Let's Try This Again

When I quilted Summer Seashore I selected thread color very close to the fabric.  I was disappointed that the quilting was only visible when viewed close up and in person (it was very hard to photograph).  On the one had, it hid all the mistakes.  But it would have been nice to have that work a bit more visible.  So I promised myself I'd be more daring in my next quilting project.

Hmmm.  Maybe I should have qualified that promise.

I started my next freemotion quilting early December.  I used a taupe thread on an off-white background (lighter than the dark grey thread I had originally picked).  I didn't get far before I realized thread was a lot more visible on a solid light colored background than the prints I had been quilting before.  These waves are just the first step - there will be swirls and pebbles next.  I panicked.  Would the quilting overwhelm the rest of the quilt?  I tacked the thread with small stitches, so I fear ripping it out would hurt the fabric.  Rip or continue?  I couldn't decide.  I stuffed it into a corner and successfully avoided it for the better part of a month.

Now, it's back.  Gotta get it done (it was supposed to be a Christmas present!).  After some discussion, I've decided not to rip.  Some feedback was positive; maybe the thread wasn't that dark.  So I bought two lighter shades of thread, thinking that I'll mix the darker and lighter threads.  That way the darker waves won't look out of place, and the rest won't be overwhelming.  Maybe it will look like I planned it this way?

I normally dive into quilting, right on the project I'm doing.  I have a little quilt sandwich I run on just to test the tension.  Now I'm now thinking of layering up a chunk with the off-white background and test the threads before I continue quilting the real quilt.  I need help visualizing what this whole thing will look like before I continue.