Threads and Stitch Patterns Thread selection has become a lot more complicated then it was when I first started machine quilting. On-line shopping has opened up an endless variety of materials along with educational information about the product and tutorials on it's correct use. A partial selection of my thread choices for two of my projects. The teal quilt may also include some gold thread painting. My earliest machine quilts were stitched using mostly a 50 weight cotton thread, often with a contrasting colour in both the top needle as well as the bobbin. 50 weight cotton is a good choice for utility quilts that will be used daily, (ie quilts without a lot of fine detail), however, when used for more decorative stitching, the resulting "threadiness" is often more of a distraction than an enhancement. (See below). A very early attempt at machine quilting. Aside from the rough machine quilting, the choice of a contrasting, heavier thread was clearly a mis