How to choose the needle for your sewing machine

The needle is perhaps the most important part of the sewing machine. Choosing an appropriate needle for your sewing work will be essential to obtain an optimal finish and avoid problems during the execution of the work, first of all, needle breakage.

The choice of needle to use for machine sewing essentially depends on the type of fabric you are working with. To understand the type of needle to use, consider the heaviness of the fabric. The heavier the fabric, the larger a needle you will need. Then, consequently, the thickness of the thread will also follow that of the needle.

For this reason you can find, at the end of this guide, an example table on the correspondence between the type of fabric, thread and needle size, which I advise you to print and keep an eye on when you prepare to set up the sewing machine. especially if you are not an expert seamstress. In this way you will avoid incurring the most common danger which is that of bending or breaking the needle, with the risk of personal injury.

Shape and size of the machine needle

Sewing machine needles have 2 characteristics to take into consideration when choosing: the gauge (i.e. the thickness) and the shape of the point.

Caliber

The gauge is the thickness of the needle and is identified with a number ranging from 60 to 120. The higher the number, the thicker the needle. For heavy fabrics and jeans, thick needles are used, while for light fabrics such as organza and silk, fine, low-numbered needles are mounted on the machine.

Tip shape

Machine needles are usually available with a tip that can have 3 shapes:

• sharp (needle for sewing tightly woven fabrics – generally works from number 70 to 110 and the most used one);
• chisel (needle for sewing leather and plastic –  from number 100 to 110) And
• rounded (needle for sewing knitted fabrics –  from number 70 to 110).

Double and triple needles

There are also double and triple machine needles, used mainly in decorative stitching. In this case the machine will have to be equipped with more spool pins, because you will need 2 spools for the twin needle and 3 spools for the triple needle. So check the instruction booklet to see if your sewing machine is equipped with it.

Usually all machines have 2 spool holders, while for the triple needle a spool mounted under a spool is used as the third thread feeder. The needle connection, however, remains the same for all types of needle fitted.

Conformation of the machine needle

The machine needle consists of:

• a stem (on which you will find the caliber number and sometimes also the brand engraved);
• from the lama
• from the tip with the eye through which the sewing thread passes.

The machine sewing needle does not have a regular shape, but there is a front part and a back part, which are very different from each other:

• Front side of the needle: the shank is rounded and the blade has a long groove;
• Back side of the needle: The shank is flat and the blade has a short groove.

Where to buy machine needles online and which are the most popular brands

When you decide to buy the machine needles you need, don’t save on quality. If they are of dubious manufacture or the package does not contain technical information, forget it, because you risk breaking them the first time you start sewing and hurting yourself.

The most common and well-known brands of machine needles on the market are:

• Singer
• prim
• Organ Needles

There are also other brands that are sold only on the English or American or Japanese market, all equally valid.

Even in various online shops it is possible to buy them at affordable prices, having a wide choice.

Here you can find a wide range of machine needles both regular needles and twin needles.

How to attach a needle to a sewing machine

Inserting or removing a needle from the sewing machine is not at all difficult, but it is still an operation to be carried out carefully because the needle could risk breaking during sewing if it is not fixed well.

To insert the needle simply unscrew the needle clamp screw counterclockwise, insert the needle with the flat side at the back and push up as far as it will go, then tighten the screw while holding the needle in place.

This is the most common needle attachment procedure, but to see if your sewing machine has any quirks, consult your instruction booklet.

To remove the needle, proceed in the reverse order to the one described.

Sewing problems due to needle choice and solutions

Many sewing problems are due to the type of needle used. Below you will find a list of the most common problems you may encounter during machine sewing and we suggest ways to solve them:

1. Missed or missed stitches

This problem can occur if the needle is not fully inserted into the clamp or if the groove is not in the right position. In this case, reinsert the needle correctly, holding the flat part of the shank at the back.

2. Irregular stitches

The thread breaks, the fabric is damaged during sewing: these problems can occur when using a needle of a different size than required by the thickness of the fabric.

If the needle is too thin for the fabric, the thread may break. If, however, it is too large, it can damage the fabric being processed. In both cases the stitches will be uneven. In this case, consulting the attached table, check which needle size best suits your fabric and change it.

3. Missed stitches

Skipped stitches, damaged fabric, thumping noise when the needle enters the fabric, the thread breaks or frays: these problems can occur when there is a burr at the needle point, eye or groove. If the point is chipped, the needle can make a clicking noise when you work, it can snag on the fibers of the fabric and tear them, or it can skip stitches.

4. Needle not perfectly straight

A needle that is not perfectly straight can skip stitches, pull the fabric to one side or hit the plate and therefore break. Make sure and replace it immediately.

