Since the quilts I've tied have mostly been for friend's daughters or granddaughters, I've used narrow satin ribbon, cut just longer than needed to double knot and then make a small bow. I know they won't stay tied in the bow, but retying the bows is one of those 'I'm bored, what can I do' activities that can entertain a youngster on a road trip.
The thing I found most helpful was to use a REALLY big needle and then the needle nosed pliers for pulling it through the really tough spots.