JUNEC

I just went through boxes of sewing items - & found a ton of sewing needles - Question is --- How do you know which onces to use when???

lizzyq

I use quilting needles sometimes called betweens, size 10. They are short and have a small eye. I think that size is easiest to control when trying to make nice even stitches. Enjoy your hand stitching.

sharon b

Here is an explanation of some of the different needles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewing_needle

babyquiltlady

I use a needle that is sharp and can easily bend. I also like one that has a large enough eye that I can thread!!!! The quilting needles tend to be quite small in size, I like one just about that in length and thickness.

You adjust for you - control is most important. Keeping the stitches even is what you are striving for. If you pushing too hard and the needle is breaking too often than look for one a bit more strudy before you have a problem.

Enjoy your hand quilting.

JUNEC

If the needles are not in packages, is there anyway to tell what size they are???

tenngal

I'd like to know the answer to that, too. I have lots of needles from my mother-in-law's machine she left me.

NJ Quilter

I THINK I saw a needle-sizer ages ago - probably in JoAnn's. If you're asking about general sewing needs I look for the smallest needle possible that I think with work with the thread/fabric that I am using. Generally, the finer the fabric the smaller the needle. Most general sewing thread with fit through the eye of any hand sewing needle.

If you're asking about hand-quilting needles, yes, most people use a 'quilting between' needle. They are generally shorter/stronger than a general hand stitching needle. Personally for hand quilting I like Roxanne #11's or #12's (although the 12's can be tough to thread with a thicker hand-quilting thread).