Originally Posted by MadQuilter

Because turnips don't lay flat? <gggg>

Actually, in my class on machine maintenance, I got a neat tip about the tomato. If you mark a grid on one with a sharpie, you can label the sections for the different machine needle sizes and poke your used (but still reasonably good) needles in the appropriate sections. Or if you need to change out the needle for a different size. Your tomato - your rules.