I have this machine for a few months and absolutely love it. Great for making purses and going over thick seams. The second I sat down with the machine to test it I knew it was coming home with me. Any thread is fine. I really haven't FMQ much on it as I have a long arm, but I did practice a little and it stitched very well. On a domestic machine I usually FMQ with a 14/90 topstitch needle, so I would recommend trying those.