Machine-Needle Know-How
as originally appeared in Threads©
Magazine
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© 2001 The Taunton Press Inc. Reprinted with permission from
issue no. 94
of THREADS magazine, Box 5506, Newtown,
CT 06470-5506. To order a copy of
THREADS call 1-800-888-8286.
There are lots of needles to choose from. Insure a
project’s success by selecting the right one.
by Lydia Morgan
Lay out an assortment of sewing-machine needles in various types and sizes on a table, and most of us can’t tell the difference among them. But put the wrong needle in your machine, or use the wrong needle for your fabric and/or thread, and all heck breaks loose. You can damage your bobbin hook, throw off the machine’s timing, get puckered seams, break or shred thread, punch holes in your fabric, and, at the very least, produce an inferior stitch. Whatever your machine, even the latest computerized model, needle selection can make or break your stitch.
At one time, only one type of machine needle was available to home sewers, and the sole choice involved was size. But today, home sewers can choose from a wide variety of needle types in their quest for trouble-free sewing .
Several things can determine the type of needle to pick: the fabric you’re using; the thread you’ve chosen (for example, metallic or embroidery); or the type of stitch you plan (for instance, topstitching or hemstitching). When you’re doing regular, not decorative, sewing, the type of fabric determines the shape of the needle’s point, and the fabric’s weight determines the needles’ size.
But before deciding on a needle, you first need to know the needle system your machine uses. Unlike commercial machines, which use a variety of needle systems, almost all home-sewing machines use a 130/705H needle system—designated on the needle case between the needle’s name and size (other letters indicate needle type, such as M for Microtex or Q for quilting). Your machine’s needle system never changes, regardless of the size or type of needle you use.
Tension control, stitch length, foot pressure, and other invisible settings on automatic machines are set for medium-weight fabrics, threads, and needles. If you’re a middle-of-the-road sewer, using midweight, woven fabrics, you could be happy using a size 12 universal needle for the rest of your life. But when you want improved stitch quality, learn which specific needles to use for various jobs. See "Anatomy of a needle" on p. 59 to understand the build of this tiny, but important tool.
Select needle type by the task at
hand
Sewing-machine manufacturers want their machines to consistently produce
a perfect stitch. So the needle’s configuration is engineered to manage thread
and fabric to reduce the likelihood of skipped or flawed stitches. Each needle
type produces a stitch by using a uniquely designed groove, scarf, eye, and/or
point to enable the needle and bobbin hook to meet perfectly. The chart of
needle types above describes their uses, configuration, and how to troubleshoot
them.
Choose regular needle size by fabric weight
When selecting a needle for regular sewing, start with needle size.
European needles range in size from 60 to 120, which refers to the diameter
taken on the shaft right above the eye. American needles are sized from 8 to 19
in an arbitrary numbering system, and paired with corresponding European sizes:
for example, 60/8 or 70/10; the larger the number, the larger the needle.
Determine needle size by fabric weight. Choose a size 60/8 needle for
lightweight fabrics similar to georgette or organdy; a 70/10 or 80/12 needle for
medium-weight jersey, Lycra, linen, or calf leather; a 90/14 and 100/16 for
heavy fabrics like jeans, vinyl, upholstery or canvas; and 110/18 or 120/19 for
very heavy fabrics. After choosing needle size, match the needle point to your
fabric. The needle type and name is usually determined by the characteristics of
the needle’s point.
Thread should pass easily through eye of
needle
How smoothly the thread pulls though the needle’s eye is also a factor
in producing even, regular stitches. So if you have trouble threading the needle
and problems with the stitches, the thread and needle aren’t matched
correctly. Lay your thread in the needle’s front groove; it should
"snuggle" in.
In the end, most sewers just want to get professional-looking results. Knowing
more about needles brings you closer to that goal, since needle choice greatly
affects your outcome. For every correctly chosen, new needle you put into your
machine, you should have eight to 12 continuous hours of trouble-free sewing.
Anatomy of a Needle
The key features of a standard machine needle are called out below. Their configuration varies from needle type to type (see the chart on pp. 60-61).
Shank
Top of needle that inserts into machine; most often has round front and flat back, which seats needle in right position.
Shaft
Body of needle below shank. Shaft thickness determines needle size.
Front groove
Slit above needle eye, should be large enough to "cradle" thread for smooth stitches.
Point
Needle tip that penetrates fabric to pass thread to bobbin-hook and form stitch. Shape of point varies among needle types.
Scarf
Indentation at back of needle. A long scarf helps eliminate skipped stitches by allowing bobbin hook to loop thread more easily. A shorter scarf requires a more perfectly timed machine.
Eye
Hole in end of needle through which thread passes. Needle size and type determine size and shape of eye.
How is a stitch formed?
The formation of a stitch begins when the needle penetrates the fabric and descends to its lowest point.
The bobbin hook then slides by the needle’s scarf, catching the upper thread, and carries it around the bobbin and bobbin thread.
The thread is then pulled up into the fabric, completing the stitch.
Standard Needles
The configuration of these needles is based on the particular fabric to be sewn.
Universal needle
Uses: Safest needle choice for most fabrics.
