I wrote an article last year on my 7 tips for choosing sewing machine needles well... given the questions and thoughts from my students in courses, I thought a little article update was necessary 😊
Selected excerpts:
- ah, you have to change your needle?
- I’ve been using the same one since I bought my machine...
- ah, so that's why sometimes it doesn't work and stitches skip!
... yes yes yes and three times yes, you need to change your needle and I'll explain why!
So let's get started discovering this precious haberdashery item that is the sewing machine needle!
Why should you choose a needle adapted to your fabric?
There are different types of needles whose use depends on the fabric type.
A well-suited needle chosen according to the fabric type allows
- The creation of beautiful, even stitches
- The guarantee of not damaging the fabric (no pulled threads in viscose, for example...)
- The guarantee of strong seams, without skipped stitches, ensuring durability over time
What should you pay attention to when buying a sewing machine needle?
1. The shape of the shank
The needle shank (the part that inserts into the sewing machine) can be round or flat. Most household machines use flat shanks, while round shanks are rather intended for industrial machines. Check your machine, but it is very likely that your machine requires a flat shank.2. The type of fabric you will sew
To choose the needle size and type, you need to know which fabric you will sew with it. Indeed, needles are characterized by numbers that represent their dimensions. The higher the numbers, the thicker the needle; conversely, the smaller the numbers, the finer the needle, reserved for fine fabrics.The numbers correspond to the needle diameter expressed in hundredths of a millimeter. This means that a universal needle marked with the number 80 measures 80/100mm = 0.8mm in diameter. On some needle boxes, you will see a second number like 80/12, which simply represents the European (80) and American (12) measurement units.
On some needle boxes, you can also see the mention of the type of fabric to sew with them, especially for: jersey, stretch/lycra, jean/denim, leather...
3. The brand / quality of the needle
Some machines accept all brands of needles (like Brother, Janome...); some are less tolerant and require very specific needles (this is often the case with Singer). Choose needles known for their quality such as: Schmetz, YKK, Organ, Prym, Bohin. It is a guarantee of durability but also of good manufacture.
In the shop, we have chosen to work with Organ whose needles are made in Japan. I thought it was the best way to offer you excellent value for money. These are also the ones we use in the workshop on all machines.
The different types of needles
1. The standard needle
It is the needle most often used. It is more or less suitable for all woven fabrics.
It is most often numbered from 60 for the finest to 100 for the thickest.
The so-called "universal" needle (the one that comes by default on your machine when purchased) is size 80. It allows sewing poplin, toile, cretonne...
Use according to standard needle sizes:
- Size 60 (very fine): muslin, lace, cotton, silk or synthetic voile, organza, tulle…
- Size 70 (fine): linen voile, viscose toile, taffeta, batiste, fine crepe, organdy, …
- Size 80 (standard): poplin, toile, crepe, fine velvet, fine wool, linen, piqué, …
- Size 90 (thick): thick wool, velvet, twill, canvas, jacquard, coated cotton…
- Size 100 (very thick): thick twill, thick jacquard, upholstery fabric…
2. Jersey and Stretch Needles
These needles are used for knit fabrics, stretch fabrics. It is the stretchiness of the fabric and the fact that they are knitted that justifies the use of a specific range of needles.
These needles have a rounded tip that allows the needle to "slide" against the stitches and thus not tear them with the stitch.
Use according to jersey or stretch needle sizes:
- Size 60 (very fine): very fine polyester jersey, viscose jersey, silk jersey, …
- Size 70 (fine): fine cotton and polyester jersey, medium thickness viscose jersey, ...
- Size 80 (medium): cotton jersey, interlock, light sweatshirt, french terry,
- Size 90: fleece, polar fleece, thick sweatshirt...
3. Jeans/denim needles
This is the perfect needle range for sewing all jean and denim fabrics characterized by thick canvas and tight weave. It's a needle I use a lot since I started sewing jeans for my husband, and I am very happy with the results obtained with these needles, including for making decorative stitches on pockets...
Jeans needles are most often numbered from 90 to 110 in stores, but there are needles numbered up to 130 for workwear canvas in particular, which are mostly reserved for industrial use.
Uses according to jean/denim needle sizes
- Size 90: fine jeans and denim, medium cotton twill
- Size 100 – 110: medium jean and denim, thick cotton twill
Note that the jean needle is also particularly suitable for sewing faux leather.
There are other types of needles like super stretch, microtex, leather, double needles... that might be the subject of a future article 😊
When should you change the needle?
You understand, you change your needle often depending on your sewing project; that is, the type of fabric used and its thickness.
When should you replace your needle?
A needle is not eternal, it wears out.
Also, here are the signs that tell us it's time to change it:
- the worst, and it often happens because we reacted too late: the needle breaks
- the machine skips stitches
- the bobbin thread breaks even though it's a quality thread
- the stitch doesn't look good
- the needle is dull (you can feel it when you touch the tip)
- it already has several hours of sewing on it
There is no rule like "after 3 projects you must change it... it depends on the projects, the number of stitches made, the wear of the needle depending on the material... however, be sure to change your needles regularly... a broken needle is so dangerous, it's better to change more often than not enough; a seamstress's word!
There you go, I hope this article has taught you a bit more about this essential tool that doesn't get enough attention: the sewing machine needle.
So this time even more than the others: Get your needles ready!
