Choosing Quilting Thread Colors

Choosing Quilting Thread Colors

Choosing a color for quilting can be a daunting task. But ultimately it is a personal choice. There are some rules of thumb to help get you started – but remember, if it is your quilt, you can make the rules! In traditional quilting, thread should match or blend with the fabrics in the quilt.

Commonly, quilting colors that match the background or most prominent color are neutrals, off whites or shades of gray. Fiber artists and modern quilting trends have opened up the rules.

When I first started quilting, I asked a longarm quilting mentor of mine the question “how do you know what to quilt and what color”? She told me to lay out the quilt across the couch or on the bed in the spare room and walk by it for a few hours to a few days to let the quilt “speak to you”. To be honest I thought this sounded crazy at first, but upon trying it – it works! Sometimes after all the up-close time piecing the quilt you need to take a step back and get a fresh perspective. What colors vividly jump out, what colors take on the role of a neutral.

Then consider the end use for the quilt. Is it a gift for a best friend who loves bright bold colors? Then maybe a quilting thread with a high contrast is the best choice. Pick a few threads from your stash and set them on the quilt top and walk by again. Which one or ones do you like best? And yes, there is no wrong answer and you can choose more than one!