Kay,
Under the bottom label there is a nick in the spools. There's a little tail under the label in that slit or nick in the spool. I have to use a different color paper from Norah, but I do hold a paper behind my needle and I also have a penlight to hold in my other fingers to shine on the "eye" sometimes.
I don't like the monofilament thread but I have had to use it to sew patches on before....
Sharon