is 1.4mm in diameter. If embroidery stitches are shorter than 1.4mm then you will have skipping, nesting, breaks, and similar problems. In very dense embroidery it is sometimes necessary to go to a much smaller needle, such as 8 or 10, and 60wt or smaller thread.
Made for free motion quilting techniques, such as stippling, these needles have a tapered shaft that helps minimize fabric damage when going through multiple layers of fabric and batting. Since it is impossible for a human to time the movement of the fabric perfectly, it’s a good idea to use larger sizes that will not easily be pulled and broken.
These needles have a sharp point, with an extra large eye and groove to accommodate heavier threads. When embroidery or metallic needles are not available, these make a good substitute.
The tip is a modified ball, much like a universal. Both the eye and groove are greatly enlarged to allow delicate metallic threads to pass through easily. When a metallic needle does not seem to be working on a Janome machine, it’s often not the fault of the needle. Placing metallic thread on the horizontal spool pin causes the thread to twist as it comes off the spool. Frequently the twist will manifest itself as a kink when the thread gets to the eye, causing breakage. The solution is to stand the thread up vertically so that it rolls off straight, without twisting, or using a thread stand to extend the distance the thread travels to get to the machine.
Wing needles are so called because of the large metal “wings” that come out on each side. They are designed to make a hole in the fabric, and are usually used in heirloom sewing. For best results, choose stitches that cause the needle to go through the same hole more than once. These are typically decorative stitches with a reverse cycle in them.
When two needles are mounted on the same shank, it’s called a twin needle. Most often twin needles are used for topstitching or decorative techniques, such as pin tucks. The needles are sold by type and by the distance between the individual needles. Typically they vary from 1.6mm to 6mm apart. Note that the Twin Needle button added to many computer machines automatically limits stitch widths for the 1.6mm twin included with them. If you use a wider needle, like a 4.0, that button won’t protect you from breaking it!
Often this needle is sold with its German name, drilling. It does 3 rows of stitching, and is used in the same decorative applications as twin needles. Use great care with these needles, as they are quite wide. If the stitch width is too wide you can break an expensive needle.
When using a wing, twin, or triple needle it’s a good ideal to turn the hand wheel of the machine through a full cycle of the chosen stitch. This lets you confirm that the needle clears the hole in the needle plate and will not be broken as soon as you start sewing.
Once you have determined what type of needle you need for your project, you need to decide on the size. There are two different systems used to specify needle sizes, and most are sold with both sizes on the package, separated by a slash. The larger number is the size of the shaft in 100ths of a millimeter, while the smaller is the number of the needle within the Singer sizing system, as set up a long time ago. So a size 90 needle (90/100ths of a millimeter) is the same as a Singer 14. The 90/14 needle is the most common size, and is packaged with most new sewing machines. Most sewing machine adjustments are made using a 90/14 needle. This is especially true for needle threaders, which can lead to trouble with smaller needles. If using a size 10 or smaller needle, it is best not to use the machine’s needle threader, as the smaller eye can damage the mechanism. You should also not try to use the needle threader with wing needles, twin needles, or triple needles. It won’t work, and could damage the threader.
There is a lifetime for a needle, and it’s not nearly as long as you might think. As a general rule, it’s good to start each project with a new needle. For embroidery, or sewing that’s not project