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Plum Cottage BearsWhat size and type of hand sewing needles are used to make miniature bears? I do not usually make bears under 8 inches high, so I am asking the miniaturists among us. Thank you.
Hi Gail , I can tell you what my favourite needles are - but I'm not sure if I'm all that "typical" 
I use only Pony (brand) Beading needles ; size 10/12 . I personally like the way they get bendy , as they're ultra-fine , without snapping .
They are a bit longer than ordinary hand sewing needles , but they just seem to suit me 
Unfortunately in the UK they can be a devil to find !!
Mini Hugs , Ruth
Walnut Tree Corner Bears By GailHi Gail,
I also use beading needles like Ruth as they are very fine, but I also sometimes use the short length needles that I think are meant for quilting. They are a bit thicker than the beading needles, but I would think that any needle you feel comfortable with will do as long as it isn't to thick, as you don't want to have any visible needle holes. 
Newcastle, OntarioI used to use a size 12 quilting needle exclusively, when I did bears under 3 inches but I got tendonitis from using them. I forced mysef to use a larger needle and to my surprise, I found I actually worked faster, Now I use any standard reasonably sized needle - it's much easier on my hands.
hugs,
Brenda
Cat Gabriel CraftsHi Gail,
I have always used a size 12 quilting needle for my miniatures.
Wazza Bears AustraliaI use size 12 straws which are like quilting needle but they all the same width from tip to tip. I also use invisible thread to sew . I use mastex thread to close seams.
TeenytinyteddybearsAlso use tiny quilting needles. No idea what size. Was given an envelope of them and guard them with my life. Have a huge problem getting needles here, was sewing along merrily the other day and thread kept "coming out" the eye was broken 
Chaska, MinnesotaI use John James #12. They come in quilting or regular. I use regular Sharps #12 for they are a little longer. The quilting needles are too short for me and my hands hurt. But more importantly, they are very thin and wonderful.
Matilda Huggington-beareI use size 12 'bigeye' (for easier threading) quilting needles. Anything else feels like a knitting needle 
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Mine are made by John James/Colonial - #8 for sewing & #10 for noses. I guess they'd be considered 'Embroidery'.
They have a Golden Eye: Large aperture.
I have relatively large hands/fingers and you need at least one and a half fingers on a side of a needle to be effective: one to hold it and the other space to push at one end while advancing at the other.
Those #12s just about disappear between my thumb & middle finger once I squeeze down on them, so I guess it comes down to the size of ones' hands.
Bobbie
I also use a #8 or # 10 John James quilting needle. I have #12's too, but can spend 30 minutes trying to thread one and the slightly larger ones are more comfortable for me. I'm going to check out some of the other options mentioned here, too.
Hugs,
Ellen
I use different sized needles for different things. Mainly I use John James needles for stitching the parts together, but I also use a smaller sharp for embroidering, and I have a larger needle with a narrow but larger eye in it for adding eyes and jointing. It's not a doll needle...I can't even really say what kind of needle it is but it's about 2 times the length of a standard sewing needle. I found it in my mother's sewing supplies when she passed away. I hope I never lose it because I'd be lost without it as I use it on nearly everything I make in one way or the other. When I drop it on the floor I panic until I find it again!!
/bearhugs,
Sarian Miniature BearsDoes anyone know where I can get more of these needles....?
I can't remember where I bought these from and I'm struggling to find anything of the same size as they are 22mm long and really, really fine. You'd think that being made in England and me living in the UK would make this an easy task but I'm not having much luck! 
I bought some Clover gold-eye quilting needles, Size 12 (0.53mm width x 24.4mm long) and Size 10 (0.46mm width x 25.4mm long) from the Cottonpatch.co.uk and I have some Piecemaker hand applique, size 12 needles too but I find that they are still 'chunky' and not as fine as my Madeira needles. I'm down to my last two needles and really would like some more.
Can anyone help please? 
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Gosh, this is an old 'thread'.. LOL!! And there doesn't seem to be anything about this company on even Google, which is a bit of a surprise. What little I could glean are these 2 bits: a reference to their manufacture and a reference to their suitability on an embroidery chat list, about the 4th or 5th post down.
MADEIRA NEEDLES:
Madeira Large Eye string polished needles create a finer needle that can be used with a thicker thread. Precision manufactured in Germany, these stainless steel needles run in most machines to create superb embroidery with fewer thread or needle breaks.
and -
http://www.amayausers.com/boards/cgi-bi … 4;t=000556
To go OT for a minute - back in 2008, I mentioned the John James large (golden) eyed, #8 & #10 needles which I used during my decade+ of sewing minis and for kit supplying.
I haven't done this for over a decade and know that I never will again, but still have needles left - at least as many as fit in a canister for a roll of 35 mm film for each size...several hundred?
I'd be happy to split these up and share these out to some of the TTers here, or all to one person, for the cost of shipping and any PP fees if that's how the fee is sent.
I think the pkg should weigh about 1/2 lb or less...
Sarian Miniature BearsHi Bobbie,
Thanks for your reply and your kind offer. I've done a search on the John James 'big eye' needles and I think they are bigger than I want and similar to the replacement needles I bought. However, I've seen some short John James beading needles which look extremely fine with small eyes which are the same width as the rest of the needle. Has anyone else here used beading needles for minis? If so, how do you find them...?
Sarah,
I use the short John James beading needles and sew my minis using super ion beading thread that I get from sassy bears. I love these needles because they don't leave a hole and slide through the fabric nicely. They can be a tad bit hard to sew with if you have long fingernails, which I do. They just take some getting used to. I also use the curved beading needles for attaching the ears.
Hugs,
Sarian Miniature BearsThanks Gijzette,
Incidentally, how long are the short John James needles? My super fine Madeira ones are just 22mm which I find a nice easy size to work with.
Many thanks,
Sarah
Sarah,
I use the short John James beading needles and sew my minis using super ion beading thread that I get from sassy bears. I love these needles because they don't leave a hole and slide through the fabric nicely. They can be a tad bit hard to sew with if you have long fingernails, which I do. They just take some getting used to. I also use the curved beading needles for attaching the ears.
Hugs,
Hi Sarah,
As luck would have it I broke my last one a week ago and haven't been to the store to get any more. I believe they are an 1" long which would be roughly 25 mm. I also like to use the John James #12 quilting needles and they are roughly 22 mm and about the same thickness.
Hugs,
Sarian Miniature BearsThank you so much! I will give both of those a try and see which is the best. It's so frustrating when something you have been using for the past couple of years is impossible to find again and the replacements don't quite match up.
Hugs,
Hi Sarah,
As luck would have it I broke my last one a week ago and haven't been to the store to get any more. I believe they are an 1" long which would be roughly 25 mm. I also like to use the John James #12 quilting needles and they are roughly 22 mm and about the same thickness.
Hugs,
