:Hey....I remember doing that....that was a long time ago!

Welcome from San Gabriel, California

I use either Roxanne or John James betweens and usually have 5-6 threaded so that I don't have to stop and re-thread and I am not using the same one all the time. Once the needle gets a bend in it - time to throw it away. (I put my used/broken pins and hand or machine needles in an old prescription bottle. Less dangerous than just tossing in the garbage.

i USE THE SIZE 9 NEEDLES BY CLOVER. THEY ARE VERY SHARP, ALSO VERY SMALL BUT THEY GO THROUGH THE LAYERS SO EASY. ALSO KEEP A PAIR OF SMALL NEEDLE NOSED PLIERS HANDY WHEN IT WON'T PULL THROUGH EASY ENOUGH FOR ARTHRITIC FINGERS.

There is a product called thread heaven, look on line, you just run your thread through the little can and it makes your thread go through the material easier.

Old quilter-when I started quilting we did not have the nice slection of needles that we do now, we would runthe needle through our hair every once in a while. It seamed to oil the needle with out making a mess.

Try bees wax

after some many use's i change my needle http://hubpages.com/hub/Hand-sewing-...Sewing-Needles this might help

I find it gets like that from your own hands, the oil, wash your
hands and just wipe off the needle. Good Luck.

I like Clover needles. Also, if using a hoop, I agree that the "sandwich" shouldn't be too tight.

I have a tiny (1/4 inch) of surgical tubing that I got from Ace Hardware around my thimble. When I grip the needle with my thumb and thimble finger, the needle pulls through easily.

Linda