I have never been able to find the right needle for doing hand applique with a batik fabric . The tight weave makes it almost impossible to pull the needle through. I end up with sore hands and frustration... and then just do a blind stich on the machine. What works for you?

i use roxanne applique needles; they come in a little tube (i think about 25 of them) and are very sharp and very thin, but the eye isn't so small i can't get the needle threader into it. they have worked well for me with appliquing batiks. are your applique pieces and your background all batiks? i have had the appliques batik but the background not...i have had the background batik and the appliques not...i have not tried it with both...but those needles are nice.

Thanks ! I will look for them ....I am trying to applique batik to batik.

A small pair of pointy grip pliers, I alway keep them handy. These are my own pair. I also use them when tying Qts

I did needle turn applique batik to non-batik, and batik to layered batik/non-batik.

I used a reqular applique needle. To pull it through (when particularly tough), I used a thin, flat, quarter-sized, piece of rubber to grip the sharp end of the needle to pull it through. However, I didn't need this too often.

Good luck!

I'm using John James straws right now, and have no trouble pulling the needle through. And I do batik-batik applique all the time.

If you have trouble threading the needle, cut the thread at an angle. Sometimes threading from the opposite side of the needle helps, as does wetting the needle eye.

I find that I only have trouble when the eye of the needle is too big, by the way.

are you using a fusable? i have found if i use heat & bond lite (or any other fusable) with the batiks it is near impossible to hand stitch. but if i am doing needle turn with nothing added i have no problems as long as i start with a new sharp needle. and i get out a new sharp needle as soon as mine shows signs of dulling.

No fusible , just batik being needle turned appliqued onto batik.

I use Bohn straws and they work great on batiks.