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Crafts Home >
Sewing
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USING THE RIGHT NEEDLE
As we get caught up in trying to get sewing projects completed and
move on to the next one in the limited time available it is so
very easy just to jump from project to project without giving any
thought to whether or not we have the right needle in the sewing
machine.
It can be a costly mistake to simply use the same needle for
everything you sew until it breaks. The size of the needle you use
depends upon the size of the fabric yarns in the fabric. The finer
the yarns, the finer the needle needs to be. In general, a needle
should be fine enough to penetrate the fabric without marring it,
yet have a large enough eye that the thread does not fray or break
during the sewing process.
Needle types related to fabric structure are sharp point (regular)
for woven fabrics, ball point for knits, and wedge point for
leather and vinyl.
The Regular sharp point needle is ideal for all woven
fabrics because it helps to produce an even stitch and causes a
minimum of fabric puckering. This needle is not recommended for
knits, as it has a tendency to "cut" yarns and cause skipped
stitches. This needle comes in a wide range of sizes from the
finest size 9 to a heavy size 18.
The Ball point needle is specifically designed for knit and
elastic fabrics and has a "rounded" point rather than a sharp
point. This needle pushes between the fabric yarns rather than
"cutting through" the yarns. This needle comes in sizes 9 to 16
and the larger the needle size, the more "rounded" the needle
point is.
The Wedge point needle, which is designed for leather and
vinyl, easily pierces these fabrics to make a hole that will close
back upon itself. This eliminates unattractive holes in the
garment, and also reduces the risk of the stitches tearing the
fabric. The wedge point needle comes in sizes 11 to 18. The size
11 needle is designed for soft pliable leathers, while size 18 is
designed for heavy or multiple layers of leather or vinyl.
In addition to choosing the right TYPE of needle, it is also
important to know the proper needle SIZE for the type of fabric
being used. As a general rule you can utilize the following fabric
category/needle size information when choosing the needle for your
next project.
DELICATE fabrics such as silk, chiffon, voile, fine lace and
organdie would need a fine "size 9" needle.
LIGHTWEIGHT fabrics such as synthetic sheers, batiste, taffeta,
velvet, stretch fabric, tricot and plastic film would need a "size
11" needle.
MEDIUM WEIGHT fabrics such as gingham, poplin, linen, muslin,
chambray, wool crepe, flannel, knits, jersey, wool, chintz, satin,
raw silk, wool suiting, stretch fabric and drapery fabrics would
need a "size 14" needle.
MEDIUM-HEAVY fabrics such as sail cloth, gabardine, heavy suiting,
tweed and heavy drapery fabrics would need a "size 16" needle.
HEAVY fabrics such as denim, over-coatings, ticking, upholstery
and canvas fabrics would need a "size 18" needle.
One final needle pointer is always replace dull, bent or nicked
needles. If you hit a pin, you should immediately change the
needle. A bent needle, even if only "slightly" bent or nicked can
cause skipped stitches and can easily cause damage to your fabric
by tearing the fabric yarns.
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