I mix fabrics, often placing LQS fabric right next to WalMart fabric.
Was showing my daughter how to hem sleep shorts, this afternoon. "I'm gonna explain the right way to do this, then I'll show you how
I do it." She agreed my way is easier/faster, therefore better.
I'm another, who seldom changes the needle. If it breaks or bends, it gets changed. For some unexplained reason, this has never caused me any problems.