As long as we're thread confessing... I've bought a TON of thread at estate sales (some of it probably 50 years old) and that's what I use. As long as the color is close, that's all that matters. Not like anyone sees the seams, right?

Don't square my quilt ... just try to keep blocks square and near same size :)

It is a good idea to make sure the thread is still strong before using it.. Whatever the brsnd.

I find all your replies very interesting. Personally, I don't believe in Quilt Police. I am of the "Love me, love my flaws" way of life.

We are artists, and therefore we have the right to interpret our version of that art any way we desire. I may not love your technique, but can still love that you are an artist, and respect your interpretation.

I haven't been quilting all that long, only about 7 or 8 years. But I was born with a needle in one hand and scissors in the other. I was an apparel and home dec sewer till I decided to sew for the pure enjoyment of it. If there ARE quilt police, they materialize occasionally as my mother sitting on my shoulder, telling me I shouldn't be putting blue and green together, or plaids and stripes....if you grew up in the 40s and 50s you will understand. My biggest challenge is getting past matchy matchy and being able to coordinate.

So I say, in my nearly 74 years of sewing wisdom, if your thread doesn't match perfectly, if your points are missing, or your seams aren't perfect, take joy in your creativity. It's not the road you travel to get to the destination, but the fact that you got there. I say POO on the Quilt Police!

I agree with the poo on quilt police, but have some trepidation on the just so long as you get there part.....and yes, I understand the plaids don't go with stripes comment......

I really want to get my points to match, and my blocks to be square and correct size, and strips without bows, etc. and I really work hard at all of that....that gives me the satisfaction I need to continue down this quilted road.....I don't like things that are "well, that's close enough"..to me that's careless and I don't accept it... But that's just my way of doing everything I do, I guess.

I just started reading this thread. You guys are hysterical! I'm relatively new to quilting....and was stressing over all the things one needs to know, and the perfection involved. My mind just doesn't work like that. Turns out it doesn't have to. ;)

To the poster who asked if anyone uses tape....glad to know I'm not the only one! Yes, I use blue painter's tape. It's great for when something is cut wonky and I need to straighten out the edge prior to sewing. Or when one of the pieces is a little short on the seam allowance. I use the tape to extend the seam allowance a bit.

This is kind of like string quartet when I get lost. I just play real quiet, or don't play at all, just move the bow around for a while until I find my place again. Sometimes I'll just play whole notes on a note that seems like it's part of the chord until I get caught up.

Love this thread! Plan to show it to my quilting/sewing group, just have 7 or 8 ladies but a couple resist change or accepting different ways of quilt techniques. This will help a lot.

When I started, I thought that one had to match the colors "exactly"

Then I read a book by Jinny Beyer about "bridging" the colors in a print - very liberating - and the results were a lot more interesting!

I also thought that the thread I used for piecing had to "match" whatever I was sewing. About the only time I worry about this now if I am sewing light "solid" colors to light "solid" colors or very dark "solid" colors to very dark "solid" colors. Black thread for piecing whites did not work out well - that line of thread just had to show through a bit - nor did white thread for piecing blacks together - if the stitching was pulled apart, the white showed a bit.

Point matching, grain lines, etc. do matter to me - for MY projects.
Brand names don't.
"Quality" suitable for my purposes does matter to me.

So - the things that I do that might get the dreaded quilt police after me -
I use VIP fabrics (along with many other brands), Coats & Clark thread (along with several other brands), sometimes I've even used "inexpensive" polyester thread!, middle-aged sewing machines , and hardly ever use starch/sizing.

I have several 20 year old "everyday" quilts that seem to be holding up fairly well!

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