I use thread designed for hand quilting. I believe that Connecting Threads carries a nice line, I believe that's where I got mine. My needle is a between that's usually a size 10. I also use a mid-sized hoop (smaller you have to move it more, larger get too cumbersome for me to handle). I do most of my handquilting in the winter on my lap when I'm watching TV as it also keeps me warm.