I have seen perel cotton on a larger ball, it's not quite as thick as the 2 strands I used. What I used was on a skein like embroidery floss. If you want to use your machine for a "hand quilted" look, one way is to put the colored thread in the bobbin and use a clear thread on the top. Adjust the tension so that the bobbin thread comes up to the top of the fabric. Do this by tightening the top tension and lowering the bottom tension.