I am a fairly new quilter, and I know this might sound dumb, but I can't figure out why people work so hard to get their thread to match their fabric when the stitches are all on the seams on the back and no one can see them. Can anyone explain this to me ?

I don't usually match thread to fabric when piecing. I generally use and off white or light gray for all piecing.

I don't. I piece with a neutral thread. I only match when I applique or quilt.

Because sometimes a little bit of the thread can show, and some people care for it not to be noticeable. Personally I don't care much. It it obvious that thread was used to sew it together, and if it can be seen a bit, no big deal to me.

I use natural (neutral) for all my projects.

I'm not a quilter who uses thread that matches. For most piecing I use an off white, cream or grey on lighter fabrics and black or dark grey on darker fabrics. I only use the colors sometimes in the quilting.

i'm guess that's just a hold over from sewing clothing. with that you do match in case a seam is stressed and the thread shows.
with quilting, we just don't get stress! and the seams really don't either.

For piecing I just use a neutral thread...dark or light depending on the fabric. Maybe they are talking about matching the thread when they are quilting.

I too, am a fairly new quilter, I use a neutral color for it all. I am still in the trial and error mode but if it's imperfect in my eyes, it's probably an awesome creation in the eyes of the receiver.

I don't fret about it. I use what ever color happens to be on the machine. If the thread runs out I grab whatever thread happens to be closest to me.

I match, but I have sewn clothes for years and it is just habit. But if I don't have matching thread I just use what I have.

I am slowly breaking myself from having to use matching thread when I piece my quilts. When I used to sew alot, I would spend quite a lot of time finding matching threads and stressing about it.

Now I just try to use a neutral color if I can. And find it a good way to use up bobbins that don't have alot of tread on them. And for me, I have also found it easier to rip out stitches if the colors don't match. Easier on my eyes.

I lost points from a judge at a quilt show because I didn't match my thread to the fabric. I still use a good neutral thread when I quilt. A judge is only one persons opinion.

Had to laugh when I read this question. I used to be one of those people that searched for matching thread. (Learned to sew making skirts and other clothing items) I then learned that it's much easier and less expensive to use a neutral.

I use neutrals for piecing, I do go darker or lighter based on fabric. For quilting, it just depends on the project.

I think when the stitches show completes the stitching as that is one thing that gives the quilt character.

Matching? I would only "match" so it will look good on the backing.

that is the way i sew too :lol:

Whom do you know who is matching their thread? I'm betting they are in a quite small minority.

NO dumb question, remember? :-)

Jan in VA

Thank you everyone for your input. I feel better now, just wish I had not bought so much thread. I was taught that the thread had to match the fabric, so glad that's a myth

There are no dumb/stupid questions. I use white or black. White for the lights and black for the darks. Thats my preference.

Not so much a myth as preference. I match my thread to the fabric. But only because I don't want black thread showing through light fabrics etc. And it can. If the seam is pressed open the thread can sometimes show and can detract from the quilt. Simple as that;>

I try to use up the thread that is in the bobbin at the time I am sewing.

I had always heard that I should use a neutral thread or match; but, talk about thinking outside the box - I have been making utility quilts using up all my old thread left from garment making days. Lots of partial spools of reds, blues and greens are disappearing from my thread shelf.

ditto!

I always use neutral or white except for the quilting part of it, then I try to match the color unless I am quilting for other people, then I use what they want.

when i started, i also tried to always match thread to fabrics when piecing.

then i realized how much easier it is to pick out the stitches when i could see the thread against the fabs.

now i use my collection of threads in all the colors mostly as decoration. :lol:

feffertim, don't throw all those different colors away. They are necessary when you are appliquing. Use the same color thread as your applique piece and the stitching seems to disappear..... like magic.

I have tons of thread from years and years of sewing clothes for my kids and me.... I started sewing at 8 years of age.... 56 years ago. I love it when I find a box of thread at an estate sale or auction. At the prices of thread today it adds up in a hurry and I've rarely found of spool of thread that wasn't still strong for sewing.

I use neutral thread to piece...grey neutrals and beige neutrals, dark to light depending whether fabric is dark or light.

Because some of us try to convince ourselves that we need to be PERFECT but we KNOW that we won't be. So we try to con ourselves (and others) by matching the thread color so mistakes won't be noticed. I have since accepted my flaws (for the most part) and use variegated thread to showcase all the colors in the quilt. AND that was not a dumb question at all!

I don't think your question is dumb at all because I have wondered that very thing several times. The only time I want my thread to match is if I am topstitching something...which is very rarely on a quilt. I use an ecru or gray almost all the time now....I buy the biggest spool I can find.

I use a neutral color for my piecing. Otherwise I would be changing threads all of the time, instead of piecing!

Same here.

A question for those who match their thread, If you sew pink and red together what is the color of the mating thread.

I use off white thread on a cone for everything.It shows,but I don't care & I'm the boss.

I do mostly scrapquilts, so I use all my bobbins of every color. It doesn't matter to me as the sewing threads never show. If I was machine quilting, I would use matching thread and bobbin. In machine embroidery, I try to match my top and bottom threads, as no matter how I set the tension, the bottom thread somehow appears on the top at times. Since I don'tlike to mess with tension, I use the same top and bottom.

the only time people are really stressing over their thread colors matching is when doing applique, or quilting ...the stitches show and (at least with applique) you want them as invisible as possible so a good match is needed. for quilting it is easier to see the design over the (thread) if it blends in.
for piecing i just use what ever neutral color is handy...unless working with black or very dark fabrics then i use dark thread.

For piecing I usually use a light to medium gray or a light cream if its stitching on white or very light fabric. I also use Bottom Line for bobbin thread.
for applique I usually try to match the fabric as close as possible or if I want to accent with stitching on top (zig zag or satin stitch) I use whatever will contrast well. For quilting it varies, sometimes I want the quilting to be featured and sometimes not, so choose thread that will do that job.

I don't either - on;y for applique

I don't match threads - I tried to use neutals whenever possible