Can you just unthread that needle rather than try to back track thru that line of thread? I don't use that thread for hand quilting, altho I have not h/q in awhile. I have used the h/q thread from hif and am pleased with it. I knew a group of h/q-ers who melted wax then dipped their whole spools of thread into it...I don't know what kind of thread they used, but it looked like just C&C type spools......they've done that for years.......lost contact with them