How do you chose which thread color you want to use on your quilt?
For me ---I’ve got to do the “lay it down and look at it” test, because sometimes the thread I *THINK* I want to use…just isn’t the one that does the best job of traveling between the light fabricss AND the dark fabrics in the end.
I tend to lean toward threads that are neither too dark as they cross over light areas, or too light when they travel through the darker patches in the quilt.
Here you can see I have chosen four different colors of pink – and I am about to do a test to see which one is really the one that I want.
At first I thought it would be the third cone – the very pale pale baby pink – but you know what? It just didn’t do it for me after all!
Laying all 4 threads out across the quilt patches.
The pale baby pink thread is the very bottom one. It travels fine through the lights, but when it hits that dark purple triangle, it looks almost white….no, this won’t work, it will shout out “too light!” at me.
It’s hard to tell in the photo, but here is the thread I chose:
Neither too light, nor too dark –just right!
I want to “barely” see the thread! What I want to see is the quilting texture!
This is looking great so far!
All these fun scraps, I hope my new niece will have many years of loving this quilt!
Just off the machine!
Loads of pretty texture.
I’ve used this pantograph before as I love it. It’s called Lavish by Hermione Agee of Lorien Quilting, Australia.
I think a purple binding is in order to tie everything together!
Little SewMor gets a workout with a straight stitch only walking foot!
Did you know that if you have a vintage straight stitch only machine like a featherweight, you NEED a straight stitch only walking foot so that it works correctly with your machine’s feed dogs? It’s true! Walking feet that were made for zig zag machines have wider feed dogs on the foot to match the wider feed dogs on the machine bed. If you have a straight stitch only machine with narrower feed dogs, you need a walking foot that will match those narrower feed dogs. My SewMor is wearing her straight stitch only low shank walking foot with pride and function!
And I've just added this little quilt to the "hand stitching down" pile!
I’ve got a special errand to run today. An unbelievable deal too good to pass up….can you guess what it is?
Be watching for that post later!
Oh yes, and be sure to click over to Quiltmaker Magazine’s blog, Quilty Pleasures today – there are more featured blocks in the blog hop for 100 blocks, vol 9 going on today! My day is May 1st, Thursday – you won’t want to miss that either.
Happy Tuesday, Everyone!
29 comments:
Such a pretty quilt. Love the colours and I picked the right colour quilting thread from your photo. I would have used a purple binding too. Must be tuning in with your thinking!
Your baby quilt is very pretty and I am sure the little one will just love it too. I have fallen hard for my featherweight. I do a lot of piecing on it these days. I think the next addition will be a walking foot for it and thanks for the information I know just what to look for! Thanks!!
I hope your errand today is a new (vintage) machine!
I have to admit I did not like your choices for the sashing but this quilt has turned out beautiful. Great choice I now see. But I did pick out the same color of thread so maybe I am learning :)
Beautiful! Thanks for the tip on choosing thread. I'll use that method.
What is the name of this pattern? I really want to make one....I can't stop looking at it! Another one t add to my list of many.
This quilt makes my scrappy happy heart sing!
Your niece will be wrapped in love with this treasure.
When explaining the quilting process to my grandson, I told him I was sewing in special hugs. 4 years later, he still reminds me of this.
This quilt is beautiful, Bonnie! I am always so drawn to the quilts you make for siblings' babies!! : )
Great tip on thread choice. I struggle with that.
That quilt is so perfect. I am learning so much about naturals after seeing pictures of your quilts. no more just white on white for me. Thanks for sharing.
I'm a "blendy" person too, when it comes to thread choice. I don't want to see the thread! This quilt is adorable!
I have enjoined the making of this beautifull quilt, and choosing the thread. loveley quiltwork.
Greetings Ria from the Netjerlands ;0))
I meant to Thank You! for saying about the walking foot! I put a new wf on my 201, which I had loved for quilting, and couldn't figure out why it was not working. Mystery solved, hooray!! The new new one (straight stich only) is working perfectly : )
A gorgeous quilt fit for a wee princess!! Thanks for all of your wonderful tips and tricks!!
Paulette
I love the quilt and I picked the right color thread for quilting...Yay! Can't wait to see your latest treasure.
I keep looking at this wonderful quilt ... you DO have real talent for colors mixes.
Bonnie? IS this ability really aided by a huge stash of fabric/scraps - or could you even come up with a wonderful mix with my rather modest scrap stash? Interesting... love this quilt!
The quilting is absolutely beautiful. It is amazing how the outer border matches the center of the quilt, although the fabric is a completely different style. I love it, your future niece is a lucky girl!
YEA for getting it all done except for the hand stitching. I love the design you quilted on there. I have used some of the Designs from Lorien too.
Love the quilt......you teach me so much. My instincts would have been to choose the pink sashing but your color choices make everything POP.....
Such a pretty quilt Bonnie. and your quilting makes the quilt alive. Wow
I love, love, love how this has turned out, can't wait to see it when you finish the binding!
As a reasonably new quilter (less than 12 months) I was glad to see the way I choose my thread is exactly what you do and so many times the first thread I think is not the choice in the end. Thanks for the great advice and I love the quilt and your quilting.
I love the colors in this quilt! Who knew that some of those wild prints would mesh so well?! BTW, a binding cut on the bias will give it a longer life on the quilt's edge!
So - as the threads were laid out across the quilt - which one was the one you picked out?
Bonnie, thank you so much for sharing this post. This confirms that I am on the right track when selecting thread colors for quilting. Like you, I don't want to see the thread just the quilting texture. I too found that medium light colors seems to work well and I'm proud to know that laying out threads across the quilt to test it was the way to do it!! I learned this on my own since I could never find anyone to teach me this part, so thank you!!
Great choice on the thread color - on the top picture it was the second one from the left, correct? That's the one I would have chosen! This quilt is beautiful!!!
Love the quilting on this one! Thanks for sharing the pattern name.
Can you purchase new straight stitch only walking feet? I would love to get a couple.
I had a question about the walking foot you are talking about here. I have a walking foot that fits my zigzag, and I started searching for one to fit the 404 and 301 Singers I have. So far, I can't find one described as having narrower guides. Can you share the brand of the one you have?
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