Selecting the Right Sewing Machine Needle
A sewing machine needle is a small, but important part of your machine. It works with the bobbin thread and fabric to create the stitches you see on your fabric. Selecting the right sewing machine needle for your project will make it easier to sew and will help to prevent sewing machine problems like skipped stitches and puckering.
If you are using a sewing machine for the first time, having to work on a different project, or if you are changing your needle for the first time, it is important to know how to select the right needle. In this guide, we’ll take you through all the details you need to know in order to choose the right sewing machine needle for your project.
Lets dive in.
Parts of a sewing machine needle
Shank: The top end of the needle that is then inserted into the device. For the majority of needles, the rear part of the shank will be flat, which makes it easier to insert them.
Shaft: The portion of the needle that is below the shank. The thickness will vary depending on what size needle you are using.
The Front Groove found on the front side part of the shaft serves as the final thread guide before the thread passes to the eye of the needle.
Scarf: The indentation that is just over an eye that the needle has. This allows for the hook in the bobbin case to be near to the eyes of your needle, so that it can grab the thread loop and create the stitch. Janome needles feature a longer, wider, more pronounced scarf to remove stitch skips.
Eye: You are aware of what this means by the hole on the tip of the needle, through which the thread goes. Janome needles are incredibly well-made eye holes that allow for threads to flow smoothly and prevent getting caught.
Sewing Machine Needle Types
Sewing machine needles are common to all sewing machines. This implies that you can use them with any sewing machine. Be it Brother, Janome, Singer, Elna, Pfaff, Husqvarna and so on. When buying a sewing machine needle, you should be certain it will be ideal for whatever sewing project you’re planning to have.
With that said, there are a number of sewing machine needles available in different sizes and types. Here are some of the popular sewing machine needles along with the materials they can be used with.
Let’s start with the most common
Universal needles
These are needles that can be used for different projects. These are designed for use with woven materials, synthetics, and knit fabrics. However, some of them are not perfect for specific kinds of knit fabric. As a rule of thumb, when selecting a universal needle for your sewing project, finer quality needles are suitable for lightweight fabrics while larger sizes are suitable for heavier and medium weight fabrics. Furthermore, projects that require silk cotton or polyester threads need universal needles.
Ballpoint needles
Ballpoint needles have a slightly rounded tip that pushes fibers of the fabric apart instead of cutting them. They work best if you’re using polyester and polyester/cotton blend threads. Ballpoint needles are suitable for cotton knits, double knits, knit interlocks, and all knit fabrics as they prevent the needle from running or climbing due to stitching.
Top stitch needles
Topstitch needles have an extra sharp edge that cuts all kinds of fabric with ease. Since they have a large eye, they are suitable for projects that require thick stitches.
Stretch needls
A stretch needle is the term “scarf which provides extra space for hooks to move close to prevent skipped stitches. Polyester or cotton-wrapped threads made of polyester are ideal. Stretch fabrics are known as being difficult to use and selecting the correct needle is vital in achieving the best end-product. Stretch needles are perfect for highly elastic synthetic fabrics, two-way stretch knits, and a lycra power net.
Twin needles and triple needles
They are used for pin tucking as well as decorative stitches. They should be used at a lower speed. They’re not compatible with all sewing machines, so make sure to check the manual prior to making use of.
Quilting needles
They are also designed to work with multiple layers of wadding and fabric thanks to a shaft that is reinforced, but they are shorter in length than sharp needles to enable quilters to have speedy and uniform stitching. For beginners, it is likely to be smaller needles such as sizes 7 and 8 more comfortable to use, whereas more experienced quilters will usually opt for larger needles.
Wing needles
Wing needles must be used in conjunction with the special stitch options available on the sewing machine. They are suitable for making holes in your fabric in order to reproduce drawn threads. Wing needles are suitable for projects that require fabrics made of natural fiber such as cotton.
Jeans needles
As the name suggests, they are made for jeans. A good example is a denim. Also, jeans needles are suitable for thickly woven fabric such as heavy twill, canvas, and heavier linens for workwear.
Since they have a sharp point and a large shank that stops needles from bending or breaking, jean needles are an ideal replacement for the ball and stretch needles that do not cut through fabric.
Threads like synthetic or blends with 100 percent polyester stronger topstitching threads, and cotton-wrapped polyester must be considered when using these needles and fabrics
Metafil needles
Metallic needles feature an extra-large eye, meaning the threads that are adorned with fancy threads can pass through more easily and will not shred or break because of sewing. If you’ve ever had trouble learning with threading your needle, a metallic needle is an ideal purchase as it’s also suitable for sewing in general and is much simpler to thread due to its larger eye. Metafil needle is perfect for stitching or embroidering on woven and knitted materials
Embroidery needles
Embroidery needles are constructed with a larger eye to permit threads such as polyester, rayon, or threads for machine embroidery made of cotton to flow freely and smoothly while embroidering. The possibility of missing stitches is common when embroidering machine-based due to the fabric’s flexing quickly up and down because of the speedy moving stitch. Embroidery needles have a pontoon scarf, which has an oversized bump that reduces the possibility of this happening because it reduces the amount of motion in the fabric.
Leather needles
Leather needles are usually referred to as chisel point needles due to a point that appears and feels as a chisel in use. Yes, you’ve heard it that these needles are best used with genuine leather suede and other difficult-to-sew projects, but they should not be used in conjunction with PU imitation suede ultra suede, synthetic suede as the characteristics of these materials are significantly different from the real ones.
