It finally happened. I outgrew my tools.
My cheap hand needles are too blunt at the tips and not enough thinness to pick up running stitches on woven cotton. The shape is altogether wrong. Should I look for a particular kind of needle class? I know not to buy crewel. Or will any packet of needles from the quilt shop do the job? It is funny though. I do have some vintage needles from the 1950s or so and the shape is better. I have no idea whether they were cheap door to door sales needles or specialty needles though. And they are all too large and leave too much of a hole in the fabric. I checked.