I'm just getting serious about learning how to hand piece a quilt. I have Jinney Beyer's book on hand sewing and she uses a quilting between. Because of the way she holds her thread and fabric she is able to use such a small needle but I haven't gotten the hang of it, yet. She's FAST!
So instead I have been having good luck using a size 10 milliners needle by Richard Hemming & Son. It's got a nice length for holding onto, it's thin but yet strong enough for piecing and I think it would work for binding, too. It slips right through the fabric without any drag.