Sharp needles
These are ideal for quilters who use multiple layers of wadding and cotton or work with thickly knitted fabrics such as silk and microfiber. Since they have a stronger shaft, they can be used on multiple layers without breaking or bending. Their shorter threading eye also provides extra strength when sewing.
How do you choose the right sewing machine needle?
There are a variety of factors that will determine the ideal sewing needles to use for your sewing project.
Needle and fabric size
It is important to select the needle based on the fabric you are using. Different fabrics require different needles. The kind of fabric is influenced by how the needle’s shape will tip. The thickness or weight that the fabric has is correlated with the dimension of the needle.
60/8 needle is suitable for light fabrics. 70/10 is a medium-weight fabric while 90/12 is suitable for heavyweight fabrics.
Thread
The kind of thread you’ll use in your sewing project could determine the size of your needle. If you are using metallic thread, it is necessary to select a size. If you are using embroidery thread, you must choose a different one.
Needle use
There are various kinds of needles such as general needles, jersey needles, stretch needles, etc.
Universal needles are said to be used with all kinds of fabric, however, they are most likely to be able to work with woven fabrics as well as some knit fabrics. Jersey needles are specifically designed for knit fabric, which slides between knit fibers effortlessly. Stretch needles are similar to jersey needles and can be used with elastics and stretchy fabrics.
Needlepoint
Pick sharp needles for the fabric that is woven, such as linen and cotton that will make smooth stitches and gentle puckering. Ballpoint needles are usually used with knits and stretchy fabrics that effortlessly weave through the fibers and don’t cause damage to the fabric.
For heavier-duty fabrics such as suede, leather, or vinyl, you’ll need wedge-point needles. You will also require specific needles designed specifically for quilting since you’ll need to sew through a variety of layers of fabric and batts at the same time.
Stitch
It is important to decide on the kind of stitch you wish to make. If you want to hemstitch, you’ll require a specific type of needle. For topstitching, you’ll need a different type of needle with an eye larger enough to allow two threads to traverse it.
Needle System
It is also important to know the needle mechanism that is on the label of needles. The majority of home sewing machines utilize the 130/705 H needle system. Industrial sewing machines require distinct needle designs.
What are blue tip sewing machine needles?
The Blue Tip needle has the shaft size and point type that gives your machine excellent performance on all medium-weight fabrics, whether you’re embroidering, quilting, or sewing clothing.
The blue tip needles are usually manufactured by Janome and for Janome sewing machines. Here are all the needles manufactured by Janome depending on their colors.
Janome Blue Tip Needles
They are the first needles produced by Janome for general sewing on all fabrics, as well as machines for sewing.
Features of the Janome blue tip needles
- Are size 11
- Have elongated ballpoint making them suitable for sewing knits, delicate fabric, and synthetic fabric.
- Flat bank shank for easier installation.
- Have a slightly rounded ballpoint that prevents you from having puckered seams, damages your fabric as well as prevents the thread from breaking and snagging.
- A large eye. This makes it easier to use embroidery thread, reducing tension while also making it easy to thread your Janome sewing machine.
The Janome Blue Tip needles are a great choice for regular sewing and embroidery. Blue Tip needle is an excellent option for buttonholes too.
Janome Red Tip Needles
The only member of the Janome sewing needles that isn’t a ballpoint needle.
Features of the Janome red tip needle
- Its size 14
- Has a large eye making it ideal for threads that are difficult to handle such as metal and monofilament.
- Has sharp points.
- It’s a sturdy and long-lasting needle
All the above features make the Janome red tip needle ideal for most fabrics. It can also be used as a universal needle. If you’ve got a project that involves sewing heavy fabrics and layers, then the Janome red tip is the best choice.
Janome Purple Tip Needles
The newest part from the Janome needle family is the Purple Tip. its main purpose is to prevent skipped stitches when sewing heavy fabrics.
Features of the Janome purple tip needles
- Its size 14
- Has an elongated ballpoint
- Has a unique “cobra” shaped head
With the purple tip, you can be able to carry out any sewing project that involves;
- Fluffier thread such as cotton
- Quilting multiple layers
- Sewing knit, tricot, and synthetic fabrics such as polyester
- Embroidery with thick fabric or high-density designs
How do i fit in a new sewing needle?
The first step in installing a new needle is to place a paper beneath the presser foot. This minimizes the chances of having costly sewing machine repairs by preventing the needle from falling into the machine. Next, loosen the screw holding the needle.
With the old needle taken out, the new needle should fit into the proper position because of the shank design. Make sure the edge of the shank of the design is facing towards the rear of the machine. Be sure to make sure you push the needle upwards to the maximum height it can be before tightening the screw for the needle.
With the needle fitted, sew to find out if the needle is at the proper height. Some of the problems that might arise include;
- Being unable to stitch properly
- Needle could hit the bobbin casing
- Needle thrreader may be damaged
Here is a video tutorial on how to fit a sewing machine needle.
Sewing needles FAQs
How often do I need to replace my needle?
If you experience problems in stitching, it is recommended to replace your needle. Generally speaking, after continuous sewing for six hours, a needle needs to be changed.
What causes a needle to break?
The needle is most likely to break when it is used on an inappropriate fabric. If you are using the size 60/8 or 70/10 needle to wear jeans or denim it is likely to break.
What could happen when I pick an unsuitable needle?
The wrong needle could cause damage to the stitch. It could cause the thread to snap, create puckered seams, create holes into your fabric, and cause rough sewing.
What are the numbers on needles of the sewing machine refer to?
The numbers on sewing machine needles indicate their dimensions. American needle sizes vary between 8 and 19 while European needle sizes vary from 60-120. The blade on larger needles is, obviously, bigger.