One of the best things about in-the-hoop projects is that everything, including quilting, is done right in the hoop. With so many beautiful colors in this fabric, how do you choose the thread color?

When creating the Nifty Notepads project for Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine, I used this pretty fabric as a coordinate to the denim cover and for an inside pocket. With so many pretty threads to use for quilting and topstitching, how do I choose?

All colors match so the best way to decide is to audition colors. Use scrap fabric and run a line of stitches. Each color will look different against the background color.

Blue matches the butterfly but may contrast too much with the background.

Green matches, too.

Pink may be a bit too light.

The red does not contrast much at all, it gets lost against the similar background color.