The WOW! - After reading many recommendations and comments, I finally broke down and bought a new Viking Platinum 770. WOW! All of you who said that it would improve my piecing were absolutely correct! This machine is awesome. It glides over layers of stitching as well as pins. I bought this in January but have only recently really been able to utilize it - and not even anywhere near it's fullest. It was an upgrade from my old mechanical White Rotary 'school' type machine. OMG what a difference. I've been piecing a queen + size top and I would not be anywhere near as far into the process as I am now with my old machine. What a difference! Now - if I could only learn to cut more accurately I might get somewhere!
Now to the frustration. I hand quilt. I have to say I have not recently searched the forum for comments/recommendations on needles. Have any of you been overly frustrated by the eyes of the needles breaking? I'm on my fourth or fifth different manufacturer of needles all with similar results. Maybe it's me but I seem to be terribly hard on needles! I quilt with a metal thimble. As I am a 50+er I even tried the John James large eye needles but I can't seem to pull them through the fabric without pliers! I've tried the typical needles from JoAnns' (clover?); Colonly (I think - from LQS) and today Piecemakers from LQS. I went through 3 needles in an hour!
Granted - I'm working on the quilt from he&& - been working on this monster (again - queen sized) for about 3 years off and on between piecing and quilting. It was supposed to be a 15th anniversary gift for DB and SIL. They might get it by year 20! I'm really determined to finish this in the next 3 months so I can give this to them when I see them over the summer - but sheesh - the betweens are making me crazy!
Anyone have any recommendations on hand-quilting needles that don't break when looking at/breathing on them?
Thanks, Kim in NJ