Sewing Machine Needle Basics

Sewing Machine Needles – The Basics

The eye

The hole in the shaft that carries the thread.

The scarf

The indentation in the back of the needle that helps form a stitch.

The groove

The indentation in the front of the needle that helps guide the thread.

The point

The sharp tip of the needle that pierces the fabric.

How to choose a needle

When selecting a needle for your project, consider both the kind of

fabric

you’ll be sewing and

the

type of

thread

you’ll be using.

For finer fabrics, choose a smaller (thinner) needle. For heavier fabrics, choose a larger (thicker)

needle. Why? Because a thick needle used on a fine fabric could leave noticeable holes. And a

thin

needle used on a heavy fabric could break.

And use a smaller needle for finer thread and a larger needle for thicker thread – the larger

needle

will have a larger eye to accommodate the thicker thread. Your thread should pass

through the eye of

your needle smoothly, yet fit snuggly into the needle’s groove. If you were

to use a small needle with

a thick thread, your thread could shred or break. And using a thick

needle with a fine thread could

cause uneven stitches.

Since it’s difficult to judge the size of a needle by looking at it, needles are numbered to

indicate their

size. The larger the number, the larger the needle*. And in addition to sizes, most

needle packages

are labeled with recommendations such as “for medium weight fabrics.”

You must also choose a needle point:

Use a

sharp point

standard point

needle on woven fabrics.

Use a

ball point

needle on knits. The rounded point of this needle slides between the

threads of a knit

fabric instead of piercing them.

You can also use a

universal point

needle to sew most woven and knit fabrics. This

needle has a

slightly rounded point.

In addition, there are lots of other needles for special sewing tasks such as sewing

heavy denim

fabrics, sewing leather, sewing with metallic thread, and more. There are

also twin and triple needles

designed for decorative stitching.

Most needles can be used in most machines, but consult your manual to be sure. Or look

on the back

of your needle package for a list of compatible models.

How to insert your needle

Raise the needle to its highest position. On most sewing machines, there’s a screw on the side

of the

needle bar. Loosen this screw and slide the old needle out. Insert the shank (the upper

part) of the

new needle into the needle bar, usually with the flat side facing away from the

bobbin area (check

your manual to be sure). Push the needle up as far as it will go. Tighten the

screw.

Tips for preventing needle problems

Use a new, sharp needle for every project or change your needle after eight hours of
continuous sewing. Dull needles can damage your fabric and cause stitching problems.

Use a needle appropriate for your fabric and thread. Using the wrong needle can cause stitch
problems, broken thread, and broken needles.

Make sure to insert your needle correctly (consult your manual) and that it goes all the way into
the needle bar.

Test your needle first by sewing stitches on a scrap of your fabric before starting your project.

Keep an assortment of needle types and sizes on hand so you’ll always have the right needle
for your project.

Most needle packages list both an American and a European size. The smaller number is the American
size. But with both numbering systems, the higher the number, the larger the needle.

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