Needle Guide
The most common needle used for home sewing is the system: 130/705H. (The H stands for "Hohlkehle" which is the German word for "with scarf".)
These needles feature these main components:
Butt: Beveled end allows easy insert into the needle bar.
Shank: Flattened back for perfect positioning in the needle bar.
Needle size: Labelled in both EU and US sizes. The higher the number, the heavier the needle.
Needle type: Each Manufacturer will have a different colour coded needle type.
Shoulder: Sloped area transitioning the shank to the blade.
Groove: Sized with needle to guarantee friction free passage of the thread through the cloth, depends on the needle type.
Blade: Needle size is determined by blade diameter in mm. (Size 75 is .75mm)
Scarf: Indentation above the eye of the needle that allows the bobbin hook to pick up the needle loop correctly.
Eye: Hole in which the thread passes through, varies in size by needle type.
Point and Tip: Length and size dependent on needle type.
Remember to replace your needle every 6-8 hours of sewing time or when one or more of the following happens:
Broken or shredded threads
Skipped or uneven stitching
Puckering or damaged fabrics
Popping or clicking sound when sewing
Sewing Needle Sizes: See chart below for EU and US size comparison and packaging.
Size 8/60, 9/65, 10/70 - (Very fine fabrics) Use for fine silk, chiffon, organza, voile and fine lace.
Size 11/75, 12/80 - (Lightweight fabrics) Use for cotton voile, silk, synthetics, spandex and lycra
Size 14/90 - (Medium weight fabrics) Use for quilting fabrics, cotton, velvet, fine corduroy, linen, muslin, jersey, tricot, knits, light wool, sweatshirt knits, fleece.
Size 16/100 - (Heavy weight fabrics) Use for Denim, corduroy, canvas, heavy linens, heavy twill, duck, suiting and leather.
Size 18/110 - (Very heavy fabrics) Use for heavy denim, heavy canvas, upholstery fabric, faux fur
Brands: There are numerous brands of needles that produce a good quality needle. I personally use Schmetz as I find them easily accessible and a good strong needle.
Types of Needles:
Universal: Slightly rounded tip, perfect for most stable knits and wovens. A good all-purpose needle.
Ball-point: More rounded tip designed to slip between the weave of the fabric without cutting them. Suitable for tightly woven, and knits.
Embroidery: Light ball point, special scarf, widened groove, and enlarged eye, reduces friction on fragile threads.
Jeans/Denim: Modified medium ball point and reinforced blade, designed for minimum needle deflection and reduced risk of breakage.
Jersey: Medium ball point made especially for knits and some stretch fabrics, reducing breakage of knit fibres.
Leather: Cutting point made especially for sewing leather, artificial leather and heavy non woven synthetics. Thread can be removed, but a hole will remain.
Metallic: Elongated eye and slightly rounded point reduces stress on the thread as it passes through the needle.
Microtex: Very slim acute point (sharp), for microfibers, cork, batik, bamboo, cotton, artificial leather, and coated materials.
Quilting: Special taper to a slightly rounded point is perfect for sewing multiple layers of wovens, eliminating skipped stitches.
Stretch: Special eye and deep scarf make this needle suitable for 2 way stretch knits and elastics.
Top Stitch: Elongated eye is perfect for topstitching heavy threads, multiple threads or poor quality threads. Used to achieve perfectly straight stitching when using a straight stitch needle plate.
Threads and Needle Size:
Very fine needles (# 60/8 and #70/10) for very fine threads such as 100 wt. or 60 wt. threads.
Fine needles (#80/12) for fine threads such as 50 wt. threads.
Medium needles (#90/14) for medium threads such as 40 wt. threads.
Large needles (#100/16) for heavier threads such as 30 wt. and heavier threads.
Remember, for needles, the higher the size, the heavier the needle.
For thread, the higher the size, the finer the thread.
Top 10 Needle Troubleshooting Tips
1. For best sewing results, needles should be replaced every 8-10 hours of stitching time.
2. Snags or pulls in woven (non-stretch) fabrics:
This can occur if the needle is either bent or dull, or you are using the wrong style of needle.
3. Skipped stitches on woven fabrics:
This can occur when the needle is old, bent or dull.
Remove and discard the old needle. Replace it with a new regular point needle.
4. Skipped stitches on stretch fabrics:
This can occur if you are using a regular point needle instead of a ball point needle.
Switch to a ball point needle which is specifically designed for sewing stretch fabrics.
5. Popping sound while you are sewing:
This is a good indication that the needle is bent or damaged. Remove and discard the old needle. Replace it with a new one that is appropriate for the type and weight of fabric.
6. Thread is shredding:
This can mean the needle is too small for the thickness of thread, so change to either a larger size needle or a finer weight thread.
Shredding thread can also occur if the thread is old or poor quality (uneven filament).
7. Needles are breaking:
This can be an indication that the needle size is too small for the thickness of fabric being sewn, so change to a larger size needle. Additionally, when you sew, do not “push” or “pull” the fabric, but rather, let the feed dogs draw the fabric along. If you push or pull the fabric as you sew, the needle could deflect causing it to break.
8. Large holes in the seam line of lighter weight woven fabrics:
This can be an indication that your needle is too large for the weight of the fabric. Change to a smaller needle size.
9. When removing and inserting needles, it can be helpful to place a small piece of paper over the presser foot area, so that you don’t accidentally drop the needle down into the machine!
10. When inserting a new needle, be sure that is inserted correctly into the machine, or it may not sew properly. The flat side of the needle should be facing toward the back of the machine. Make sure it is all the way up in the needle clamp, then tighten the needle clamp screw securely.