Schoolteacher, I had the same problem with getting the needle to go thru where the glue was. I found I was using too much glue with the regular Elmer's Glue bottle so I found the small tips you can get so you can direct the glue exactly where you want it. I find using just a pin prick of glue holds the seams, bindings, etc. for me and its no longer a problem. I clean the tip after each day's work so its ready for the next day's activities.
Suz in Iowa