Apart from your sewing machine, the needle is probably the most important factor in the success or failure of a sewing project. In spite of this, most people tend to pay little regard to the needle, much less than the attention given to thread, tension, and other considerations. Let’s look at the most important things you should know about needles.
We will begin by taking a close look at a needle’s anatomy. At the top is the shank, which is flat on one side. This part of the needle is standard across all types made for household use, and is the part that gets inserted into the sewing machine. It is critically important that it be placed with the flat of the shank toward the back of the sewing machine. Most modern machines have been manufactured to make improper insertion very difficult, but I won’t say it can’t be done!
The bottom 2/3 of the needle is the shaft, which varies according to the size of the needle. The front edge of the shaft has a groove, from the shank down to just above the eye. That groove is where the thread goes when you are sewing, and it should not be smaller than the thread you are using.
At the bottom of the needle is the tip. It varies between needle types, and in fact, defines how needles are sold. On the back of the needle you’ll find the scarf, a dished out place that allows the sewing machine hook to pass between the needle and the thread to make a stitch. Without this, you can’t sew. By far the most common sewing machine problem is having the needle in backward, which puts the scarf in front, and causes the hook to either miss the thread or break it.
Finally there is the part of the needle that we have so much trouble seeing, the eye. The size varies with the type of the needle. Because the eye is made by literally knocking a hole through the needle with a huge machine, it’s possible for a manufacturing defect to leave the edges of the hole rough. This can cause thread breakage. Since all of the needles in a package are likely to have been made at the same time, changing out a bad one may not seem to help. When all else fails, try a new package.N
In this case “Universal” has a double meaning. This is the type of needle that most sewists use, and is what most companies pack in the box with their sewing machines. The tip of these needles is modified to be somewhat rounded. That makes it suitable for sewing both woven and knit fabrics, which is why they are called universal. A rounded tip tends to push between the fibers of the fabric, rather than through them. That causes less damage to the fabric, and is critical for knits, which can unravel if the needle cuts the fibers.
- Ball Point
Needles made specifically for knits have an almost blunt, rounded tip. While you can generally use a universal needle for knits like cotton interlock, those don’t work well at all on stretchy knits like Lycra. In that situation a ball point is critical. Ball points can also be helpful in sewing unusual items, such as Velcro fastener tape.
The tip of these needles is very sharp, with no rounding. This is good for sewing on microfibers, silk and heirloom fabrics.
- Denim (Jeans)
These needles have a very sharp point, and the scarf is a little deeper to give the hook a little more room between a larger needle and a heavier thread. They are good for sewing on jeans, home decorating projects and other densely woven fabrics.
Leather needles have a sharp 3-sided tip, designed specifically to pierce through the leather. They should not be used on synthetic leather, however. The Microtex is a better choice for those fabrics.
Embroidery needles have a modified point that is neither sharp nor a ball. The eye is extra large, to allow decorative threads to pass very easily through it. If thread shredding or breaking occurs in dense embroidery, it may help to switch to a larger size so there will be a bigger hole for the thread to pass through. However if the stitches are very short, such as a narrow satin stitch outline, and you are using a size 14, you may do better by switching down to an 11 or 12. That’s because a size 14 