Thank you for this good advice. Very nice demonstration of colors of thread on fabric. So helpful. I’m doing red, white, and blue fabric. Very high contrast fabric. Im going to choose matching threads for each fabric but slightly lighter than the fabric after watching you. ❤️🇳🇱❤️
That fabric looks more blueish to me than teal. Teal is more of a darker green-blue (or dark turquoise.) When I am choosing a thread to disappear on the fabric, I lay the thread across it (like you did in the video), but then I take my glasses off!! If it disappears, then I know I’ve got the right color! 😳😲😱 👍❤️😉😍
My favorite colors of thread to use is called “taupe” or “dogwood” in Coats & Clark. They are in the light to medium tan ranges. They “play well” with every single color there is, and disappears on almost every color! I use these colors for machine piecing, hand-piecing, and quilting by both hand or machine.
This was a great tidbit sharing! I’ve adopted your pale yellow thread usage. It really does blend well. I wouldn’t have considered the light purple on that quilt until you held it up to it. Thanks for all that you do! Happy holidays. 🎄
I like silver in a matching dark, medium or light value. I also like pale yellow or lavender. Lavender or purples makes great shadow colors when I paint....so why not.
Angela, this is so helpful. I am finishing a quilt top that is primarily dark but also has pops of line green. It is really cool. I think auditioning is great advice!
Can you tell us about different types of threads, like Aurifil vs the Pima thread you have, vs the cotton thread I see at MSQC? I am not sure which one is best quality. I've also seen Connecting Threads on amazon and King Tut if that's a brand. I go to Joannes and they only have Gutermann, Coats, and Sulky and I don't know what's high quality and what's not. What's the advantage to using some threads over others? Tell us why it's horrible to use low quality thread!
Hi Angela. I’ve been trying g to find this Bargello quilt pattern by Carl Hench, and not having much luck. Do you know where, or how I could get it? Just beautiful! Thanks.
Angela I just finished the scrambled plus sign quilt..I changed the cream to red on the plus signs...it’s for my transplant Dr. I’m planning on using a light cream Aurifill 50 weight thread since the backing is also cream. Do you think it will work?
If you are a newer quilter, I would stick with solid thread for a while. Variegated thread looks great on the spool, but tends to appear and disappear as you are quilting and it is harder for me to predict just how it will look. Maybe as I get more experience, I will get better at that.
No one ever shows the back? What is the standard rule? Do we try to match the top or the back? What if the back is darker and the top is lighter? Someone help?
Great question! I have forwarded your question to our sewing experts. Please allow 1-2 business days for their response. We will share their reply here. Thanks!
Hello! Thanks for your excellent question. There really is no “rule” or “right / wrong” way to approach the bobbin thread color for machine quilting. Generally, it is personal / aesthetic preference. However, I will offer some “food for thought” as you’re making your top thread / bobbin thread decisions. 1. Typically, my personal preference is to use the same color thread, top and bobbin, no matter how much contrast there is between the backing fabric color and the bobbin thread color. The reason is that if there is a minor tension issue where either the top tension is slightly too tight (resulting in bumps of bobbin thread showing on the top) or the top tension is slightly too loose (resulting in bumps of the top thread being visible on the back), the minor tension issue is well-camouflaged with the top and bobbin thread being the same color. Generally, then, I can make the appropriate tension adjustments to correct the imbalance without having to unstitch the slightly imperfect stitches. 2. If you prefer the bobbin thread to match or blend into the coloration of the backing fabric, requiring a different color / contrasting color thread than what you wish to use on top, know that your tension must remain near-perfect throughout the project or you will notice the bumps of either top thread on the back or bobbin thread on the top. If you are newer to free-motion machine quilting, especially if you do not have stitch-regulation on your machine OR are not using a computerized / digitally-quilted design, recognize that there will be a learning curve to get to the point where you develop fairly consistent speed and motion which goes a long way towards maintaining consistent tension in your stitches (even if your machine has auto-regulated tension control). Be patient with yourself as you climb that learning curve! (Done really is better than “perfect”, especially since “perfect” is a myth.) Enjoy the process! Kelly
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you for this good advice. Very nice demonstration of colors of thread on fabric. So helpful. I’m doing red, white, and blue fabric. Very high contrast fabric. Im going to choose matching threads for each fabric but slightly lighter than the fabric after watching you. ❤️🇳🇱❤️
That fabric looks more blueish to me than teal. Teal is more of a darker green-blue (or dark turquoise.)
When I am choosing a thread to disappear on the fabric, I lay the thread across it (like you did in the video), but then I take my glasses off!!
If it disappears, then I know I’ve got the right color! 😳😲😱
👍❤️😉😍
My favorite colors of thread to use is called “taupe” or “dogwood” in Coats & Clark.
