Yes. I bend No 11 and No 12. They are so tiny and do a lot of work.

I use betweens11 or 12.

I really think its the brand of needle used. I use John James needles size 11 and do not have problems. Also for hand sewing or applique I love Straw needles. they are very fine and go thru the fabric like butter.

I bend and break hand quilting needles all the time. I have a large supply of them, so I just discard the bent and broken ones and get out another. fyi: I discard them in my diabetic needle sharp storage container. It's a good place to put bent and rusty pins. Keeps them out of my regular trash.

Yes I bend my 12 tweens but it doesnt bother me .I have been quilting for at least 50 years. lol

I use #10 betweens and yes they can bend. Makes going around curves easier! LOL! I think that if the quilt is too tight in the frame or rhe quilt is being difficult to stitch through, that's when the needles bend.
When I discard needles, I fold them into a piece of paper and tape it up securely with masking tape.
Happy quilting!

I like Roxanne #11 except that they are so short I have a problem hanging on to them. Generally end up with John James #10. For applique I find straw needles thicker than others but that makes them stronger and tho they bend they don't break as some others do.

I had forgotten all about that little trick. It sure works. I ran lots of diaper pins thru by hair back in those days. LOL

I hand quilt in a hoop and bent needles until I switched to Roxanne's size 9. I still bend them but not nearly as often.

I find that I bend more needles working on a floor frame than on a lap frame. I like my quilts a little looser in the frame. It's easier to quilt it with a little slack and I'm bending less needles. I use a 9 or 10. I buy 2 to 3 packages at a time and just work until I can't use the bent one anymore, then I start another.