DMC silk.

TIRE silk thread, 100 wt.

It just melts in and disappears. Hides a multitude of stitching errors. ;-)

Aurifil.

YLI silk for needle turn.

I use 60 wt Mettler and the frosted donut which is Superior Masterpiece thread in 36 different colors, very fine nice thread.

Yep, the 100wt.

I'm using Bottom Line by Superior Threads - You can buy bobbin assortments of the different colors, but I mostly use a light and medium grey and a light and medium taupe - those four colors almost disappear in nearly all the fabrics I'm using in one quilt top.

The other quilt top I'm doing is a little more exacting, and I'm using a rose pink, a brick red, a leaf green and a hunter green for those pieces. They're invisible.

I had tried Masterpiece, Mettler, YLI 100 silk, clear nylon and smoke nylon - if they weren't invisible, they shredded or snarled easily or kept falling out of the needle. The Bottom Line threads handle a lot easier.

If you're already using a very fine matching thread, maybe you're just not bringing your needle up close enough to the fold? I don't know how experienced you are, so I just mention that as a possibility. I wasn't doing that at first, either and the stitches were showing more than I wanted them to. I think it just takes practice.

I asked the ladies at the quilt store if they thought I was doing okay with the stitch size and the owner laughed and said, "Okay!? They're microscopic, are you kidding!?" That made me happy because, not knowing what I'm doing, I was afraid I was stitching too big. So maybe you just need to catch a couple fewer threads when you come back up to the top?

Good luck - hope it's lots of fun for you! :)

I use YLI silk thread, but it's very much a personal choice. You probably want to try several types of thread until you find out what you like, and even then it may change with each project.

For hand applique - YLI 100 silk to match the applique pieces. The YLI 50 is too heavy. Once in awhile I will use a 60/2 ply. Still haven't tried Superior's thread.

I have only used Gutermann thread. I have very good result with it. I do make very tiny stitches. I would like to try silk thread sometime, as I have heard good things about it. My advice would be to match your thread to the piece you are appliquing down, not the background fabric. Make tiny stitches, using a milliners' or straw needle. Get as close to the fold as you possibly can. With just a little practice, you will be stitching like a pro!