A lot of it is just practice and time (and I haven't spent enough of either to be proud of my quilting yet), but I agree that using a thread that matches rather than contrasts the fabric hides a multitude of sins. The flip side is if you do a beautiful job of quilting, it isn't as evident either. But for now, give yourself a break and make the thread blend in so you don't get too discouraged.
And your comment 'got mad so just kept going' was pretty funny. Thanks for the laugh.