Once you feel comfortable with the essential sewing terms, the next step is to get to know all about sewing machine needle sizes. Needles are the bread and butter of sewing. Without them, it would be impossible to bring our creative vision to life.
To make sure we’re covering all the basics, we’ll start with the anatomy of sewing machine needles, the different types and sizes of needles, and when and how to use them.
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Anatomy of a Sewing Machine Needle
Before we jump into the nitty-gritty of different types of sewing machine needle sizes, let’s take a look at the anatomy of a machine needle.
A sewing machine needle has several parts:
- Eye: the aperture where the thread will go through. The eye size varies depending on the needle type.
- Point: refers to the tip of the needle, and it varies depending on the type of needle.
- Scarf: this is the indentation just above the eye of the needle on the back. It enables the bobbin thread to pass near the needle eye, catching the needle thread, thus creating a stitch.
- Shaft: the area between the scarf and the shank. The shaft varies in thickness according to the needle type.
- Shank: this is the part that goes into the machine. It has a flat side that makes it easier to insert into your machine.
Choosing the Right Sewing Machine Needles
Choosing a needle is an important part of the sewing process, and there are different types and sizes of needles for different fabric types, fabric weights, and thread types.
To ensure you have the right needle for your project, consider the following steps:
Fabric Type
To ensure that your project is a success, you need to make sure you’re choosing the right needle for the type of fabric you’ll be sewing. For woven fabrics, you can use universal, jeans, or sharps/microtex needles.
Ballpoint or jersey needles can be used for sewing knit fabrics, while stretch needles should be used for stretch fabrics, and a special leather needle should be used for leather.
Fabric Weight
Once you decided which fabric type you’ll be sewing, another factor to consider when choosing the sewing machine needle is the fabric weight. Making the wrong selection can lead to the breaking of your needle.
Fabrics come in various weights, from sheer and lightweight fabrics like chiffon, silk, and organza to thicker, heavier fabrics like denim, canvas, and upholstery fabrics.
Thread Type
When selecting the right needle for your project, consider the type of thread you are using. Choose a needle with an eye large enough to fit the thread diameter.
For example, topstitching thread is much thicker than regular sewing thread, so you will need a needle with a bigger eye to accommodate the thread weight.
When working with embroidery thread you will also need a special needle with a bigger eye and rounded point to guard against excess friction.
What Do the Numbers Mean on Sewing Machine Needles?
When you buy a package of needles, you will notice a bunch of numbers on it. You may have wondered what these numbers mean. Here’s an example from the Singer brand:
Sewing Machine Needle Types
When picking out a sewing machine needle for your project, it’s essential you think about the type of needle you need before checking its size. Certain fabrics require special types of needles.
Here’s a list of the different types of sewing machine needles and when to use them:
Universal Needles
Universal needles are used for woven fabrics. These needles are suitable for any home sewing machine and they come in different sizes, each suitable for different fabric weights.
Ball Point (Jersey)
Ball Point or jersey needles are used for sewing knit fabrics. They have a rounded tip that prevents damage to the fabric when passing through the thread.
Stretch needles
Stretch needles are used for stretch fabrics such as lycra or spandex.
Jeans (Denim)
Jeans needles also referred to as denim needles, are suitable for sewing denim, jeans, and canvas.
Leather needles
Leather needles are designed specifically for leather and vinyl. The pointed end is sharpened to easily pierce the material and form stitches.
Topstitch needles
Topstitch needles are specially designed for sewing with thicker threads. They have a larger eye and a stronger shaft to support the thicker thread.
Embroidery needles
Embroidery needles are used for sewing with embroidery thread. They have a protective scarf to protect the thread and a bigger eye for threading.
Quilting needles
Quilting needles are designed for stitching through multiple sheets of fabric. They have a strong shaft and a sharp point.
Twin needles
Twin needles create two rows of stitches simultaneously and are used for topstitching. There are different types of twin needles – universal twin, twin stretch, and twin denim.
Sewing Machine Needle Sizes
After you’ve determined the right type of needle for your project, the next step is to select the proper size.
The American system is numbered from 8 to 18, with the lower numbers being finer needles, and the higher numbers being larger needles. The European system is numbered from 60 to 110, and the same logic applies.
