Glazed cotton works beautifully, it provides a strong smooth thread that resists tangling. It is certainly the thread we recommended for beginner hand quilters and is used by experienced quilters the world over.
Katherine enjoys using 40wt for hand quilting, it nests very nicely into the quilt surface. The compromise is shorter lengths of thread and regular movement of the thread in the eye of the needle to prevent fraying.
If the quilt is needing a chunkier stitch then a 28wt or even a 12wt can create beautiful quilt texture.