the needle size is dependant on the thread being used- not the fabric being sewn-
you could easily be pulling too much- bending your needle to hit the plate- it takes some time practicing to match your hand speed and machine speed. set your quilt aside- make a practice sandwich & do a little practicing- to get into a rhythm again...what did you change today from what you were doing yesturday? what kind of needle are you using? the size of the needle needs to be right for the thread- if that wasn't right you would be having stitch quality/tension problems or thread breakage- so it is probably correct. but the type of needle may not be right for the activity- but i bet you are just pulling too much...relax- put on some music- get into a flow- practice a bit-