Thread is different, and so are machines. A thread brand that works well in one may tangle in another. I had an old Kenmore that would probably have sewn with baling twine if I asked it to, but those machines are few and far between. Hand thread for quilting is usually glazed, and too stiff for most machines to deal with.
As to cables, you can either slip underneath, or go on to the next intersecting one. This is hard to explain, but take a pencil and paper and you will see what I'm saying.