Sorry but I missed the fact that your question was about FMQ...my comment on threads is still appropriate, however. Regarding a needle - several quilters I know and have also read about use nothing but topstitch needles for their piecing and quilting - they have larger eyes and scarfs and accommodate many different kinds of threads..usually a 12 or maybe a sizw 14 would work.
There are many good threads on the market. I'd suggest purchasing the best you can...my experience is that Coats and Clark is generally of lesser quality and breaks more easily, tho many on the board really like it. Look for long staple threads, which create less fuzz and break less, Egyptian cotton is also good, but these are also the more expensive types, so you need to try out several. It also appears that some machines work better with some threads..tho I've never experienced that myself.