Configuration: Has slightly rounded point and elongated scarf to enable almost foolproof meeting of needle and bobbin hook.
Troubleshooting: When fabric is not medium-weight woven, consider needle specifically suited to fabric. For example, size 18 universal needle works on heavy denim, but size 18 jeans needle works better.
Ballpoint and stretch needles
Uses: Ballpoint needle for heavier, looser sweater knits; stretch needle for highly elastic fabrics, like Spandex, or Lycra.
Configuration: Both have rounded points that penetrate between fabric threads rather than pierce them. (Stretch-needle point is slightly less rounded than ballpoint.)
Troubleshooting: Test-stitch knits with ballpoint, stretch, and universal needles to see which doesn’t cut yarn and yields best results. If ballpoint skips stitches, try stretch needle.
Microtex and sharp needles
Uses: Sewing microfiber, silk, synthetic leather; precisely stitching edges; and heirloom sewing.
Configuration: Has an acute point.
Troubleshooting: Essentially trouble-free, but fabric may require a Teflon, roller, or even/dual-feed presser foot.
Leather needle
Uses: Excellent for sewing natural leather.
Configuration: Has slight cutting point (almost like an arrowhead).
Troubleshooting: On synthetic leather, unless it’s very heavy synthetic, cuts rather than pierces stitch hole and can tear leather. Most synthetic leathers require Microtex or sharp needle.
Denim (jeans) needle
Uses: For heavyweight denim, duck, canvas, upholstery fabrics, artificial leather, and vinyl.
Configuration: Has deeper scarf, acute point, and modified shaft to sew without pushing fabric down into needle-plate hole. Goes through fabric and meets bobbin hook better on dense woven fabrics.
Troubleshooting: If stitches skip when sewing very heavy fabrics, try larger needle and sew more slowly or walk needle through fabric (by turning hand crank).
Handicap/self-threading needle
Uses: Enables easier threading for sewers with vision problems.
Configuration: Universal needle with slip-in threading slot at the eye.
Troubleshooting: Always pull sewn piece back away from needle before cutting thread so needle doesn’t unthread. Needle works well on woven fabrics, but may occasionally snag knits, so test-sew to check for fabric and needle compatibility.
Decorative Needles
The configuration is designed to wed thread to fabric for surface embellishment.
Topstitching needle
Uses: Topstitching.
Configuration: Has extra-acute point, extra-large eye, and large groove for heavy thread.
Troubleshooting: Use smallest size needle that accommodates your thread to avoid punching large holes in fabric.
Embroidery needle
Uses: Machine embroidering or embellishing with decorative thread.
Configuration: Has light point (neither sharp nor ballpoint) and enlarged eye to keep
decorative threads from shredding or breaking, and prevent skipped stitches.
Troubleshooting: If thread still shreds on dense or heavily stitched design, use larger size needle or Metallica needle.
Metallic (Metafil and Metallica) needle
Uses: Sewing with decorative metallic threads.
Configuration: Has universal or standard point; large, elongated eye; and large groove to allow fragile metallic and synthetic filament threads to flow smoothly.
Troubleshooting: Metallic threads are very sensitive to problems in machine: Tiniest burr on thread path or needle can cause problems.
Quilting (stippling) needle
Uses: Piecing, quilting, and stippling.
Configuration: Has special tapered shaft to prevent damaging fabrics when stitching multiple layers.
Troubleshooting: Move fabric smoothly without pulling on needle when free-motion stitching to prevent breaking needle.
Special-purpose needles
These needles are used only with front-to-back threading machines with zigzag features. Make sure your throat-plate needle hole is wide enough to accommodate needle’s width, and zigzag width function is set at zero to prevent sideways movement.
Hemstitch (wing) needle
Uses: Hemstitching or heirloom embroidery on linen and batiste.
Configuration: Has fins on sides of shank to create holes as you sew.
Troubleshooting: Stitch is more effective when needle returns to same needle hole more than once. If needle pushes fabric into needle hole, put stabilizer under fabric.
Twin (double) needle
Uses: Topstitching, pin tucking, and decorative stitching.
Configuration: Two needles on single shaft produce two rows of stitches. Measurement between needles ranges from 1.6mm to 6mm, and needles come with universal, stretch, embroidery, denim, and Metallica points.
Troubleshooting: Be sure throat plate allows for distance between needles.
Triple needle
Uses: Same uses as for double needle.
Configuration: Cross bar on single shaft connects three needles to sew three stitching
rows. Comes with universal point in 2.5mm and 3mm widths.
Troubleshooting: Same as for double needle.
Spring needle
Uses: Free-motion stitching with dropped feed dogs.
Configuration: Has wire spring above point to prevent fabrics from riding up onto needle,
eliminating need for presser foot.
Troubleshooting: Before using, practice free-motion stitching with heavy regular needle, paper, and dropped feed dogs. Don’t pull paper/fabric; instead gently guide it through stitching
To see the Pictures that Accompanied this Article, Click on Threads Pictures.
Questions or Comments? Contact the Author
© 2001 The Taunton Press Inc. Reprinted with permission from
issue no. 94
of THREADS magazine, Box 5506, Newtown,
CT 06470-5506. To order a copy of
THREADS call 1-800-888-8286.
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