I just read GAgal's topic about burying threads after quilting. Someone recommended a cheater needle. I've seen posts about this before, but can't seem to find the needles. I've looked at Joann's, Hobby Lobby and LQS. Are they a specialty item only available online or something?
Thanks for any help.
gaga

I think they're called Self-Threaded Needles. I don't have the packaging anymore.

Yep, that's what they're called.
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/p...RODID=prd49467

I think I got mine at Houston, but I'm sure they are made by many companies.

If you look closely, you'll see the top is shaped a bit differently. It has a slit in it, and it allows you to just "pop" the thread in. And then you can sew with it.
Personally, I don't recommend using it for regular sewing - I did the binding on a quilt with it and really cut up my fingers.
Those are sharp points on top.

But to use it to bury threads - such a pleasure.
And makes the whole process go quickly.


And then there's this one:
http://www.spiraleyeneedles.com/
Very cool looking, but a lot pricier. It's actually the only pop-up I ever saw here that was interesting enough to click through to see more. ;-)

wow, thanks for the information and the link

You can also find self threading needles under the Clover brand and the John James brand. I found some at Hobby Lobby a while back.

Nancy's Notions mail order has them

I have alot of these needles. My mother in law gave me them before she died. I use them for handsewing the binding on the quilts. I like them alot as I am visually handicapped and I can't see to thread regular needles.

I think the one I'm using was a John James.
I just picked the first one for the post upthread.

But clearly Joann's has a selection.

Here's Dritz:
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/p...RODID=prd34021

Here's John James
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/p...RODID=prd17943
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/p...RODID=prd49459

And what the heck is this? Interesting.
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/p...RODID=prd38563
I'll have to pick up some of these next time.

Thank you all for the information. Thank you Airwick 156. I sent you a pm.

All needles have a groove above the eye, if you aim in that general direction with a sharp thread you will hit the eye of the needle. Just push in and down with the thread.

i recently got the spiral eye needles. they are made just down the road from me :) i love the ease of threading the needle.

I know what self threading needles are but how do they help to "bury a thread". Maybe I should ask what is meant by burying a thread?

You run the needle through the batting only, not the back, and come up about an inch away from where you went in. You pull it a bit taut and cut it where it came out. It will release back and disappear into the quilt.

This is great when machine quilting as you don't have those bumps you sometimes get when you stop and start quilting (if it's in the middle of the quilt).
When you're done with a particular area, you bring the bobbin thread up to the top, and then leave a longer tail on both threads before you cut.

Some people bury right away. I prefer to come back and do a bunch at a time. Depending on the quilting pattern, it could be when the whole quilt it finished.

And that's why these needles are so handy. You don't have to spend a lot of time trying to get both threads through the needle. You can just pop them in the self threaded needles and bury them. Then on to the next one. ;-)

I just went to a craft fair and was looking at buying some of the spiral eye needles until I saw the price $28 australian dollars for a pack of 3 or 4...eek!

They are diff sold at the Joann store.

okay, here is my dumb question. If I machine quilt why would I bury the threads? I have a stop button my machine which I use. When I hand quilt, I do bury those threads.

Not a dumb question.
I don't particularly care for how that looks. Whether I use the stop button, or take really small stitches.
Especially if there is a huge contrast between the thread and fabric.

Could be the way my machine sews.
But I do it for all the threads in the center. If the stitch line is going off the edge, obviously, I don't bother.

Personal preference. ;-)