Another vote for the John James Big Eye 11 Betweens, although a friend of mine can't get on with them at all. I can't remember if the eye is bigger than the eye on a standard 10, I haven't used a 10 in ages, but it might well be. I use Gutermann Sulky thread and seldom bother with a needle threader. As well as getting a good needle threader and all the general tips such as wetting both the eye and the thread, just get yourself a selection of different needles, perhaps a few different threads, and experiment until you find what suits you.