Most brands of needles are featuring both American and European sizing numbers on the package.
If you’re a beginner sewer, use the sewing machine needle sizes guide below:
REMEMBER: the lighter the fabric the smaller the needle size and the heavier the fabric the larger the needle size.
How Often Should I Change My Needle?
Ideally, you’ll want to use a fresh needle every time you start a new project. The average lifespan of a sewing needle is between 6-10 hours, depending on the thickness of the fabric you’re using.
Where Can I Buy Sewing Machine Needles?
I like to have a selection of needles on hand so I can switch between them depending on the project I’m working on. I usually get mine in assorted packs from Amazon, but you can find them in many other online stores too.
When it comes to brands, Schmetz needles are a reliable and popular choice, and compatible with all major sewing machine brands – Brother, Singer, Janome, and Elna. Most of the time I’m using the Schmetz or Singer brand on my Singer sewing machine.
Here are a few quick links to the Schmetz needles that I use and recommend:
Universal Needles
Fabric Use: Woven, Natural, Synthetic Fabrics
Benefits: Easily slips through the weave of knits and woven fabric with a rounded tip and tapered end.
Ball Point Needles
Fabric Use: Knit Fabrics
Benefits: Designed to slide between the yarns of knit fabrics without snagging with a rounded tip.
Stretch Needles
Fabric Use: Medium Weight Fabrics
Benefits: Perfect for sewing through stretch fabrics with the rounded point to pierce through thicker threads.
Sharps/Microtex Needles
Fabric Use: Tightly Woven Medium Weight Fabrics
Benefits: Microtex needles are the ideal choice when working with microfibers, polyester, and other synthetic fabrics. Featuring a very slim point, they are perfect for topstitching and piecing intricate quilts.
Jeans Needles
Fabric Use: Medium Weight Denim Fabrics
Benefits: Jeans needles have a reinforced blade with a rounded tip and tapered end that helps minimize breakage and skipped stitches.
Leather Needles
Fabric Use: Medium Leather and Vinyl Fabrics
Benefits: Leather needles are ideal for cutting through leather and other heavy non-woven imitation leathers. They have a slightly sharp cutting point, therefore are not leaving behind large holes.
Topstitch Needle
Fabric Use: Topstitch Medium Weight Fabrics
Benefits: Achieve perfectly straight stitch lines for heavy or multiple threads with this very long eye of the needle.
Embroidery Needles
Fabric Use: Rayon, Polyester, and Other Specialty Fabrics
Benefits: The big eye and rounded point of embroidery needles provide protection from excess friction, leading to easy embroidery and decorative stitching.
Quilting Needles
Fabric Use: Light and Medium Weight Fabrics
Benefits: Allows easier fabric penetration and helps eliminate skipped stitches with a special tapered tip of the needle.
Sewing Machine Needles Troubleshooting
This usually happens when you’re sewing with a dull, old needle.
To get it working properly again, you’ll need to remove the old needle and replace it with a new regular point needle.
If you are working with stretch fabrics, you should use a ballpoint needle as it’s specially designed for sewing stretch fabrics. Using a regular point needle on stretch fabrics will cause skipped stitches.
This could be due to using the wrong needle for woven fabrics, or the needle being old. Make sure you have the right needle for the fabric you’re using: a regular point needle for woven fabrics.
This can indicate that the needle is too small for the thickness of the thread, so switch to either a bigger size needle or a lighter weight thread. Thread shredding can also take place if the thread is aged or of poor quality.
Sewing with the incorrect needle size can cause the needle to break. To avoid this, make sure to use a needle that is suited to the thickness of your fabric. Additionally, when you sew, do not force the fabric but let the feed dogs draw the fabric along slowly. Pushing or pulling the fabric as you sew can deflect the needle and cause it to break.
If you find that your needle is leaving too large of a hole in your fabric when sewing, it might be too large for the fabric weight. To fix this, switch to a smaller needle size. Doing so will help ensure that your stitches are properly secured.
Download Free Patterns
Remember that you can download free patterns from the Free Pattern Library. To access it just fill out the form below and I will send you an email with your password.
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