Choosing a Sewing Machine Needle
A Quilter's Guide to Picking the Right Needle for the Job
Needles come in a confusing array of shapes and sizes. Here's how to choose the right ones for machine-piecing, machine-quilting, and embellishing with special threads.
Before you start piecing or machine-quilting that new project, stop and check the needle you have in your sewing machine. Is it the right size and weight for the task you want to do? How long have you been sewing with it? A new needle of the right type and weight will help you sew crisp, even stitches.
Types of Needles to Choose for Quilting and Embellishing
You’ll get the best stitches if you match the kind of sewing you want to do with the type of needle developed specifically for that task.
- Quilting Needle – for piecing and machine-quilting. This needle has a tapered point to penetrate several layers of fabric and sew evenly over seams.
- Ballpoint – for “invisible” monofilament thread. This needle has a rounded tip that eases between the threads of your fabric instead of piercing them like sharper-tipped needles, so it isn’t suitable for ordinary quilting. But some experts recommend it for the “invisible” nylon or polyester threads used to anchor appliqué and other embellishments.
- Denim Needle – for canvas, denim and heavyweight fabrics. A regular sharp-point needle isn’t tough enough for thick, heavyweight fabrics. This needle’s shaft is stronger and its eye is narrower, for more piercing power. Use it if you’re working with a really dense fabric.
- Embroidery Needle – for embellishing with rayon or acrylic decorative threads. Use this needle for machine embroidery or embellishing. It has a larger eye and a groove above the eye to keep decorative rayon or acrylic threads from shredding or breaking.
- Metallic Needle – for embellishing with metallic threads. This needle’s larger eye can accommodate heavy threads without shredding or splitting them. Use for machine embroidery or embellishing.
- Sharp Point or Microtex Needle – for fine fabrics and delicate stitching. Slender through the shaft and sharper than a universal needle, this needle is designed for thin, delicate fabrics and heirloom stitching.
- Self-threading Needle – for quilters with vision limitations. The eye of this needle is slotted to make it easier to thread.
- Topstitching Needle – for machine-quilting and heavier threads. This needle’s extra-large eye and deeper groove make it useful for working with heavyweight threads and machine-quilting through thick batting.
- Universal Point Needles – when you can’t find specialty quilting needles. This needle is designed for all-purpose sewing and can be used for quilting too, but its tip isn’t as sharp as a quilting or top-stitch needle's.
About Needle Sizes
In addition to a needle’s shape, you’ll also need to consider which size needle is right for your project. When you look at a package of needles, you’ll see two numbers that identify the needle’s size. They look like this: 60/8 or 100/16 (or sometimes 8/60 or 16/100). The larger number is the American size and the smaller number is the European size, which measures the needle’s diameter in millimeters. It makes no difference which number is listed first. There’s only one thing you really need to know about needle sizes:
- A lower number means a thinner, more flexible needle. Use these needles to sew lightweight threads and delicate fabrics. 60/8 is the smallest size available.
- A higher number means a thicker, more rigid needle. Use these needles to sew heavier threads and fabrics. 120/19 is the largest size available.
- Thin, flexible needles will bend and break in thick fabric, while thick, rigid needles can tear holes in thin fabrics.
Use a Heavier-Weight Needle for Free-Motion Quilting
The side-to-side movements of free-motion machine quilting can put a lot of stress on the sewing needle. If your needle keeps breaking, while you’re machine quilting, especially if you’re free-motion quilting on a quilting frame, switch to a higher-numbered needle.
Replace Your Needle Often
The action of piercing through the fabric gradually dulls a needle and causes nicks and rough spots that can damage your fabric. The Denton Sewing Machine Center in Denton, Texas recommends changing your needle after every three spools of bobbin thread. You could also change the needle after every six hours of sewing, or put in a new needle at the beginning of every new project.
However you keep track of your usage, make sure you replace your needle regularly. You should always replace a needle that gets bent or damaged, which can happen if you sew into a pin or your presser foot. Skipped stitches or small tears in the fabric can be caused by a needle that’s bent or damaged. When in doubt, put in a new needle.
