I am 'frugal' and when I decided I wanted to to Margaret Docherty's "Little Brown Bird" quilt, I had no applique supplies, but I do have an entire set of ThreaDelight polyester machine embroidery thread (260 cones). It's very sturdy and comes in nearly all the colors I need, so that's what I use, with hand-quilting needles (betweens); I have no problems with either. My stitches are tiny, uniform, and virtually invisible. I press my blocks (face down in on a terry towel ... not me, the blocks) and it's all good.