5. Dirty needle

A dirty needle can skip stitches making the stitching imperfect. Also in this case the needle must be replaced as soon as possible.

Table for combining needle, thread and stitch length together

The size of the needle and thread is directly proportional to the weight of the fabric, as is the length of the stitch used: the heavier the fabric, the thicker both the needle and the thread must be, while the stitch must be long:

Type of fabric	Thread type	Needle measurements	Stitch length
Light (soft)Woven – chiffon, organza, challis, crepe de Chine – Openwork: thin lace, tulle – Sweater: linen, velvety cloth	Mercerized cotton no. 50 – extra fine (any fiber)	70 or 80 sharp point for fabrics and laces – 70 or 80 rounded tip for knitted fabrics	1 – 1.5 mm
Light (dry)Woven – batiste, striped cotton fabric, voile, organdis, Sangallo – Perforated: some tulle, coarse mesh fabrics – Sweater: cirè	Silk, nylon, mercerized cotton n. 50 – extra fine (any fibre)	80 sharp tip for fabrics and lace – 70 or 80 rounded tip for knit fabrics	1 – 1.5mm
Medium weight (soft) – Woven: velvet, velveteen, striped percale, cambric, crepe, corduroy – Sweater: jersey, elastic terry, some double stitches or chunky stitches	Polyester, synthetic, mercerized cotton no. 50	80 or 90 sharp point for fabrics – 80 or 90 rounded tip for knitted fabrics	1.5 – 2 mm
Medium weight (dry) – Woven: brocade, shantung, faille, taffeta, eggshell, chintz, pique, gingham, poplin, linen, some twisted cotton fabrics, some tweeds – Sweater: some double stitches	Mercerized cotton no. 50 – synthetic	80 or 90 sharp tip for fabrics – 80 or 90 rounded tip for knitted fabrics	1.5 – 2 mm
Heavy (soft) – Woven: wide corduroy, terry fabric, some upholstery fabrics, some types of imitation fur, denim, jeans – Sweater: elastic velor, some types of fake fur, some chunky knits	Mercerized cotton no. 40 or 50 – cotton no. 40-60 – synthetic	90 or 100 sharp tip for fabrics – 90 or 100 rounded tip for knitted fabrics	2 – 2.5 mm
Heavy (dry) – Woven: heavy sewing fabrics, burlap, mattress covers, hemp, upholstery fabrics, double-face wool, sailcloth, some heavyweight twisted fabrics, some gabardines, upholstery, some tweeds – Sweater: some jacquards, some double knits	Mercerized cotton no. 36-50 – cotton no. 36-50 – synthetic	100 or 110 sharp fabric tip – 90 or 100 rounded tip for knitted fabrics	2.5 – 3 mm
Leather and vinyl materials – Light: kid leather, patent leather, snakeskin, suede, imitation leather, imitation suede	Mercerized cotton no. 50 – synthetic	80 or 90 chisel tip	2.5 – 3 mm
Leather and vinyl materials – Medium weight: wrinkled patent leather, printed vinyl material, imitation snake, imitation suede, some genuine suede	Mercerized cotton no. 40 or 50 – synthetic	90 chisel tip	2.5 – 4mm
Leather and vinyl materials – Heavy: kid, vinyl material for furnishings, some suedes	Mercerized cotton no. 36-50 – synthetic	90 or 100 chisel tip (if the fabric is double layered you can also use a sharp point needle of the same size)	3 – 4 mm

How to choose the machine needle for topstitching

Topstitching is a machine stitching done on the right side of the work for functional or simply decorative reasons, or for both purposes.

It usually consists of a straight stitch longer than normal, but it can also be replaced by the zig-zag stitch. The topstitch can be done with regular sewing thread or a heavier weight thread, which can be the same color as the base stitching used to make the garment or project, or a contrasting color to create a decorative effect.

Fabrics and type of stitching	Thread type	Needle size	Stitch length
Straight stitching – Fabrics and knits, leather and vinyl materials of all weights	Cotton or synthetic for machine eyelets	100 or 110 sharp tip for fabrics – 100 rounded tip for meshes100pcs leather chisel tip	3 – 4 mm
Zigzag stitch stitching – Fabrics and knits of all weights	Mercerized cotton no. 40-50 – cotton or synthetic for machine buttonholes	90 or 100 sharp tip for fabrics90 – 100 rounded tip for knit fabrics	2.5 – 3 mm
Stitching done with needles multiple – Medium weight or light fabrics	Mercerized cotton no. 50 – synthetic	90 double or triple	1.5 – 3 mm