a great tip i discovered!
 

was having a very hard time threading my size 12 clover quilting needles. I had asked in another thread if the 10 eyes were bigger but I like using 12.the king tut variegated thread is thicker and would not work with my expensive bohn needle threader I love so much.
Also broke 2 of the cheap ones from walmart, so this morn I tried dipping the end in fray check and letting it dry and was able to thread 12 with no threader!!!!!
Gale

great idea. thanks.

What a great idea, thanks!

OMG....size twelve! Bless you.....I stop at 10! I have that needle threader and used it for awhile doing hexies, but found it was shredding the thread, so now just eyeball! Now to find my fray check. Great tip! I was thinking clear nail polish.

great tip! thanks for sharing

Very cool idea - I will have to remember that. I actually use old fashion beeswax (you know that silly disk that clover sells?).

That's a good idea. I have used hairspray before too.

Thanks for the great idea. It will come in handy as my eyes sure aren't as good as they used to be. I also just ordered one of those LED lighted needle threaders so hope that helps too. It was on sale for $4.50 so thought it was worth a try.

Good tip. FYI Roxanne size 11 hand quilting needles are as small as 12 but have a bigger eye like a 10. I love Roxanne needles and now am spoiled and won't use anything else. You may wish to give them a try as well.

Yes! Isn't that wonderful? I did that when using a heavier thread for a "big stitch" pattern. I cut several lengths of thread at a time and "dipped" them to let them dry before I needed them.

Thank you for posting this!

Elmer's works too. :)

And you do cut your thread end at a sharp angle to make it pointy to go through the eye, don't you?

I never would have thought of this! Thanks for the tip. I use the bees wax on my threads. Good tip on the Roxanne needles too. Anyone else have trouble with the inferior needles they make these days? They actually bow/bend in the middle before one project is finished.

Super idea, I love king tut thread.

To save time, you can thread all of your size 12 needles at once and have them dangling off of the spool until ready for the next use. When you need the next needle, just separate the closest needle to the thread tip from the others keeping the others at the spool. Pull out the amount of thread you want with the one needle in that section. Now you only have to worry about putting the fray check on once for all of your needles.

What a fantastic idea. Thanks for sharing.

Great suggestion. Never would have thought of using it for threading a needle.

Clear nail polish works also--or colors might help you guide.

Brilliant!!!

What a fantastic idea. Thanks for sharing.

I am in a quilting group that began over 30 years ago. I am a new member of about 3 yrs. Sally, the originator, told me not to put the thread in my mouth to get it thru the needle's eye. She said to "Spit on the needle's eye". Guess what? It works like a charm!

Try using top stitch needles in your machine. The eye is about twice as big as usual.

Try bees wax to stiffen the thread---also a product called Thread Heaven---love that stuff---thread doesn't tangle and slips through like silk--also dip the point of sewing machine needle in it---makes it glide through the fabric

The Fray Check or bees wax are excellent ideas. So is the wetting the needle, not the thread; you don't even have to cut the thread unless it is quite fuzzy.

But Mary Fonz uses the grease on her nose. I saw her do that yesterday, but can't find the site now. She rubs the bridge of her nose with her thumb and pointer finger, then grasps the thread end to get some of the grease on it. Hilarious!

Way to go!!! Necessity is the mother of invention. lol

I agree totally with this. I also find that with the Roxanne needles that it's really important to use their threader...works much better than the clover brand wire threaders.

Way cheaper to go online and buy "beeswax" than to buy the little clover holder. I just store mine in a baggie to keep the furkid fur off of it....lol! (I think I paid about $7.50 for s good size chunk)

Great tips - necessity truly is the Mother of invention. It's so frustrating to not be able to thread needles as easily as we used to. Maybe the eyes are being made smaller. Just a thought. LOL.

The very best hint I have ever gotten was to clip the thread for a good end and use your finger to wet the hole of the needle - NOT the thread. The thread will go right thru the hole on the first try. Believe me I was NEVER able to thread a needle. This also works for the needle on the sewing machine.

let me know how you make out.

Thank you for sharing.

Thanks so much for these hints. I really needed to know these things. The older I get, the smaller the eyes seem to get.

This goes to show you how simple my mind is, I thought you dipped the end of the needle into the fray check, just call me "amelia bedelia". (I think I'm past intervention help).

Wow, another use for the bottles of Fraycheck that I have just sitting in a drawer. Thanks for the tip. Will put a bottle in my EPP kit

I have found that if you can't get the thread in the eye turn the needle around & try the other side. It works for me

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Yep used beeswax for years and still will .. Thanks for the tip, I may use that in the future !

Thanks for the great tip. Very clever.

Oh you clever girl. Wonderful idea! Thanks for sharing.

Great Idea.. Thank you for passing that along as it will help many of us.

How long does it take to dry?

Thanks for the tip...