Questions From Quarantine - No. 1

How do you determine what color ground cloth to use? Do you use what the designer uses? Do you have a favorite color that you use for most everything you stitch? Do you dye your own fabric? Do you stain your fabric with tea or coffee? How do you choose a ground cloth thats light enough for your stitches to show, but dark enough to be able to see white (or light-colored) stitches?