I like the auriful 12 wt thread. It comes in spools, two different sizes, that are easy to work with. The thread is strong and smooth, but the beauty of aurifil is that it comes in so many colors. I order it online from a company in Nevada that carries the full line of colors and have never been disappointed. I too like Jo Glover's quilting patterns and want to know how to replicate them or something like them. I know there are hand quilting pattern books available. How do you transfer a pattern that you like to the right size, then mark it on a quilt? So far I only know how to do stencils and freehand (which i am not good at.)