I've used curved needles in the past. Very large ones for carpets are easy enough to work with as there's plenty to get hold of. I found that fine needles, unless I held on to them very tightly and uncomfortably, kept slipping between my fingers and twisting flat. I couldn't keep sewing with it for very long. I overcame the problem by holding the needle in a small pair of pliers and handling the needle rather like a nurse or surgeon does when suturing. A bit tricky because you have to hold the pliers shut round the needle.
I've just got one out of my needle casefor the first time in a few years and tried it using a small pair of three and a half inch locking forceps (from the fishing shop - they sell those as well as hackle pliers) and it was easier than I remember because the needle was locked in place in the jaws of the forceps so I was only using them to guide the needle rather than hold and guide. Jean in Poole - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED]
