I use the good old self-threading needles that allow me to pop the thread in from the top. I did buy one of the S shape needles for $6 and it bent on the first quilt I used it on. Yes, it can get tedious to tie and bury the tails...I had one block in a quilt that had 84 stops/starts that I buried...one 12" block at that! Oh what I will do for a MIL I love!!!