When you first start machine sewing, it’s most common to always use universal needles because, thanks to their versatility, they have the widest range of applications. However, once we start experimenting with different fabrics, threads, and stitches, things become more complicated. Choosing the right needle is key to achieving smooth, perfect stitches—but that’s not all: if we work with the wrong needle, we can run into problems while sewing, from damaging the fabric or thread to bending or breaking the needle.
Sewing machine needles can be classified in several different ways, and if you’re not very familiar with them, you may feel overwhelmed by the wide variety available. Don’t panic! We’re going to try to make this choice a little easier by explaining what types of needles there are and what each one is used for.
1. Types of sewing machine needles according to their complexity.
According to this general criterion, you’ll find:
– Single needles: with one point, these are the most common. A little farther down, we’ll explain what types you can find according to their point type.
– Double needles: with two points, for specific and/or decorative tasks. Beyond their decorative use, they’re ideal for sewing knit fabric, as well as for the hems of T-shirts and pants. You can find them with different distances between the needles: the farther apart the needles are, the farther apart the topstitching will be.
– Triple needles: with three points, for decorative stitches. They’re quite rare.
2. Size and thickness of sewing machine needles.
Needles are usually labeled with two numbers: the larger one corresponds to the European size, and the smaller one to the US size. The smaller the number, the finer the needle. The finer the needle, the lighter the fabric it’s designed for. Easy, right? Here’s a short summary of the corresponding sizes:
– 60 (EU)/ 8 (USA): This is the finest needle on the market. Suitable for very fine, delicate materials such as silk.
– From 65/9 to 70/10: Fine, lightweight fabrics, such as cotton.
– From 75/11 to 90/14: All types of medium-weight fabrics (except knits).
– 100/16: Heavyweight fabrics.
– 110/18: For upholstery or denim (there’s also a special range for denim, available in single or double versions).
– 120/20: Heavy canvas.
3. Most common needle types.
– Universal needles: They have a slightly rounded point for sewing knit fabrics, but they can also be used to sew woven fabrics (cotton, linen, silk…). Try to keep a selection of universal needles in different sizes on hand: fine ones for lightweight fabrics and thicker ones for heavier fabrics. Although they have a wide range of applications, don’t forget to replace them with more specialized needles when you’re working with a challenging fabric.
– Ballpoint or rounded-point needles: Ideal for sewing knits or stretch fabrics. Because the point is rounded, it doesn’t pierce the fabric but separates the fibers without breaking them, preventing the fabric from snagging or developing holes.
– Stretch or Super Stretch: This type of needle also has a rounded point and is used for very stretchy synthetic knit fabrics.
– Quilting or quilting needles: They have a sharp, tapered point and a long shaft, allowing them to pierce multiple layers while keeping the stitches straight or penetrate thick layers without damaging the fabric. Fine but strong… For topstitching projects such as patchwork or quilting.
– Sharp or blue-tip needles: Extremely fine, this needle is ideal for making straight stitches or topstitching on especially fine, delicate fabrics such as silk or microfiber. It’s also particularly useful for sewing buttonholes, where the stitches are very close together and tightly packed.
4. Highly specialized needles:
They’re used for very specific tasks.
– Metallic: With an especially long eye in all sizes, it’s designed for sewing the stiffest threads, such as metallic threads.
– Denim or denim needles: The name says it all…
– Leather or leather needles: This type of needle belongs to the group with cutting points. This sharp edge is what allows it to penetrate leather, faux leather, vinyl, or stuffing materials.
General tips:
- Make sure your needles are in good condition. To check that they aren’t bent, place them on a table with the flat side down and make sure they lie straight. To check that the points aren’t dull, run your fingers from the top to the bottom of the needle and make sure it doesn’t scratch or have an irregular surface. If it’s in poor condition, don’t hesitate: throw it away.
- Make sure the thread passes easily through the eye of the needle.
- Always choose the right needle type and thickness for the fabric you’re going to work with.
Although there are more types of needles and more things to know about them, this short guide we’ve prepared for you contains the basics you need to know about sewing machine needles—at least to get started and begin experimenting. We hope you’ve found it useful.
And if you want to see what we can do with our needles, join Lulu Ferris and start sewing with us from home. There are more than 250 video tutorials waiting for you, and we upload a new one every week!