They are in the light to medium tan ranges. They “play well” with every single color there is, and disappears on almost every color!
I use these colors for machine piecing, hand-piecing, and quilting by both hand or machine.
Thank you Angela for some great information on picking thread to quilt your quilts with.
Super practical explanation of how to choose thread for quilting your quilt! Thanks for sharing your best tips with us!
This was a great tidbit sharing! I’ve adopted your pale yellow thread usage. It really does blend well. I wouldn’t have considered the light purple on that quilt until you held it up to it. Thanks for all that you do! Happy holidays. 🎄
I like silver in a matching dark, medium or light value. I also like pale yellow or lavender. Lavender or purples makes great shadow colors when I paint....so why not.
Angela, this is so helpful. I am finishing a quilt top that is primarily dark but also has pops of line green. It is really cool. I think auditioning is great advice!
Great tips! Thank you Angela!
Do you always use white in the bobbin? Or do you usially match the top color?
Thank you Angela!
I use gray, white, or offwhite. Still a. New machine quilter
thanks.... great tips. do you ever consider the back when picking thread color?
Super helpful tips! Thanks!
Thank you for sooooo many tips🤗
Great tips. Thank you so much.
Hi Angela, I'm wondering about your opinion on cotton vs. polyester threads.
Thanks Love your videos!!!
Can you tell us about different types of threads, like Aurifil vs the Pima thread you have, vs the cotton thread I see at MSQC? I am not sure which one is best quality. I've also seen Connecting Threads on amazon and King Tut if that's a brand. I go to Joannes and they only have Gutermann, Coats, and Sulky and I don't know what's high quality and what's not. What's the advantage to using some threads over others? Tell us why it's horrible to use low quality thread!
Great ideas... creative.
PS:I'm a midnight quilter too... best time to sew.
Hi Angela. I’ve been trying g to find this Bargello quilt pattern by Carl Hench, and not having much luck. Do you know where, or how I could get it? Just beautiful! Thanks.
Angela I just finished the scrambled plus sign quilt..I changed the cream to red on the plus signs...it’s for my transplant Dr. I’m planning on using a light cream Aurifill 50 weight thread since the backing is also cream. Do you think it will work?
Very helpful tutorial
What is the difference between Pima cotton and Aurifil cotton thread?
Hi and thanks a lot! It’s very helpful!m😎🌸
Hi, I need help with a t-shirt quilt, I neddd to use the whole shirt, got ideas?
My client doesn't want it cut up, can u help Please. Rebecca
What about variegated thread
If you are a newer quilter, I would stick with solid thread for a while. Variegated thread looks great on the spool, but tends to appear and disappear as you are quilting and it is harder for me to predict just how it will look. Maybe as I get more experience, I will get better at that.
That’s a lavender color, which is a very light purple.
No one ever shows the back? What is the standard rule? Do we try to match the top or the back? What if the back is darker and the top is lighter? Someone help?
Great question! I have forwarded your question to our sewing experts. Please allow 1-2 business days for their response. We will share their reply here. Thanks!
Hello!
Thanks for your excellent question. There really is no “rule” or “right / wrong” way to approach the bobbin thread color for machine quilting. Generally, it is personal / aesthetic preference. However, I will offer some “food for thought” as you’re making your top thread / bobbin thread decisions.
1. Typically, my personal preference is to use the same color thread, top and bobbin, no matter how much contrast there is between the backing fabric color and the bobbin thread color. The reason is that if there is a minor tension issue where either the top tension is slightly too tight (resulting in bumps of bobbin thread showing on the top) or the top tension is slightly too loose (resulting in bumps of the top thread being visible on the back), the minor tension issue is well-camouflaged with the top and bobbin thread being the same color. Generally, then, I can make the appropriate tension adjustments to correct the imbalance without having to unstitch the slightly imperfect stitches.
2. If you prefer the bobbin thread to match or blend into the coloration of the backing fabric, requiring a different color / contrasting color thread than what you wish to use on top, know that your tension must remain near-perfect throughout the project or you will notice the bumps of either top thread on the back or bobbin thread on the top. If you are newer to free-motion machine quilting, especially if you do not have stitch-regulation on your machine OR are not using a computerized / digitally-quilted design, recognize that there will be a learning curve to get to the point where you develop fairly consistent speed and motion which goes a long way towards maintaining consistent tension in your stitches (even if your machine has auto-regulated tension control). Be patient with yourself as you climb that learning curve! (Done really is better than “perfect”, especially since “perfect” is a myth.)
Enjoy the process!
Kelly
Oops. I mean LIME green, not line!
Now I’m just as confused as when you started!
Great tips thank you so much 😊 💛