors and the quilting will show up on the white. 

Go "blendy" or go bold with one-color-thread overalls.

As you gain experience you'll be more comfortable and when you look at a quilt you'll know which color family to reach for when you make those thread decisions.