Needle in a Haystack

The quote "Needle in Haystack" has always rung true for me.  I have spent many a time and energy searching for things both small and large while knowing very well that I will never find them.
While on a boating trip once I lost a ring; it fell overboard as I was leisurely playing with it on my finger.  I jumped right into the water and dived for it; I was furious when I couldn't find it.  Bizarre !!!

Being an avid stitcher, adding embellishments to my pictures gives me great pleasure.  I like the free flow of different stitches; this gives me the tactile experience that I so often miss in my photography.  The process of stitching onto images creates an extra layer of meaning to the work as well as the satisfying sensation of piercing and pricking something.
Needlework can be therapeutic.  While making stitches and adding thread colors to an image the mind goes into a place of piece where I am able to let it prick and prowl along with the needle.

But not all needles are created equal.  Shopping for needles can be a treacherous experience.  Here in the US some stores have entire isles devoted to sewing needles.  There are tapestry needles, embroidery needles, patchwork needles, and all purpose sewing needles to name a few on display.  Prices are varied; there are the brands where you can pay $5 for a single gold needle or $2 for a pack of twelve that come in different lengths and needle point sharpness.

Standing at 5 feet and 8 inches I have had to let down hems on pants, skirts and dresses as well as lengthening sleeves on shirts and jackets on store bought clothes my entire adult life.  But as of late this has become hard for me to do, because even if sewing needles come in gold nowadays and in different lengths and sharpness nothing has been done to improve the needle eye size.  It is still tiny and as I get older the needle eye grows even smaller to my eyes.  I find myself spending more time trying to thread the needle than it takes me to fix a hem on a dress.  This is frustrating to say the least.  What ever happened to the power of the Baby Boom generation movement?  I am well aware that in order to sew a perfect suitable hem you need a thin sharp pointed needle that leaves the least noticeable mark on the garment.  But enough already; needle designers and manufacturers must grow up and begin to look at the eye of the needle through  past middle age delicate eyes if they intend to keep us roaming the isles of their precious needles.