As far as I know the needles are also called "demi-longues" or, in German, "halblang". That means there are needles that are longer (milliners, sharps), but also shorter ones.
The John James pebbles is a little round box with several needles in it and it looks like a pebble or flintstone.

I KNOW how to hand quilt, just not good at it. I think they are called betweens because once you start hand quilitng on something, you are stuck BETWEEN a rock and a hard place!

I have tried John James and they were ok. I also tried Richard Hemming and the eye was just too tiny and once I got it threaded it bent really fast. My most favorite hand quilting needle are Roxanne needles. Her size 11 is the same as a Richard Hemming 12 and the eye is the largest on the market. They are also nice and sharp and very durable. A Roxanne needle lasts a long time before I bend it. I use the #11 size but will probably order 12 the next time I order. I also really like that they are packaged in a glass tube, 50 to a tube so they last a long time and are nicely protected.

Pam, I wasn't good at handquilting either until I discovered the correct size needle.

John James also offers a brand called "Big Eye" Needles. They have an extra large eye and I know many quilters here who love theses needles!

I'm going to give the Roxanne needles a try.

Keepsake quilting carries them here:
http://www.keepsakequilting.com/prod...%20needles.htm

I also just found them here for $1 less scroll down to about the middle of the page
http://www.colonialneedle.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi

I like that reasoning! :lol: :lol:

Yeah, I already ordered them from the Colonial Needle site. Can't wait to get them. I was so excited about the John James needles because I have only used the needles sold in JoAnn's and Walmart--after about a day they look like curved needles! My LQS sells the John James needles 10 for $3.10 so I'm really getting a good deal with the Roxanne's. Thanks for your suggestion!

I am a hand quilter, but Pam is right, a couple of times, I could have kicked myself in the butt for the project I started~ I ordered some of those John James needles and another kind, can't remember. I will see what I like.