Tool & technique
Sewing needle
Choose a needle that carries your thread through the material comfortably.
Get to know it
The eye must fit the thread and the point must suit the material. A hand-sewing needle can stitch woven cotton; a larger blunt needle can pass through prepared bookbinding holes. A needle is not a substitute for a supported hole-making tool.
Try a scrap first. If the needle needs force, change the needle, use thinner material, or prepare the hole with suitable help. Keep a pin cushion or closed container nearby so needles do not disappear into the work.