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Needles 101

Date post: 02-Apr-2018
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 A m a ch i n e n e ed le.  I t h a s be e n sa id i n m ost of  qu ilti n g cl a ss e s a n d wo rk s h op s  h ow i mp orta nt is t o ch a n g e  t h e s e wi n g ma chi n e ’s  n e edl e s oft e n..  Ha ve yo u h ea r d  a bo ut it ? .  So m eth i n g I ha ve r ea liz ed fo r qu ite so m e ti m e (at lea s t wh e n I give  cl a ss es ) is wh at littl e att e ntio n qu ilte r s pa y to t h at. A n d th ey don ’t r ea li ze  th at t hi s s m a ll a c t ca n ma k e a ll t h e differ e n ce betwe e n a go od a n d a bad s ea m.  T h e n e ed le s o f a s e win g m a chi n e a r e on e o f t h e m o s t i mpor ta n t compon ents in th e sewi ng pr ocess. I t can  gi ve y ou a s m oo t h, soft sea m , wit h out t e nsion an d  wit h out b u m p s ; it cou ld g ive y ou a r ou gh sea m , wit h to rn  t h r ea ds, lot s o f pu ck e rin g, a n d i rr eg u l a r s tit ch e s... Need les 101  If yo u do n ’t ch a nge it of t e n (a bo ut 8 h ou r s of se wi n g) ,  t h e po i nt wea r s out w ith h ou r s o f u s e a n d high s pe ed  s e wi n g. I t be co m e s d u lle r a n d ca n n ot p e r fo r at e t h e  fa bri c on e ve ry s tit ch wit h t h e sa m e p r e cis io n. I a lway s like to compare this with the tires in your car.  So m e qu ilte r s t hi n k t h at if th ey l ea ve mo r e ho u r s ( or m ore d a ys o r eve n  mo nth s! !) th e sa m e n eedl e n ot hi n g is g oi n g to h a ppe n... But it rea lly doe s! !  Let m e te ll y ou a bit a bo ut t he wor ld o f ma chi n e n e edl e s...  T h e re is a b ig v a riety o f n e edl e s a vai l a bl e at cr af t, se wi n g  a n d qu ilt sh op s. Wh e n we sta r t se wi n g, m a n y of u s g o to  t h e s h op a n d s e e so m a n y ty pe s t h at we g et conf u s ed,  a n d we bu y t h e u n ive r sa l on e , t hi n ki n g t h at it go e s wit h  eve ryt hi n g. J u st as w ith se wi n g n e edl e s , m a chi n e n e edl e s  diff e r fo r tw o ba si c di s ti n cti on s : t h e ty pe o f t extil e it is  d e sig n ed f or , a n d t h e n u m be r .
Transcript

 

 A machine needle.

 It has been sa id i n most of  qu ilting classes a nd workshops how importa nt is to change the sewing machi ne’s needles often.. Have you hea rd about it?.

 Something I ha ve rea lized for qu ite some time (at lea st when I give classes) is what little attention qu ilters pay to that. And th ey don ’t rea lize that this small act can ma ke all the diffe rence between a good and a bad sea m.

 The needles of a sewing machi ne are on e of the mostimporta nt components in th e sewing process. It can give you a smooth, soft sea m, without tension a nd without bumps; it cou ld give you a rou gh sea m, with torn threads, lots of pu ckering, and irregular stitches...

Needles 101

 If you don’t change it often (about 8 hou rs of sewing), the point wea rs out with hou rs of use and high speed sewing. It becomes dulle r and cannot perforate the fabric on every stitch with the sa me precis ion. I a lwayslike to compare this with the tires in your car.

 Some qu ilters think that if th ey leave more hours (or more days or even months!!) the same needle nothing is goi ng to happen... But it rea lly does!!

 Let me te ll you a bit about the world of ma chi ne needles...

 There is a big variety of needles available at craft, sewing and qu ilt shops. When we sta rt sewing, many of us go to the shop a nd see so many types that we get confused, and we bu y the universa l on e, thi nki ng that it goes with eve rythi ng. Just as with sewing needles, machi ne needles differ for two basic disti nction s: the type of textile it is designed for, and the number.

 

 If you see the example on the right, you  will notice a slight difference on the eyes of both needles. They are made lik e that

 because ea ch one will accommodate different threads for that particu lar textile.

 Type of textile:  There is one needle for a lmost every kind of fabric. Woven, knit, denim,leathe r, microtex, sharps, quilting, etc., are some of the most rep resentative. The format of  the eye, groove and point are going to be different for ea ch type. The indentation of the groove -on the front of the needle- is ve ry important because a llows the thread to l ay close to it a s it comes toward the bobbin.

 Number:  Internation ally, two different kinds of denomin ations are shown in ea ch package: the Europea n and the America n. When you look at a box of needles you will see 2 numbers with a slash in between. The f irst nu mber corresponds to the Europea n denomi nation, and the second one to the American. The numbers go from the thi nnest 60/8, up to the thickest 110/18. The bigger the number, the thicker the needle. This will give you the f irst idea about the numbers. You guessed it!! The thicker the needle, the thick er the fabric that is designed for, and the thicker the thread it can handle... exactly!!

 So, when you go shoppi ng for needles, narrow you r sea rch to the type of  textile you will work with. Most qu ilters a nd sewers will have cotton as the main fabric choice. Then, choose the type of stitchi ng you will do: for example, qu ilting needles will be perfect for piecing; on the other hand, topstitch or sharp needles will do wonde rs with machi ne appliqu e.

 Mergi ng these 2 factors, if you have a good selection of machi ne needles in you r stock, it will make you r sewing experience a breeze! Remember that the correct needle can make all the difference...

 Patricia Bravo

 When buyi ng “number or s ize” i n needles, keep it clea r and simple:  for piecing regular weight cotton, 75/11 or 80/12 will do a great job.for piecing f la nnel, 90/14 is a perfect size.for quilting, use 80/12 or 90/14.for binding, 90/14 will ha ndle all the fabric la yers.


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