The Right Sewing Needle Makes A World Of Difference

May 2010

26 May 2010 - Jo Williams

With every new sewing project, you should insert a new needle. The needle should be the right size and type for the fabric. I found a great chart at Threads Magazine that explains needle differences very well. And it has pictures for those of us who are visual learners. The main types of needles are Ball-point needles, Sharp needles, Stretch needles and Universal needles.

What if you have chosen the needle carefully and are still having poor stitch quality? Here are some Tips for Success:

Needle Insertion may be off. You needle may not be fully inserted into the needle clamp or may be inserted backward. In most machines, the front is round and the back is flat. Also, the groove that helps guide the thread into the needle hole is in the front. Make sure you tighten the screw sufficiently to keep the needle from sliding down.

Needle Quality may be the problem. When you don’t change needles often, you can have a dull tip, or it can develop a burr on the needle that results in broken thread, snagged fabric or skipped stitches. Bent needles can cause problems too, like pulling the fabric to one side, or damaging the throat plate. This is one reason Quality Machine Needles are important.

Stitch Quality can be a problem if the tension is wrong, or if the machine needs to be cleaned. You might need to change the throat plate of from one with an oval opening to one made for a straight-stitch. Sometimes the larger opening allows the fabric to be “swallowed” into the machine.
If you take good care of your machine, change needles with each major project, and use the correct sewing machine needle, you should have great sewing results.