onemoe

I always cut my threads on the slant

lots2do

Watch your eyes, in case you do hit one.

RedGarnet222

One tip I remember since I read your title before opening it up was to draw a hand needle over the side of your nose, the oils make it glide though the fabric. I know sounds kinda unsanitary for these days. It was in a very old book and years ago when I used to do a lot of hand piecing, it worked when the needle was giving me fits.

The other tip was to hold a needle up to a light background before trying to thread it. It really helps to see the eye better. Also, remember that thread has a twist in it that makes the end coming off the spool the right side to thread through the needle.

Cedar

This is how I learned. Grandma explained that you have to go slow over each pin and use the thinnest pins possible. I only do this when matching seams and the pin is perpendicular to the fabric. She started the lesson by asking me what happens when you sew over pins and I told her you'd break your needle and she said that that could happen and that you needed to go slow not to. I've accidentally hit one pin so far (1 lap quilt, one full quilt top, one pincushion of tiny squares and 6 potholders) but I've broken more needles experimenting with different threads and making balls.

jclinganrey

((again, readers may gasp)) I sew over my needles almost all the time with no problem in 30+ years of sewing/quilting.

Jane

wildyard

You know, it's weird, but I have always done this automatically, without being really aware of it. It must be something I saw my mother and/or grandmother doing as they sewed. My machine is new, but I still wet the needle with my finger, lol, and I wet a regular needle's eye to thread it. I also wet the end of the thread when threading the needles or putting it thru the little hole on the bobbin before I wind it.
It wasn't until reading this thread that I realized that I have been doing this.

NopahDesertRat

I hate hand basting and have sewn over pins for years. The old machines with fixed presser foot, it doesn't work, you will hit a pin. The hinged presser feet were designed so you could sew over pins.
Have I hit any pins? Yes, more than I can remember, broken a needle caused a problem, yes, yes. Do I still sew over pins, yes. It never caused me any major problems. Sometimes you just know there is going to be a problem so I remove the pin a stitch before the machine gets to it. I like to use very thin pins unless sewing on heavy denim or canvas and then I do remove the pins.

heartofwisdom

Would you do this on a hexie flower? Wondering if the seams would be too bulky inside?