Today’s market carries many types of home sewing machine needles. You will find regular sewing needles, embroidery needles, metallic needles, titanium needles and more. Some of these needles have multiple features and all have multiple sizes (9-20). It is no wonder we get confused. This guide is written to give you a better understanding about what you should be buying.
Type of Point:The first decision you must make is between a sharp point and a ball point (BP) needle. Ball point needles have a rounded tip and are used to push between the fibers when sewing instead of making a hole or a break in the actual fiber. This is why they are used for knits or tightly woven materials. Imagine a run in a stocking; that is what can happen on knit material when using a SHARP needle point. A sharp point needle is what is says, sharp on the end, perfect for woven material.
Type of Needle: Next you will need to look at the type of the actual needle. Organ needles come in a variety of types, not all of which are discussed in this article.
The basic, a 15x1 HAx1 is the standard home sewing machine needle. It is perfect for most home sewing, quilting, and embroidery machines. It is available is a variety of sizes and it the place to start with most projects. You should try it before going on to a more expensive needle.
Next is the 15x1 ST. This is referred to as the embroidery needle because it comes with a larger eye. This reduces the stress on the thread while embroidering or doing decorative work. It will also accommodate your larger threads, like a metallic or a heavy top stitching thread. If you are getting a lot of thread breakage, then step up to this needle. This needles is also great if you are just having trouble seeing to thread the needle.
The HLx5 needle is a heavy duty needle produced by Organ. If you are bending a lot of needles, then upgrade to this one. It is actually an industrial sized needle, made to go through multiple layers. It is great for heavy embroidery, or sewing on denim, jeans, or even quilting.
Type of Coating:Needles come in either a chrome finish or a titanium finish. Organ's titanium finished needles are labeled PD for Perfect Durability. These needles have a special coat using the latest ceramic technology. This titanium-nitride is layered on the surface to extend their life by as much as 5 times the chrome plated needles. They are stronger than other needles while maintaining elasticity, thus reducing thread breakage. They are more wear-resistant also. Not all needles types and sizes are offered with the titanium coating. Titanium needles are more costly than chrome plated needles and may not fit all budgets.
Needle Sizing:There are many guides out there for choosing the correct needle sizes. In fact, many of our sewing machine manuals come with a basic needle guide. The rule of thumb is to use the smallest size needle that you can so as not to leave a hole in your fabric. For very lightweight materials, use the smallest size you can get. Heavy denim may take a size 14 or 16. This is an area not set in stone, but more of something you will get a feel for the more that you sew. You will KNOW when you need to go up a size (or down). Trust your instincts.
How Often Should I Change the Needle:Some will tell you to change your needle with every project, some will say every 8 hours. Here again you need to trust your instincts. If that needle has been in there since you bought your machine, chances are that it is WAY overdue. But if you just did a small project on a new needle, it will probably be good for a few more. Changing your needle not only depends upon time, but how you were using it and on what material. Doing heavy embroidery will dull a needle and your machine will tell you ("I wonder why this design is looping all of a sudden"). Another key
sign is thread breaking during embroidery (when it wasn't before). This may also be a sign of too small of a needle.” If you’re unsure, change the needle, especially if doing embroidery. Use the old ones for hanging pictures (they leave very tiny holes in the walls and are pretty strong, a trick taught to me by my favorite Bernina shop).
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I know I have been gone forever. But I really haven't had any time for sewing. I am working outside of my home now and found out last week that I got into the nursing program I was hoping for. So I will have even less time! I did spent some down time this weekend in Seattle with family taking great pictures and I found this great pasta shaped like the space needle! Remember when Gina sent me all that sand to add to my collection, she said she didn't want me to send anything in return and I didn't, but when I saw this I had to get it for her. I also had some Washington themed fabric from a shop hop a few years ago so I made a bag for it and put a fat quarter of the same fabric to add to her stash. I hope she likes it!
It is the troll under the Freemont bridge. That bug used to be orange I think and it is real! I love to take people here. If you want to see more pictures of this look for me on Facebook.
30"X35"
Edited: I thought I'd add a little tip to go with this. If you draw the shape on a thin paper, sew on the line and then trim to the size you want it turns much easier under the presser foot. Be sure to use a small stitch so ripping the paper off is easy.
Today I think I'll start a UFO list so when I get bored I will not start a new project but pick up an old one to work on, do you think it will work?
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