variegated thread makes quilting stitches appear softer and creates a movement with the color changes. but sometimes i cannot find the right colors or the repeat on the color change is too long to show up in a short space. i have a new way to engineer the effect. first off i always use embroidery floss for quilting because of the wide color range that is available. secondly , i like to use at least 2 strands for a rustic quilting stitch with some texture. in this case i wanted to get a softened version of that magical black and white double back stitch i am using for the embroidery. i tried 2 methods.
1-one strand of white and one strand of black together . the thread naturally twists and turns as you sew and give a nice varied effect.
2-two single strands of a variegated black/gray/ white but separated and realigned so each strand has a different color placement.
both worked great but since the regular floss is cheaper and the effect is similar, i will skip buying the fancy yarn. i guess i can combine multiple strands of color and get very wild effects....and this has inspired further trials which i will play with over the weekend.