When I was a kid I use to help my mother tie quilts. She didn't quilt either. We used a large needle and would, put one hand under the quilt and push the needle unto the top through to the bottom and pull the needle through, then push it up from the bottom through the top and pull it out there, then leave a tail on the end of the thread long enough to tie the knot. We always used the bedspread crochet thread, not yarn. We even did blue jean quilts with a blanket for the batting.
Hope this helps.