Understanding Sewing Machine Needles

Published: June 3, 2008, 2:17 pm

Tags: beginning quilting, quilting, quilting needles, sewing machine needles, sewing needles

So, you thought that a needle was just a thin piece of metal with a hole at the top and a pointy end. Not so. Today’s needles are sophisticated, and none are more complex than the needles we use in our sewing machines. Sewing is great fun, and you can avoid some of the hassle of broken thread and catawampus seams if you learn about your tools. One small but important tool is your needle. What’s the Point You’d expect all needles to have a wickedly sharp point, the better to pierce the fabric. Nope. The needles most often sold with machines, or displayed for sale in high volume fabric outlets, are universal needles. Designed to be a ‘neutral’ style of needle that can work on a variety of fabrics, a universal needle has a minute ball-point, not a sharp tip. This is great for sewing knitted fabrics, not so much so when dealing with cotton, the fabric of choice for quilters. For your quilting projects, use Sharp needles. Needle Numbers

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