Today my quilting ground to a halt when I discovered that I’m out of Schmetz Jeans/Denim 70/10 needles. I’m never out of needles. In fact, I do have dozens of packages of needles, just none of this type and size.

I used up all my Jeans/70 needles quilting my latest quilt, which is about 90″ by 100″. I’m halfway finished with the quilting, and I like the results with the combination of needle, thread and tension setting. I change needles every few hours: I don’t drive with flat tires and I don’t sew with blunt needles. So I go through a fair amount of needles on these longer, never ending projects!

I crisscrossed Bend looking for this kind of needle. No luck. One clerk tried to talk me out of using a Jeans needle, telling me I shouldn’t be quilting with it at all. But that’s why they make all sorts of needles, so you can match up the sewing task and the thread type with the perfect needle.

I called quilter friends. No luck. One friend said I was thinking too much about it, just go up to an 80/12. She’s half right- I do over think things on occasion. But not this time.

I don’t think I’m being obsessive about it. What’s that expression? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it? How about: If you’re getting good thread tension, don’t change a thing?