I have tried all the expensive brands of hand quilting thread and keep going back to the cheap Americana hanD quilting thread that Joannes sells for 99cents!! It frays less, tangles less and breaks less...I think hard to pull through is just a normal thing when hand quilting..I have found that running my thread thru "thread Heaven" helps greatly. Also I use John James Easy glide needles..the thread, thread treatment and needles can make a big difference in ease of quilting