Like everything else the quality is not as good as it used to be in quilting needles. I have a package of John James betweens and I do like them. I keep a needle threader handy at my frame and also one of the little rubber/plastic flexible discs for pulling the loaded needle through. I usually use an ordinary metal thimble but I recently bought the flexible plastic thimble with the metal top. It fits nicely and is a pretty pink colour but I am having a hard time getting used to it. I don't hand quilt as much as I used to but I try to do one hand quilted quilt a year. The old saying, "use it or lose it" applies to hand quilting skills too. If there are any upcoming quilt shows with vendors, check out what they have in way of hand quilting supplies.