Welcome from Oregon and another hand-quilter (mostly)! I've appreciated your question and all the answers.

A small childs ballon will help ,or a strip of flexable rubber. The kind they use on you arm for a blood test. It really helps pull the needle through. Another thing is a whet stone for sharpening knives. I got a small one on a key chain and keep it in my sewing box. Its very quick to just sharpen the needle to me. Good Luck.

Marvel, I love your idea of the whet stone. I'm going to Home Depot to look for a little one!

The flexible rubber (for a blood test) is what I stretched over the low end of my thimble. It works like a charm. I got it at Ace.

Linda

Needle oil is the answer. I glued a cotton ball into an old lid and put several drops of neede oil on it. That is where I store my quilting needles - not in a pin cushion.