penski

i throw mine away ,but before i do i try to get as much use out of them i can

Wanabee Quiltin

I was told that needles have a use life. I started adding up the hours sewing and then I get a new one. My machine does not like old needles.

scisyb220

Great suggestion for sharpening needles, never would have thought of that!! Good luck on your new PT job! I just started one last week & am sure having a tough time with sore feet!! Not used to standing still for 4 hours at a time. Hope I can hang in there with it.

bluteddi

Good luck with ur new job too.... I had to retire back in 2004 from commercial jobs. With medical issues, making it difficult to be consistant with hours / standing for extended periods of time/ walk very far/etc..... This job will literally be PT. Fill in for vacations and sick days only.... they told me it could be 1- 100 hrs per YEAR!!?? I'm nervous..... I've never worked in this field before...... but wont know until I try.... medical issues are better now , so I'm hoping... DH supports us , so I dont have that stress of keeping food on the table and roof over out heads.....

I seriously will adopt any used ( unbent/unbroken) needles anyone wants to donate...... I may only get a few small project out of them, after I sharpen. but Every little frugual , recycling thing I can do helps.... Yep, I stop and pick up pennies too...... LOL

orangeroom

I usually use my needles until they break on me. I've never heard of them having a 'shelf life' or having to change needles with every project. I can't begin to think of how many I'd go through.

wvdek

I put mine in a jar and then throw them away in the Sharps container at school we use for our needles. You could prabably put them in your doctors office Sharps container if you ask.

Momsmurf

Yes they do!

I use them for that purpose all the time. If the hanging is small and under a couple pounds, one does the trick. For heavier items I might use four...two together on either side of the frame. I also have put one on each side corner at the bottom of the frame to act as a "ledge" on which to rest the frame.

They leave virtually no visible hole at all.

Wunder-Mar

If they are broken or bent, I give them to a friend who disposes of them in the medical waste bin at her office. It's the safest way to get rid of sharps in my view.

I sharpen the used needles in an emery "strawberry" (like the ones that hand off the tomato pin cusions) and use them for flannel or felt projects.

If they're gently used, I do what "gale" does - put them aside for projects and crafts that don't require a super-sharp point. I also use them to teach my grandkids to sew; they stitch paper, following lines and curves.

Quilty-Louise

I do not use a new needle for EVERY project
UNLESS it is doing machine embroidery.

But even with ALL "used needles (unless bent/broken)
I save them and use them for other "craft" sewing
projects such as if/when I am doing some kind of
sewing on the fabric post cards I make because of
using the peltex product I do not want to dull a new
or good needle. So using the old needles works out
great for this kind of sewing.

For bent/broken needles I put them into an empty
glucose test strip (I am diabetic) bottle they have tight
fitting "hinged" lids and when I am done I just toss the
whole container away.

I have saved so darn many of these bottles that I
need to start throwing them away because I KNOW
that I will not use them all and they are always plentiful.

Donna Mae

I use a new needle when I finish a quilt or project. Sometimes I cheat and sure enough I can hear that fabric snap, telling me I need a new needle.
I also put them in a perscription bottle.

simple quilter