Your star is beautiful!
I love to handpiece in the evening while watching baseball games. I do the same as Abby.
You might try some different types of needles until you find which works the best for you. I used to like sharps. Now my arthritis doesn't allow me to bend the fingers on my sewing hand very easily, so I use a longer milliners needle. I also work with needle until it feels dull or gets bent and then I ditch it. Life is too short to struggle with dull needles.